Social Media, Stress and Support
Birth of Clarity #7
Hey everyone,
Welcome back!
I wrote a newsletter last year titled Coffee and Feelings where I talked about how, at the time, I was using coffee in a similar way to how I used alcohol… to suppress my feelings and deal with stress.
Anyway, something happened overnight (more on that later) which got me thinking about that email, and about that time. And as the stresses in my life are unfortunately ramping up again, I suddenly realised that I'm NOT leaning on coffee the same way I was during that period last year.
In fact, I've only been drinking decaffeinated coffee for the last month.
That's progress.
However, I had been using something else…
Tweeting is the new stress relief tool
Twitter!
Yes, I've found myself going out of my mind with worry, stress and anxiety, and being on Twitter trying to write something uplifting for others. Or so I thought.
Really, I was tweeting as an alternative to getting drunk or being highly caffeinated.
It was becoming more than what I had intended it for. It was becoming my crutch. A crutch to hold me up during difficult times.
My message of hope and positivity has been, and always will be, genuine but I felt that my messages of taking a break from social media were becoming less genuine the more I used it.
I've had the few occasional breaks but not as much as I feel is necessary for me. For anyone.
So I'm taking an extended break from Twitter whilst I tackle some things in my personal life, without the added distraction of tweeting.
It is important to step away from the digital world and reconnect with yourself.
To reconnect with nature
To reconnect with family and friends
To reconnect with your real life passions
And regain real life experiences.
I don't want to be distracted from my issues, I want to deal with them head on.
The digital world can add to your stresses. So much noise, negativity and misinformation. So much anger, hatred and hostility.
Learn to utilise digital fasting.
Support
So, at the beginning of this email I mentioned that something happened that brought me back to that email last year.
Well, someone bought me some coffees via Buy Me A Coffee.
It was an amazing feeling, and gave me an even bigger rush than having real coffees!
Knowing that this newsletter was thought of in high enough regard by someone that they would support me monetarily. It blows my mind.
Thank you so much Shane. Your kindness is very much appreciated and congratulations on your continued sobriety. Keep going man.
I will continue to write these emails. I know I haven't been putting them out at the same rate as last year, and I've lost a lot of momentum because of that, but as I mentioned in one of the last emails, things have been very tough recently.
Do you feel like you're dealing with real life issues in an unhealthy manner?
Is stress making you act out in an obsessive, addictive way?
Remember, there's always someone who has been through what you're going through, and has come out good the other side.
Reach out.
We're all in this together.
Conclusion
Sometimes it's hard to deal with stress healthily. Sometimes the easy things become a crutch:
Social media. Junk food. Pornography. Alcohol. Coffee.
But believe me, they soon become the hardest things to shake, if you let your guard down.
Be aware that these easy things are the most destructive and that choosing the “harder things”, such as:
Daily exercise
Daily writing
Daily meditation
Daily gratitude
Daily inventory
Daily learning
Daily progress
Daily self improvement
Are going to be far more rewarding for you, and your loved ones, now and in the future.
So, fast from social media and destroy your destructive habits. Don't take the easy route to stress relief because it's usually the least effective.
I hope you've enjoyed this email. Please get in touch if there's a topic related to clarity, addiction, recovery or mindset you'd like me to cover.
And remember, feedback is always welcome, as are coffees… decaf or digital!
Take care,