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| REAL LIFE. |
So we all know that life on social media is often not a true representation of our daily lives. Those Instagram pictures are missing the poop on your shirt from the baby’s blowout that morning or the food stuck to the counter that your toddler left behind (true stories from my week). For the longest time I knew I was spending too much time with technology. Like so many things, it can be used for good or bad. I was spending way too much time on my phone.
How I got to this conclusion and a plan to change it all came because of a lesson I taught in Relief Society one Sunday. I was sharing about a talk that really pinpointed the need to focus on eternal, important things. During our discussion, so many wonderful ladies shared their viewpoints and experiences. As a somewhat young mom, I felt like it was much needed and wanted advice that I never really knew I needed. As hard as it was to admit, I had this idea that my time wasn’t being spent where it needed to be.
Now I am going to be completely honest about this process because it is ongoing. I came home from church that day ready to do better at giving my time to eternal things.
First: reconnect with myself. How can I take care of others if I am always running on empty myself? This doesn't mean selfishness, but a conscious effort to improve my own self care. I decided to recommit to starting my day talking to my Heavenly Father and reading scripture. It is the best and often the only time I have to do these things. Mostly it happens when I hear the kids start to wake and I hit my knees for a few quiet moments. Other days I am able to get up a bit before them and have more time for study, prayer and reflection. Another hope is to add in regular workouts. I crave exercise simply for my mental health, but seriously struggle with working out at home. Baby steps.
Second: disconnect from my phone. I started leaving it in my room or in a place away from where we would be. It’s sad to say that it has become so commonplace for it to be right beside me that I pick it up anytime I’m “bored”. This goes better on some days than others. I also decided it was time to deactivate my Facebook account. It’s been a few weeks and I have not missed it for one minute.
Third: keep connecting to my family. I have never felt that I was completely disconnected from my family, just that I needed to give them more genuine time. The kids and I started reading a little scripture story and eating breakfast (mostly) technology free. I mean, I’m being real when I say sometimes I let my toddler watch a show so he will actually eat. My kids are so much happier and the day goes much smoother when we are playing together. The rest of our day is full of play, naps that are often too short, and yes, a movie or tv show. Weather makes a big difference to me. If we have to be in the house all day, it gets harder for me to keep them occupied. I long for warm days with time at the park or splash pad — hopefully they aren’t too far off at this point. We also live pretty isolated from anyone and everything so that can make it hard to really feel connected. Regardless, I am making a big effort to keep my phone out of my hands and my focus on interacting with my kids. If Brandon is home, we usually do a lot better with this because we tend to go out and do more as a family.
I feel super lame that I even have to do this. How did I get here? I don’t know the full answer to that, but I am grateful that I’m trying to right the ship. Don’t worry, I still have moments and days where I fail, but thankfully I get a fresh start daily. Why am I sharing it? Probably for accountability, so I don’t just give up and fall back into old habits. But also because it’s time to get real and share life as it as.
