This week I finished reading a book. I have been reading this book for 2 years. It was not a big book. It wasn’t complicated or in any way taxing but it still took me and my brain 2 years to read it. 2 YEARS!
I’m a far cry from the girl who would read a book in a weekend and multiple books in a month. The teenager who used to stay up late and read by the light of the street lamp outside my window. Reading was a great escape and a pleasure; now I just never have the time. I have completely lost the ability to switch off enough to really immerse myself in the pages.
This book was great. A really fun read and it reminded me of why I used to pick up a book on the regular. Not having the time is a lie; if I have time to scroll through celebrity news or current affairs several times a day, then I have time to read a book. A fine example of my mobile phone draining my spare time. I need to develop a healthier relationship with my phone. Just because it can do everything doesn’t mean I need to be attached to it 24/7.
With my eyeballs, I probably shouldn’t be having so much screen time anyway. Smartphones are a weird phenomenon. You get that immediate pang of anxiety when you can’t find it but when you have time away from it, you feel relieved or more relaxed. So many people are starting to have ‘tech free’ time. Mobile phone free zones. Bringing back their alarm clocks so they don’t have their phones at their bedside. Putting their phone away so they’re not tempted to just check it or respond immediately to an email, text or update.
My Mother In Law has a Good Housekeeping magazine subscription and every month I get her copy when she’s finished. I love flipping through this magazine with a coffee in hand. I always used to read magazines, even had a subscription to InStyle many years ago and loved to receive it through the letterbox each month.
I had so much free time then. No anxiety. No rush. No FOMO. No Google. It’s not the fault of my mobile phone or this new digital age. The fault lies with me. I made my choices. I chose how to spend my time and I need to be wiser. Back then I had a full time job and a house to look after too so there are zero excuses.
Coming away from Facebook and Instagram two years ago felt liberating and did wonders for my mental health. I just need to set better boundaries with my 24/7 pocket internet facility.
Today is World Mental Health Day, what a great day to make a healthy choice for my mind. It’s ok to put myself first. It’s ok to prioritise self care over my emails, texts, alerts and updates. From today I want to join the ever increasing amount of people that are enjoying their tech free time.
If my vision has a finite clock, do I want that time to tick by looking at my mobile phone? No.
I’m quite pleased with myself that I have taken today to check in with me. I hope you are all ok and have made some time for yourself also. It’s ok to switch off.
Enjoy it.