How Changing My Digital Habits Helped Me Refocus and Create More Calm in My Day-to-Day
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Brooke Sexton.
Copy by: Britnee Tanner
Model: Brooke Sexton
Creative Direction by: Catie Menke
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Brooke Sexton.
I had recently graduated from college. I took my first dream job (working with amazing women) helping run social media accounts for A-list brands.
It was the beginning of Twitter. Instagram wasn’t much of a thing. And it was Facebook’s heyday.
Needless to say, I felt like a wee pioneer working with some of the marketing greats.
My days were busy and challenging and amazing in all the right ways. After that I landed a gig in sports and entertainment and later I worked in tech in Silicon Valley. Also a little glamorous. Also a lot of pressure.
Each time I moved up in my career I found myself dedicating even more time to the job. “Always on” was normal. Always plugged in or looking to charge up so I could send emails at work, home or in transit.
And well, that became too much too often.
I craved a breather. I was ready for a change - a healthier change. But how could I give myself a breather? I was moving up in my career and doing it like everyone I knew. My schedule was “normal” by any professional standard. Most people my age were moving up in their careers by doing the same things and doing them with a smile.
So there I was. Queue all the self-reflection.
The "normal" was taking a toll on me. I was overwhelmed and needed a healthy separation from work.
I knew I had to simplify things if I wanted to get my groove back.
If I wanted to feel an increase in calm, I knew I had to refocus and make changes to my everyday routine.
So in order to achieve this slightly *huge* mindset shift and daily-habit change, I had to dive deep. And that's exactly what I did.
I learned a few important lessons along the way. Helpful tips that I still use today even though I'm no longer climbing the corporate ladder. Real habit shifts that now help me as I'm a mom to two and an entrepreneur running my own business.
AVOID CHECKING SOCIAL FEEDS EARLY
All too often my mornings have been hijacked by me scrolling through my notifications just to end up in a spiral of too much content too soon. Try giving yourself some breathing room. Test out 20 minutes after you wake and then see if you can make it longer. I've noticed that if I don't grab my phone right away, my mornings feel more productive and I get a proper start to my day because I'm setting it up the way that I want it to be. It's not being fed by the energy of my Instagram feed. And guess what, I didn't miss anything by waiting! This simple pause, allows me to mentally focus on what I want for my day while exercising self-control and that is empowering.
CREATE DIGITAL BOUNDARIES
This tip will give you life because the truth is, our virtual world is burdensome and if left unchecked it can absolutely make us feel like our lives are cluttered. And I don’t know about you but as an organizer and someone who firmly believes in being intentional with my time, I don’t have time for clutter (of any kind!). I look at digital consumption as a different kind of clutter. So, how do you create a digital boundary? Start by creating time limits for apps that eat up your spare time or scheduling screen-free time after work so you're not staring at a screen after hours. Even just a few small adjustments will help you focus on what is most important during your day. It's about eliminating the digital time-wasters. You might feel a little out of your element at first but dive in and trust the process. We weren’t meant to be on devices all day long. The best self-care is giving yourself some peace and quiet free of beeps and dings.
BLOCK TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR
So many of my ah-ha moments with simplifying my day-to-day came during those early career years. Now as a mom and entrepreneur I find the same lessons to be valuable but I incorporate them in new ways. For example, I have found that blocking time for the activities that I most want to experience allows me to be intentional with my time. For example, when my kids are awake and playing, I want to be with them. So I try not to schedule meetings or do too much work-related things when I'm focused on playtime.
So what does that mean exactly if you're looking to block time right now? It means this: Open up your calendar (or pull out your pretty planner) and schedule whatever you want to get done when it makes the most sense to do that. Physically write or type the activity you want to make happen and add it to your calendar. Then, your focus should be on that specific activity during that specific amount of time with limited distractions. And seriously, it’ll be a game changer because you’ll now be more in control of what you’re doing when. Organized and planned bliss. Yes and yes.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to simplify your day. You're going to make that call. The best advice I can offer is that you look at your areas for improvement and slowly start to make changes. Write them down if you need an extra boost. Then you can literally jot down ways to change that always-on behavior that so many of us have become accustomed to. You'll start exploring solutions and ways to streamline your day and make better use of your time. And that will feel huge.
Remember that if it feels weird, then you’re probably on the right track in finding more calm in your life. Because we’re all wired to be “on” majority of the time. Oh and practice. Lots of practice will help get you to where you want to be.
Let me know if you give any of the tips a try in the comments. I’d love to hear how it’s helping you refocus and find more calm in your day-to-day.
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