I’ve well and truly broken the rules of my reading deprivation challenge today. I succumbed to a news reading and Facebook binge. I still haven’t opened my Reader nor have I watched a single minute of TV.
I’ve also been checking emails more than I stated in the rules, mostly because I’ve been chasing a no-show carpet cleaning company (so annoying).
I guess it’s not about finishing the challenge just for the sake of it. That would be similar to saying “I’m not a minimalist until I own 100 things, total”.
It’s about challenging ourselves to do something different, take ourselves out of our comfort zone for a while. I tell you, it really shows you what’s important and what isn’t.
I thought I enjoyed watching BBC Breakfast over breakfast, and thought I could never be without it, but that’s one of the lessons of this challenge. I don’t miss it at all, and I think I idolised the programme because it is/was/used to be mildly entertaining. All I’m really doing is filling my morning with depressing (and/or annoying) news about how the economy has gone down the pan, and what we should buy to fix it. Filling my morning with negative media is not something I want to be doing. It took the challenge to learn that.
I thought I needed the TV after dinner, to chill out, digest. This week I’ve sat facing my partner, and we’ve talked. We’ve played Scrabble, or just sat quietly. I’ve used the time for crafting and writing. Lesson two, I don’t need TV at all. I like watching the occasional show - The Killing, Homeland, and Game of Thrones - and will continue to do that, but no more mindless TV watching just to relax or pass the time.
Even though my mind was full to bursting, I’ve found it very hard to stop reading altogether. I caught myself reading quotes, a lesson on ISO settings, Facebook and Twitter feeds, and today, some blog posts and news articles. I have dramatically reduced my reading habit this week, and if nothing else, it has given me the space that I needed. I’m grateful for that.
I’ve also learnt that reading is essential to me. I have sadly found that I don’t have inspiration to write anything for the blog, unless I’m reading as well. I miss reading all of your blogs, and caught myself wondering why the bloggers hadn’t posted anything in a while. Oh wait, I just haven’t read them. It has highlighted for me the blogs I miss the most, and I can use that to declutter my reading list.
The challenge has removed the sense of urgency to check my Facebook, Twitter, email and Reader.
I am more inclined to find something to do, instead of sitting at the laptop. I’ve been crocheting, relaxing, playing Scrabble.
I’ve noticed the biggest difference has been during the morning. Instead of having the TV on, my computer on, and my breakfast in hand, and then rushing around trying to get ready for work - on account of getting distracted by the reading; I’ve peacefully sat with my breakfast, and enjoyed some quiet time before work. I love the morning for its peacefulness.
And so, I declare the reading deprivation challenge over. It was making me sad not reading all my favourite blogs and interacting with the amazing community.
Lessons to take away from the challenge:
I don’t miss the TV, and would much rather use my time for something productive, creative, or writing related.
I want to use my mornings for quiet reflection and writing practise, instead of madly rushing around.
Reading is absolutely essential to me, and I find words hard to ignore. Especially my favourite blogs.
The fear of missing out is very much diminished.
Over to you
If you’re glued to the TV most days, and don’t know why; try going without.
If you’re rushing around in the morning, stressing about getting ready, wake up 10 minutes earlier, remove all distractions, and sit quietly for 10 minutes. It helps the general stress levels.
Find out what is essential to you by cutting out something automatic that you use to pass the time, such as reading or playing on the computer, or Angry birds on your phone.
The only way to test the fear of missing out is to intentionally miss out. It’s less scary than you think.
What is automatic for you? What passes the time? Could you eliminate it for a few days to see how important it really is? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
This is so interesting Linda! Well done for doing this challenge. It's interesting to see how much we do out of habit, rather than because we want to. I always have Radio 4 on in the morning. That way I can listen to the news and eat my breakfast (and empty the dishwasher, supervise the kid's breakfast and make a packed lunches too) at the same time! x
ReplyDeleteLinda, I find this experience very interesting! I'm even feeling tempted to try something similar. I know I engage in some mindless consumption of information and this is a great way to identify some habits that I would be better off without :P
ReplyDeleteHi Gillian, thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your kind words. The first day was the hardest!
ReplyDeleteWow that's a lot of things to pack into each morning! :)
Hi Mopsa, thanks for coming to visit me here! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a great learning experience. It taught me a lot about what I do out of habit, and how stressful my morning was before I slowed down. Let me know if you try something similar! :)