Since early February, I’ve spent three months off the Instagram grid, exploring other approaches to my free pockets of time. I didn’t make as much art as I expected, but I did several other things I consider creative and/or meaningful:
made new products such as washi tape and wooden pins – proper photos to follow the HK Fair this Saturday
was asked to design a local festival poster, as well as a colouring book for prospective students at the school where I work
read a lot of thought-provoking Substack newsletters. Highlights include Rob Henderson’s psychological analyses, and FRESH by Wing’s culture/lifestyle roundups
grew closer to my neighbourhood Zumba & gyrokinesis exercise community
reconnected with old friends, on private messages and sometimes in person (the latter even more of a special treat)
occasionally ran into friends at city events – post-2020, that seems an almost old-fashioned show of spontaneity and serendipity
I am proud, and mostly in awe, to report that weaning off social media has substantially cleared my mental slate. I feel a higher, deeper awareness of my mind and body. For example, I can tell when my thoughts are scattered and I need to write down some reminders for later, or when I’ve been sitting for too long and I need a stretch and drink of water. These may seem obvious to some, but are wins for someone like me who used to marathon the computer for hours on end while ignoring bodily signals like hunger and thirst.
Other, tangential highlights are that I no longer force myself to exercise the same way every single morning, regardless of how I feel. I’ll press snooze once if I’m physically tired, or do simple stretches instead of an aerobic routine. Even if I skip a day here or there, my physique is pretty much the same. (Turns out “listen to your body” is a real thing?!) Another fun one: in the last few weeks I’ve sensed smells more acutely, even subtle changes from room to room in my own living space. Is that a superpower, or did I just never notice normal smells before?…
Most chilling, perhaps, is my physical reaction when I do open the app to check DMs. When I glimpse the feed and feel a spike in anxiety or irrational envy, that’s when I remember why I stopped checking.
I acknowledge it would be useful to return to Instagram to spread the word about upcoming craft fairs. My plan is to post, but not view the feed or stories. Info will go out, not in.
Regardless of how I navigate that tentative return, I am happy to have reached a newfound sense of freedom in terms of attention. Despite all the forces around us demanding all our eyes, ears, money, thoughts, and more – I (and you, too) can still choose what and who to pay attention to. Thanks to this practice, I feel more grounded in my values, and a tiny bit more assertive. When I am faced with a problem, or forced to tolerate that which doesn’t serve me, I can more appropriately assess how much that should matter to me in the scheme of things.
This feels like a monumental realization as I turn 30 on May 25th. I’ll never deny the youngsters their newfangled TikToks, Instagrams or whatever; still, I’m proud to be in an older generation with a degree of separation from fads. That’s also why I post art from previous generations on Spirit. In our fast-paced and progressive modern society, I may be contrarian to say some old wisdom still holds true, but I think it really does. A bit of order and tradition, implemented mindfully, can be a welcome antidote to the chaos and ills of modern life.
What are you most enjoying paying attention to, these days? Would love to know in the comments.
xo Rachel
PS: some mindfulness + art links, both of which I believe I found on The Commonplace:
The benefits of a scientist’s phone detox during work hours: “Liberated from the incessant drip of context-shifting diversion, Weiss’s anxiety diminished while his productivity and creativity improved, generating ‘an abundance of new scientific ideas.’”
A surprising and lovely way to make intersections safer for pedestrians!
thank you for shouting out FRESH!! <3 those cherry blossoms are beautiful. can relate on having higher bodily and mental awareness when i spend less time on social media, and i also find myself implementing that 'info out not in' approach you mentioned to socials - it makes for less chance of those spikes of anxiousness or envy that you mentioned.