9 Observations from My Facebook Hiatus

Everything on archerfriendly revolves around health. Health is so much more expansive than taking a few supplements and eating a good diet. It encompasses all of us, which is why I write about life topics. My summer Facebook hiatus had such a positive impact on my well-being that I wanted to share some reflections with you. May you use Facebook in a way that brings you health.

1. My largest means for complaining was taken away. Not being on Facebook meant that I couldn’t complain about traffic back-ups, the person who broke the rules by eating in the library, the migraine I got from the guy drenched in cologne sitting beside me in the coffee shop, or how terrible it was to get the stomach virus after my board exams were over when all I wanted was rest. During uncomfortable life situations that caused me to suffer in some minute way, I had this compulsion to post it on Facebook because that had been my habit.

2. I stopped spying on people I never talk to in real life.
I’m nosy, I know it, and I love it. Facebook allows me to be as nosy as I want to be. I could spy on anyone from my past, no matter how disconnected I am from them now. Oh, where do they work? Wow, they have 3 kids now! She’s a doctor now!

3. I had so much more time.
The other day, I heard on the radio that Facebook is losing steam because people are realizing how much of a time vacuum it is. You give two minutes and it pulls you in for twenty. During my summer Facebook hiatus, the Wendy’s Eating Husband logged me in a few times to check my messages. Because I wasn’t regularly on Facebook, there weren’t as many messages or notifications as I thought there would be. My friends knew I wasn’t on there, so they found other ways to contact me. The more you comment or like something on Facebook, the more notifications you get. If you want to stay on Facebook and you don’t want it to steal your time, don’t comment and don’t like anything, and it’ll cut down your notifications. Notifications suck you in for more clicks!

4. My main venue for mindless, online junking was taken away.
For me, online mindless junking occurs when I have just enough energy to lift a finger. If I sit down in front of Facebook during one of these moments, I could sit there for 30 minutes going clickity click click, because it takes more energy to get up out of my chair, away from Facebook, then it does to lift a finger to like someone’s status update.

5. I listened to my body more.
I got in bed a lot earlier because when all the energy I had was to lift a finger, I used that finger to brush my teeth so that I could get in bed. When you’re feeling this drained, it’s your body’s warning sign that you’re tired, and Facebook will not meet that need in anyway whatsoever. Instead of ignoring my body’s tired signal by clicking around on Facebook, I paid attention and got in bed when I needed to get in bed.

6. I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked how people were really doing – in person.
When I saw people at church on Sunday, I really didn’t know how their week went, so I could genuinely say, how are you?! When I was a Facebook junkie, it was easy to keep to myself because Facebook already told me everything.

7. I never felt left out.
Feeling left out is one of my core vulnerabilities. I’ll tell you the why some other time. Because I hardly went on Facebook, I had no idea what I was missing. I didn’t get to see the wedding I wasn’t invited to, the birthday party my kids weren’t invited to, or all the other people that hangout and have so much fun without me.

8. Facebook sends you nearly daily reminders of all you’re missing.
When you don’t log in for a few days, Facebook notices, and they stalk you down. They lay it on thick by sending emails that say, “Lyndsey ___ is waiting for you to see her post on your timeline”, as if she’s sitting by her computer, tapping her foot, waiting for me to see it.

9. A lot of the stuff I was reading on Facebook wasn’t quality.
Reading status updates makes me dumb. There are grammar errors, some that I notice, but many that I never notice because Facebook is making me dumber. I’ll blame Facebook for all the grammar errors you find in this post. Spending any minute reading those stupid pictures everyone passes around with the black and white block lettering cracking some whiney joke is a great way to kill your brain cells. Wouldn’t it be more useful to read a line from a book than the status update from a high school friend you never talk to who just bought three boxes of Kleenex for $1.25 at Target?

I don’t think Facebook is the devil, and I’m enjoying having my password again, but I enjoy life more with less Facebook. What about you? What’s your Facebook deal?

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