Today is the first day of my “coming back” after a month away from Instagram.This post is absolutely no About that experience (which I’m still dealing with), but it’s about how I feel on social media. It’s hard for everyone else to slow down? Like even when you’re trying to take a break, you’re still multitasking or thinking a million things, or feeling guilty for trying to slow down. Being away from social media for a month has made me more aware of my actions, impulses and feelings. I noticed that over time I felt less and less pressure to go, go, go.
It feels like I’m blinking and it’s August 1st. Less than a month of summer is left (not the tech summer, but the summer before school starts). I’ve probably been more involved in my day-to-day life this summer than I have in years (embarrassed to admit it). Not only did I not leave social media, but I also tried to slow down. It’s not easy. Society will tell you that if you slow down, you are behind.you must hustle and bustle. Multitasking. do not miss it. Even having fun can turn into a rush to get used to it all.
This makes sense. We live in a country based on capitalism, with no guaranteed paid sick leave, paid vacation, paid maternity leave, and no universal healthcare. Who can focus on slowing down when our society tells us to hurry up. “No days off,” right?
To be honest, I didn’t notice all the things I missed until I slowed down. Small details, seemingly ordinary. Silence and tranquility. It wasn’t until I slowed down that I realized how tired my heart was. In slowing down, I found clarity, boredom, curiosity, connection, and even fear. If I don’t do or create something, who am I and what am I worth?
Slowing down is an exercise, and an exercise that requires effort. I still forget the idea that I have to always be busy, working, and productive. But if there’s one thing I’ve noticed in the last month, it’s that no matter what we do with it, time flies. At any speed, slowing down is worth it.
slow down
“Life isn’t just about increasing speed.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“Naturally there is no hurry, everything is a foregone conclusion.”
Lao Tzu
“Besides the noble art of doing things well, there is also the noble art of doing nothing. The wisdom of life lies in eliminating the unnecessary.”
– Lin Yutangimportance of life
“We might feel productive when we’re constantly switching between things, constantly doing something, but honestly, we’re not. We’re just distracted.”
Leo Barbata
