Enjoy time offline

This coming weekend I’m taking part in an experiment: I’m going to be offline for 4 full days, from Friday to Monday!

I usually take breaks from social media on Sundays, and when I’m on holiday, but even though I don’t share anything I still browse the internet, and tend to check my social media feed, especially Instagram.

Lately  I’ve noticed that I actually spend quite a lot of time online. Being on social media is part of my job, as that’s how I connect with others and promote my work. The connection element is especially important, as I work from home, so social media and emails allow me to connect with other creatives, and friends too.
I do love the internet, and the possibilities that it’s opened for learning, connecting, and creating careers that were simply unthinkable twenty years ago…but you can have too much of a good thing.

I often find myself mindlessly reaching for my iPhone. Every time I have 5 spare minutes, or I feel bored, or I’m writing and I just can’t find the right words…there I am, taking a break and checking social media, browsing Pinterest, or quickly glancing at my emails.

I know that this is not a healthy habit, and that in doing so I’m just hindering my capacity to focus, and adding noise to my mind. That’s why this Easter weekend I’m joining the Enjoy Time Offline project, together with Natasha of Candy Pop (who started it all), Gabrielle, Amanda of The Online Stylist, and Kathryn of Kat Got the Cream.

The idea is to spend these four days of holiday offline, fully engaging with our life, without online distractions. I’m both excited and a bit nervous about this, to be honest.

I know that I’m going to miss Instagram, as I have many friends there and I enjoy the sense of community and mutual support. However, I’m also curious to see how I’ll use my time, and how I’ll feel at the end of this long weekend. I’m particularly interested to see how being offline for a long chunk of time will affect my mind, my mood, and my creativity.

We have a hashtag #EnjoyTimeOffline, to share images of what we did during the weekend, and every time we are not online. Everyone can join the hashtag of course, and you can all join in the offline challenge if you like :)

I’m looking forward to lazy mornings, walks in the woods, reading, and watching some good films.…and after the holiday I’ll be back to share my experience with you.

Enjoy your holiday!