#digital fast

I'm back!!

I'm feeling much better now! I didn't think I'd be able to pull myself away, but I did, and I'm proud of myself to doing so!

My fast was not entirely perfect, I'll admit. I couldn't completely pull away from everything in one go. First was my phone, then Tumblr, then YouTube, and then finally video games over the course of the first week. But even so, making this effort was worth it.

I feel a lot lighter, and more confident that I can actually control myself! And I found myself spending more time with family and God, now that I wasn't spending so much time on screens. My time on screens will be intentional and substantial, and not be used as a way of self-soothing and coping, only for me to rinse and repeat.

I also learned a lot about myself these past four weeks. Despite making an effort to abstain from all these distractions, my mind still wanders a lot, and I still try to look for distractions when I'm doing work I don't like doing. But I guess the point of the digital fast was to change my relationship with digital devices, and not to completely fix my attention span in just 28 days. (It definitely helps though) It's gonna be a lifelong battle, in an age of instant self-gratification and so many things vying for our attention all at once.

And honestly, I might do this again, just for not as long.

As for what I've been working on, I've been taking it slow, but here's what I have:

I've figured out more of Godbox AU, and am more sure of how I want the story to go.

I've also gotten further along with Possession Collection, however what I did was that I worked on multiple of them at once while I was trying out new processes to art. I haven't finished any just yet, but they are my motivation to find a way to work faster.

I've also gotten back to answering asks, though the one I'm working on is long and lore-heavy, so that's also still a work-in-progress.

I also mayyyyyyyyyy have created a new SMG4 AU... and that's given me a break from Godbox AU for a bit! I'm really excited to show you all when I've created a good AU introduction art-piece!

And other side-projects that I've been doing for fun (like Grinnames lore...)

I still have too many ideas basically, I will try not to get overwhelmed and crash

Digital Mayajaal Aur Akelapan Ka Sach . जरा ठहरिए! इस लेख को आगे पढ़ने से पहले अपने दाहिने हाथ के अंगूठे को देखिए। क्या यह पिछले कुछ घंटों से आपकी मोबाइल स्क्रीन को लगातार ऊपर-नीचे स्क्रॉल नहीं कर रहा था? सुबह आंख खुलते ही सबसे पहले अपनी सांसों को महसूस करने के बजाय, क्या आपने अपने फोन का नोटिफिकेशन चेक नहीं किया? अगर हां, तो आप अकेले नहीं हैं। हम सब एक ऐसी नकली और खोखली दुनिया के कैदी बन चुके…

A little more than a year ago I deleted my Facebook account, as an early birthday gift to myself. Today on my 47th birthday, after a good solid year cashing in on that gift, I’m finally getting around to the item I put on my to-do list shortly after taking the action – “blog post about leaving FB.” I have a whole page of notes I started to help me write this post, which I might get to later. But…

Can you imagine going a day without checking in on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter? Lots of people rely on social media to stay connected every day and the thought of not scrolling through their feeds seems impossible. Actor Tom Holland just announced that he’s stepping away from social media to focus on his mental health and experts say that kind of break could be beneficial to many of us.

While social media can be great for networking and keeping in contact with friends and loved ones, Dr. Shahla Modir, medical director at addiction treatment center All Points North Lodge Malibu, says spending too much time on these platforms is linked to depression, anxiety and stress. So how do you know if it’s time to take a break? Experts share the signs to look for and how to form healthier habits with social media.

If you’re comparing yourself to others online - “FOMO can trigger feelings of anxiety,” Modir explains. “The highlights people present are interpreted as their real life and not their ‘reel life.’”

If you’re compulsively checking your phone - Constantly checking your phone for notifications and likes is another red flag.

If your real-life interactions are suffering - This can include people in your life complaining about how much you use social media or skipping out on social interactions with friends and family so you can spend more time on social media.

If you start viewing yourself negatively - If social media is causing you to view yourself in a negative light, causes feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or depression, counselor Jermaine Graves says it’s time to take a break.

To find healthy balance with social media:

Create boundaries, like limiting how much time you spend on social media in a day.

Try turning off notifications so they don’t distract you throughout the day.

Take a digital fast, start by stepping away from your screens for an hour a day.

Get outside for fresh air and sunshine when you’re not sitting and scrolling.

Have a plan for your break so you replace social media time with something meaningful, like a hobby, reading, exercise or quality time with family.

Source: USA Today

आपके मन को गुलाम बना रहा मोबाइल फोन, डिजिटल उपवास से भगाइए मानसिक अशांति

नई दिल्ली: आज हम सबके सामने एक बड़ा सवाल है कि हम अपने मोबाइल फोन (Mobile Phone) के मालिक हैं या मोबाइल फोन हमारी जिंदगी का मालिक बन चुका है. आप ध्यान से सोचेंगे तो बहुत सारे लोगों को अहसास होगा कि आपका मोबाइल फोन ही आपकी जिंदगी का मालिक है. अब आपके मन का पूरा नियंत्रण आपके मोबाइल फोन के पास है. आपके मोबाइल फोन पर आने वाले Notifications के मुताबिक आपका Mood पल-पल बदलने लगता है. जैन धर्म ने की नई…

Should Parents Encourage Digital Fasting?

The dietary practice of intermittent fasting has become immensely popular in the mainstream. I am working at trimming my waistline using the principles of intermittent fasting. The idea is reduce the eating window to a 6-8 hour period. The research shows that the body’s cells and digestive system are able to renew and regenerate through a process known as autophagy.

The brain is another organ…

Going Dark for Three Weeks

My dear friends in cyberspace. I begin a digital fast today. The plan is to stay away from email, social media, and my compulsive need to blog and share articles on Facebook between now and July 22. I hope to read at least one book in a paper format, paint with real paint on canvas, hike in the Colorado Rockies, and get some yard work done.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog. I’ll see you…