Why I'm No Longer Posting at the Weekend...

Life in lockdown has meant that every day blurs into one. I think we can all agree with that right?! These past 12 weeks have also made me realise that my life has been like this for the past year since really throwing myself into 'insta life' (BLEURGH!).

And quite frankly, it's unhealthy.

It got me thinking... you wouldn't take a job that made you work 24/7 with only the occasional pay cheque thrown in. Why am I letting this platform rule my life?

The reason is simple, because everyone else is.

And the reason why everyone else is, the culture in which we live (and because of the algorithm). Everything needs to be instant. Now, now, now.

Instagram is clever. It keeps its users hooked like a good Netflix show. We keep coming back for more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

Once you mess with your own algorithm (not posting) you get thrown out of the limelight faster than Judy Garland getting booed off of the stage for turning up drunk. And it happens to me every week.

So why are you coming off of it I hear you cry?! (probably not, but please roll with it!)

This algorithm has had an enormous effect on our day to day lives and we've ended up treating every aspect of our life as if we're being monitored by data.

I have to see my friends the most (or they might not invite me again)

I have to work long hours (because I won't be successful if I don't)

I have to redecorate my home (because it doesn't look cool on insta)

I have to be seen to be busy (or my other friends will think I'm uncool)

I have to book a luxurious holiday (or people will think I'm poor)

I have to have a side hustle (because I won't need to be successful)

I have to go to the gym and workout (because I won't look good if I don't)

There are two common themes here. One being success and two, how we look to other people.

I've seen a lot of people recently saying 'I find it hard to switch off' and 'I have to always be busy' I was (still kind of am) one of those people. Here we are 12 weeks into (semi)lockdown and I've only just managed for the last two weekends to only spend half an hour on social media. Which is pretty good going from what I have been doing of late!

Once we start to unpick why we 'find it hard to switch off' we soon realise that it all melts down to the fact that modern society tells us not to. We've created a monster and it's hard to be unleashed from it's claws.

If we don't run in the rat race, you'll get picked last for the team in PE.

That kind of thing.

BUT

We don't have to run the rat race every single day. 24/7. We don't have to go to the gym if we don't want to. We don't have to book a holiday that we can't afford. We don't have to re-decorate to what we think people will like. We don't have to work extra long hours to get the promotion.

An old colleague of mine said to me once 'Sophie, you're not saving lives.' She was right. I wasn't and never have been. So if you're like me, getting bogged down with the digital world, I urge you to step away from the phone next weekend. It helps. I promise.

Sophie x