Published via Ecency

A few weeks ago, I was reminded of what truly matters in life. I was separate from my family for several days, completely unable to function. I had to decide what I wanted our future to look like, what I wanted to be a priority in our lives. Eventually I got to go back home, feeling optimistic, clear-headed, and focused.

I recognized that I no longer wanted to be controlled by distractions. Obviously this is not some "profound" insight; tons of people recognize how easily distractions can become the focal point of our lives.

A heated exchange with a stranger, the evening news at 6, your child failing a math test, binging TikTok videos, dedicating several hours a day to gaming... These can all be things that cause our focus to deter from what's important: experiencing life on this earth! However, self-control is not a skill that everyone can hone...

So I started focusing on what is important: my health and my children. My family is the only thing that matters in this world, and I cannot properly enjoy it without my health. So I finally self-diagnosed myself with hyperthyroidism after several years of silent healthcare professionals. I changed my diet and my lifestyle -- cutting down coffee and weed!~

But the biggest change, the biggest distraction -- and the most important one in regards to both my health and my children -- has been cutting out social media.

Ever since I was 14, I have had a tumultuous relationship with the internet; as much as I enjoy online controversy, the whole thing makes my heart pound 💔 I have always been in a constant state of stress from online arguments, words still reverberating in my head days later -- I am a woman, so sue me!! 😡😭 In the end, it takes so much of my attention away from the things that matter...

Well, ever since my recent metamorphosis took place, I have managed to cut my screen time from 4-5 hours throughout the day, to 2 hours!! 😱 Now, obviously some days are still not perfect; sometimes research and reading online can tip the scale in the opposite direction. But, for the most part, I have managed to eliminate major social media usage -- all while still running an unrestricted Facebook group! 😄

That's right, as administrator, I no longer feel the need to engage with the comments 👍 I have learned to distance myself; my group is not a reflection of me. It took awhile to realize that everyone else's "racist, insensitive" comments do not resonate with me, and they certainly don't represent who I am as a person.

So yeah! 🙏 Just to end it off, I will include screenshots of screen time throughout the recent weeks. I never have anything to hide! 😄

(This was the week where I was separated from my family. You can tell because I spent almost an hour in Gallery, looking at pictures of my kids 😭😔 and an hour on Messenger, talking to my husband)