Day 2 Of A Reel-less Existence!



Today was the second day of having uninstalled FB app from my mobile. 

I did log into FB from my laptop to post a book review and then to check my writing group for updates. But that was it. Uninstalling FB has brought in several unpleasant realizations. 

Firstly, the reels were taking up almost 80% of my day. 80%! I myself was amazed at everything I could do today which I would have postponed or procrastinated if the dreadful reels were there. 

To start with, I could finish a story that I had begun ten days ago. Not just that, I could also edit and submit it to my writer's group. While I was writing only 500 words every day, today I could write three times more than that and brought the total word count of the story to 5k. I got so excited that I shared the word count of the story as my status in WA. (WA is allowed. It's not as addictive as reels!). 

I could get some cleaning done. I also did some exercises. I got started on reading a new book and also started making plans for my next novel / novella. 

But the best part for me was that I finally caught up with all the videos that my family group keeps posting. I realized with a pang that I have been ignoring these videos, thinking that I don't have time to watch these, all the while watching awful reels. Catching up with my family group was the best part of the day for me. 

I also realized another thing. The evening wasn't guilt-laden like it usually would be! All negative thoughts, grudges and self-rebuke would usually make their presence felt during the evening. The worst part was the guilt over having wasted another day without doing anything productive. That snarky voice is silent tonight! 

It is surprising how much I can accomplish without the distraction of FB. I would say that the second reel-less day of existence worked in my favor. Here's hoping that all days be like this. I mean, I am a homemaker and not an achiever or a world-shaker, but sometimes the highlight of my day is not having wasted time. Not much happens in a homemaker's life and every little bit of positivity that comes her way is always welcome!

The real challenge lies tomorrow when there is nothing for me to write. Today most of the time went by in writing and editing the story but tomorrow I will probably have a lot of free time in hands. That is usually when the urge to check out reels strikes. I will admit that there is a slight but positive pressure in writing about my struggles with reels. I will think about what I will write at the end of the day and that will probably incite me to spend it more productively. Keeping fingers crossed!

Comments

  1. Latha PrakashMay 22, 2024 at 9:16 AM

    When we stop scrolling through social media we will be surprised at how much time we suddenly have at our disposal. Enjoyed reading your write up

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do Not Just Exist; Live!

Image
As I remind my kid for the umpteenth time to set aside the mobile and devote some time for studies, and as he gets irritated, a wry thought crosses my mind. How and when did I become so uncool?!  I have always tried to stay poised, as much as I can. It has not always been a success, but the moments of calm and poise have outnumbered the moments of panic, at least till now. But off late, I find myself often getting panicky or anxious. While a cough, in the younger days, used to be just a cough and nothing else, now it makes me search for dire diseases in the internet. While the prospect of travel used to bring in excitement and a good sense of anticipation in the past, now it adds to the anxiety, reminding of all the tasks and responsibilities to be dealt with the travel. While meeting new people and clicking with them instantly, used to be something natural, now a simple message that I send to someone makes me wonder whether there was anything hurtful or wrong about the message. How di
Read more

To Thine Own Self, Be Kind!

Image
As if life was not tough enough, we had to complicate it even more by being hard on ourselves. Today's journaling prompt asks me to introspect the ways in which people are generally harsh on themselves, and what kind of support can we offer to ourselves to take it easy. Feeling like we are not doing/being enough: There must be very few people who feel contented and satisfied with what they are or with their work. Majority of the people battle self-criticism, always rebuking themselves for not trying enough, or for not being more. The most difficult person to satisfy or please is oneself. It is always toughest to silence our own mind's criticism! None of us has it easy in life, and yet we are coping with the situations to the best of our abilities. Sometimes we choose an unconventional coping mechanism that might feel strange or unfamiliar to many, but works wonderfully for us. To each one, their own! I feel we judge ourselves much more than we judge others, and we do not forgiv
Read more

Happiness - A Journey And Destination!

Image
As a homemaker, one of the biggest challenges of my day is finding happiness amidst the routine chores. When you have to do the same tasks every day, a sense of boredom creeps in.  One of the best lessons that I have learnt in my quest for happiness is that, it can be found not just in the destination but in the journey as well. Often we focus so much on the destination that we forget to smell the roses in the various paths that our journey takes us through.  I try to make mundane tasks interesting by adding something new to the day. While cooking, I usually listen to podcasts. Not only do they inspire me, but the dreary process of cooking turns into something interesting that I actually look forward to. Sometimes I attempt new recipes. Other times I listen to songs while cooking.  Talking about songs, they are a must when it comes to cleaning the house. I am not a cleanliness-freak and most of the times, I let it go if the house is messy. But sometimes it gets so messy that I fi
Read more