Yes, I survived the week-long media fast — and learned lots!
Oct 14th, 2008 by spaceagesage
The week-long media fast I described last Monday is over, and yes I survived! After seven days without any online activities, I feel like I’ve been on a retreat and come back a different person – one who is a lot more centered, relaxed, and focused.
Many wanted to know what a week away unplugged would be like for me, so here goes:
What I missed the first few days:
- Connection! – For the first few days, I kept wondering about my blog readers and what they might be writing in my comments, what my favorite blog authors were writing about in their blogs and what cool comments might be there, what is going on at 9Rules, Twitter, and the private Triiibes.com site. It was like lopping off a part of me to be without all that connectivity.
- Google – Without it, I had to open a cookbook, look a telephone number up in a phone book, call someone for an address, and delay a search on two different products.
- Internet Banking – I had to actually call my bank and talk to a real person to get some account information.
- Local news – OK, I did scan the headlines when I brought the local newspaper in for my mom (I’m her caregiver, and she lives with us), but that was it.
- Books – As I was going through some major insights, I kept thinking Hey, So-And-So talks about this very thing in her book …”
- National News – I kept hearing bits and pieces from my mom’s bedroom TV about “financial disaster” and “worst week in history,” so for a news junkie it was tough to not listen in.
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What I didn’t miss:
- Politics – I didn’t miss all the political hype, ads, and the latest on the presidential candidates. It was great not listening to the caustic verbal volleys.
- Busyness – I loved putting aside the mindless rush and the constant push to produce posts, comments, interaction online – not the doing of them, which I still like — just the manic push to get them done faster and better.
- TV – OK, I watched three hours as unwinding time with my husband during the week, but I’m usually a news junkie. I didn’t miss the constant ads.
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What I learned – How unhealthy and unproductive these can be:
- A Taskmaster Mindset
- Addiction to the Instantaneous
- Busyness as Self Medication
- Giving Up Freedom for Acquisition
- Letting Expectations Rule You
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What I really enjoyed
- My husband – spending more time with him was wonderful!
- My mom and sitting outside with her during a few perfect fall days
- The cats (they loved the extra, relaxed attention, too)
- Letting my thoughts meander, daydreaming, and writing about my media fast insights
- A much slower pace of life
- Senses heightened — playful shouts of kids at the nearby school, ticking clock, smell of drying grasses, feel of the gentle fall breezes, ahhhh …
- Cooking with more relaxed care
- Less irritation because I wasn’t rushed
- No headaches, body aches, or shoulder tension
- How fewer things got pushed aside for something else
- Feeling, living the moment instead of rushing to the next one or re-hashing a past one
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I’ll be writing in more detail on all these experiences and insights in the next few days.
Thanks to all those who supported me with your kind words in comments and emails. I appreciate knowing you care!
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These posts may also interest you:
Writing down to the heart of creativity
Where is your real power?
Five things 15 years of marriage have taught me
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I’m curious… will you try to limit media use from now on?
I am curious as well. How will you use this in your day to day life. Are there things that you found you CAN live without? Did you decide to change anything about your ‘normal’ day to day routine?
Hi, Vered and doesitcomewithgravy —
Ah shucks, you two trying to make me disclose my future posts where all will be revealed? I kept a journal and did three “morning pages daily,” so I have over 80 pages of writing! Is that a teaser enough for you to come back?
Welcome back! Your list of what you learned is delicious; daydreaming, the ticking clock, smelling the grasses… ahhhh! Thanks for sharing. For a second I was there.
I too would be interested in what you would or will do differently now.
I’ve been thinking about doing something like this–I just think I’ll be really bored. I know I could fill my time with other things, and maybe it would be good to do so–I might learn something new!
Hi Davina —
Thanks! Taking time to daydream or enjoy the moment is great stuff.
Hi, Oktober Five —
Welcome! I don’t know how my mom did it, but she raised my three brothers and me to never be bored. I like cooking and writing, so I did lots of both on the media fast, but bored? — Never!
You’ve made being disconnected from the media sound great, I’m surprised you decided to come back 🙂 I agree that we’re addicted to the instantaneous (“I sent that e-mail an hour ago, I can’t believe I haven’t gotten an answer yet”) and that we use busyness as self-medication (so that we don’t have to stop and truly examine our lives). Maybe after the 4th of November I’ll at least try a one-week television fast.
Welcome back to the wired world! 😉
I was curious to hear how your media fast went. Sounds like it was a good experience.
My wife and I’ve been experiencing a similar trend, albeit a longer downward shift. We own a TV but we don’t watch it. We don’t go see a movie. The only connection we have to the outside world is internet.
This all started when we lived in a natural cottage we built, starting in 2002. We had nothing. No hot water, little electricity. It was a lesson in how little we needed to survive.
Since then, we have added back many modern amenities. We now live in a townhouse. We do have two little children. We didn’t add back what we didn’t miss.
When our senses are desensitized, I realize how much the larger society is functioning from the state of sensory overload. I just rediscovered the joy of reading books. I loved reading until about 10 years old or so, that’s when video games entered my life. They are stronger stimulation, and books seemed too tame, too boring then. I have outgrown video games, and with my senses back to pre-video-game era, I find joy in reading.
We are living with so much of what we don’t need. This is why when I describe my growth, I say I’m growing leaner. It’s been shedding, shedding and more shedding.
So I affirm the step you took, to discover what you don’t need.
ari
Hi Marelisa,
I could easily disconnect, but I decided to bring the great times I had during the media fast into my life. — More on this in upcoming posts!
Hi Ari,
It is amazing what you can do without, isn’t it? I’ve told my husband if we ever have to live in a tent with just a bike for transportation, that would be OK with me. Life is more than things.
Good for you!
I have to laugh about giving up TV. I faced up to the switch to digital TV this week. I have two VCRs connected to my analog TV and have figured out a way to do a similar thing when the analog transmissions go away. I do tape news programs and a couple of others so I can watch them in my study when I exercise (I don’t watch TV directly), but the point of the exercise was to understand the new system. It was a great test. It would be easier if we replaced our 24-year-old analog set with a new digital model, but TV isn’t a top priority. The mental challenge was the important part.
I’m looking forward to your future posts. 🙂
Hi Lori – I’m struggling to find balance between my “computer” and other things at the moment (which is why I haven’t dropped in here for a few posts).
I don’t want to go on a fast at the moment, but I am trying to work in more outdoor activities and so on – its spring here, so it will become easier. See you!
Hi Lori,
I quit watching TV for almost 4 years. Talk about a change of pace. I only watched on Thursday nights and a occasional movie here and there. I actually get scolded by most of my friends because I can’t talk about certain shows or news things. This last year I have started wacthing more often. But you know what’s really weird is I almost have to make myself turn it on and sometimes I just shut it back off. Mostly I watch the Science channels and UCSD channel or PBS. I read alot. Its been hard not to be connected to the news. Though if its important I find out about it anyway. I recently started on the computer and I can see how it can become a instantaneous enviroment. Though I am for one enjoying the feedback and making new friends.