Ways to look after yourself #2
Deactivate Facebook
Comparison is the thief of joy, and nowhere is comparison more actively trying to suck the happiness out of your cells than on Facebook. Your friends, colleagues and acquaintances are excellent human beings, but there is such a thing as knowing too much about a person. If you want to sit down and tell me a personal story full of TMI because it helps you, great: I’m here. But do I want to know your thoughts on every single article you read and every video you watch? No, no I do not.
I’m not a curmudgeon (well, not exclusively): I understand and enjoy the connection and community that social media brings to my life. But as an introvert I find being on Facebook for a while as draining as being around a crowd. If you are going to survive in this modern life, sometimes it’s important to step back and create a space for yourself where there is none. Sometimes you just need to withdraw.
There are downsides. You may miss some invites. You may miss some gossip. You will almost certainly have to explain yourself more than once. “You’re not on Facebook?” But you can reactivate your account if you need to. And I recommend it, sometimes: it will almost certainly reassure you that it doesn’t add anything to your life and you don’t need the added noise.
Facebook is the internet equivalent of standing in someone’s garden and staring into their window while being upset that they’re warm and happy while you’re standing in a muddy flowerbed in the cold. If it adds value to you, keep it. But if not, think about taking some time to tend your own flowerbeds instead.
