Why You Should Take A Break From Facebook

I'm on day 10 of a great Facebook sabbatical. This is a record for me. I have no idea how long it's going to last; I only know that since removing myself from the endless online onslaught of self validating selfies, political commentary, memes, photos of babies belonging to people that I really don't know that well, posts about life milestones, and complaints, that I feel a lot more centered. Really -- and if you find yourself comparing your life to that of others and you're not exactly feeling 100% sure of your life then here's the best advice you're going to hear all year: take a break from Facebook. 

I originally intended to stop going on my personal feed until both political conventions had run their course but now I'm thinking I might stay away until after Election Day or perhaps even until the next president is inaugurated. Although I still update pages I'm in charge of and visit a few group pages that are closed, I haven't looked at anything in my personal feed and can honestly say I don't miss it. Time that I would have wasted perusing Facebook is now being used for reading, cleaning, or otherwise more productive things. 

Have I been tempted to look at the updates of a few people I'm connected to? Sure -- but then the moment passes. Ignorance is bliss and I've been focusing on myself, working my way through an online course that involves getting rid of negative beliefs and manifesting a relationship. Without the distraction of seeing people I know in relationships there's been no internal struggle to "keep score" and compare where I am in life to others. 

And you know what's funny -- the two gals I've recently become good friends with aren't even on Facebook. Well, one of them is, but she confessed that she unfollowed virtually everyone that she's connected to, so that there would be no negativity showing up in her feed. Instead, it's flooded with updates to pages for LOA gurus such as Louise Hay and pages that focus on positivity. She says it's nothing personal and that she'll go directly on someone's page when she's interested in seeing what they've been up to. I don't think that's a bad idea. Besides, we converse mostly via email. 

I highly recommend taking a break from Facebook -- and social media in general -- once in a while and reconnecting to what matters: yourself. And loved ones too, of course.