Can you think back to a time when you have been engaged in a riveting conversation with another person via text, Facebook or even snapchat message when, all of a sudden, with next to no warning, the recipient suddenly stops replying?
No – I get you, the confusion is real. 'Did I say something to offend them?' 'Did I ramble on for too long?' 'Perhaps I should have stopped at the third "Friends" reference.'
At the risk of having virtual perishables thrown at me, I raise my hand. I am, and always have been, a neurotic no-replier. Many times I have caught myself feeling the guilt that comes hand in hand with being the reason a great conversation came to an end. I have felt like a bad friend.
Selfish.
Embarrassed.
Then came the epiphany; the moment I decided to put my phone down and reflect on my own thoughts. Be in the moment. Get up to make a coffee, go outside or read a book. The moment I put my phone down, I commenced into a third dimensional kind of reality.
This, I discovered, is the radical notion of actually living.
Behold!
I rejoice in the slow coming on of awareness – gradual, then all at once it hit me. The most bizarre theory.
Life goes on outside of Facebook. Which, it seems to me, is a concept lost on most of our first-world inhabitants today. I get it – until very recently, I was one of them. That doesn't mean I went Teetotal – what I have opened to, though, is the attempt to find balance between the two.
Studies carried out by mental health consultants suggest that the significant increase of our population being involved in social media has resulted in a generation of pandemic anxiety, and that using Facebook can actually be more addictive than smoking cigarettes.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Now, the wonderful thing about this is a packet of Nicorette invisible cigarette patches can cost up to £14.39 – the five outlets I am about to share with you are, if not absolutely free, much cheaper and are a sure-fire way to give you your kicks without having your face pressed into the screen of your phone or Ipad.
Never underestimate the nurturing power of nature.
If you have a dog, they are the perfect companion if you find it hard to go out on your own. Go for a walk in the park, an amble on the beach or even a leisurely stroll to your local shopping village. Watch the world go by, and connect with your thoughts.
Take yourself on a picnic!
Put together a few tuna and salad sandwiches (to taste!), a thermal mug of tea and a good book.
Arts and crafts have been reborn!
The works, B&M bargains or Amazon do a fantastic variety of art supplies and art-therapy coloring books for reasonable prices. Experiment and unleash your inner Picasso.
We live in an age decreed by addiction, but some I can get on board with. Like coffee.
Take a nip up to your local Starbucks or café Nero for a catch up with friends, to read your favorite Newspaper or simply just to unwind. Allow the velvety flow of music to encompass you while you observe humanity.
All the above besides.
I do not believe the Internet is the devil in disguise. I believe it has many wonderful attributes, such as education, keeping up with international and local news and conserving friendships and family bonds with those who no longer live close by.
What I would suggest is if you are struggling to surmount those social media symptoms, do what I did and use the big world wide web to source out and discover different events in your area that would tickle your fancy.
Be it a concert, a pottery class, a church choir or an art exhibition with prosecco reception – the opportunities for you to get up, go out, meet new people and find your niche are endless.
The wise thing for you to do wouldn't be to go cold turkey and deactivate all online profiles – but, baby steps. Allocate a few hours of your day, every day, where you turn your computer off and put your phone on silent. Even if it is to do some housework, do a home workout, meet a friend or read a book.
The more adventurous you go, the better – think of all the gossip for your friend when you finally get around to replying to that message you forgot about!
