Living a happy and meaningful life with chronic illness
Posted on October 1, 2018 by thespooniemummy
Good afternoon, happy new week! And happy new month to you all as we are officially in October. This month I am looking forward to Autumn kicking in, Leo’s tenth birthday (how did that happen?!?), half term school holidays and Halloween!
Last month I attempted Scroll Free September which meant, apart from for work (blog) purposes, I would not be on social media. You can read my introduction post about it here.
I was really excited about the challenge and thought it would help me explore my relationship with social media. I do feel I often spend too much time on there, especially with blogging being central to the online world. It is something Ste has also mentioned. I know he is proud of my blogging work, but does often feel like it takes over too much of my time.
The first couple of weeks were a real eye opener. I stuck tot he rules really well and only went on at set times to post things for my blog. Unfortunately, halfway through the month I became unwell with a nasty sickness bug and then a cold. This led to lots more rest time and I noticed I began scrolling again more frequently. I was upset that I had failed the challenge but also, too poorly to care at the time. I do think the challenge was having a positive effect on my well being when I was following it. Being poorly did make me feel down though, and sliding back into using social media again and realizing I had failed, did not help with this.
On reflection, I still think Scroll Free September taught me a lot. Although I took the option of trying ‘cold turkey’ which meant that I wasn’t doing anything online except for work purposes, the creators planned different options. Things like not using social media in bed is something I will be continuing with. Me and Ste have started watching films and TV series again and getting a little quality time in the evening without interruptions, which I love. I also want to extend this to the mornings, as I often get up and check my social media first thing. I am going to try getting up and waiting o check my social media till I get my cuppa and breakfast.
Treating blogging a little more like a job is also worthwhile. Rather than frequently popping on to check on my different accounts, I spend a little time prepping what I want to be posting about at the beginning of the week/day and then will just go on to check it at a couple of times throughout the day for messages etc.
Although I technically failed the challenge, and I don’t mind admitting it, I hope that Ste especially will see the steps forward that I have taken this month and continue to support me with this. I am now back to studying for my degree too so need to ensure my time is well handled so I do not fall behind.
So a new month is beginning and I have set myself a new challenge – maybe this should become a regular monthly thing?! Let me know in the comments below if you have any ideas I could do in the coming months!
This month I have decided to take part in #Blogtober which means I will be posting a blog post every single day of the month. I feel tired just saying it! Make sure that you are subscribed if you aren’t already and you won’t miss a post, as they will all conveniently drop into your inbox! To do this just check out the bottom of the home page and type in your email address. I have lots of content planned and I hope you all enjoy it.
Thankyou all once again for your support – every like, share and comment is hugely appreciated. I try and reply to everyone’s comments and you can also message me privately if preferred.
Happy #Blogtober, wish me luck!
Category: Blog Posts, LifestyleTags: autumn, blog, blogger, blogtober, challenge, october, scroll free september, social media, uk blog, uk blogger, Update
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I am pleased to be a member of the IA and also on the committee of my local group – Notts and Derby IA – however the views expressed in this blog are my own and are not necessarily the same as the IA
Get in touch by emailing thespooniemummy@hotmail.com for more information!
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Good luck with the posts
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Thankyou! X
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Your learnings from Scroll Free September sound very valuable. I should try it. Like you, I don’t think I could go cold turkey… but being a bit more mindful about it can only be a good thing!
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It really is. You think you will pop on for five minutes and half an hour goes by. A little structure to your usage really helps x
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