Hi, it's Shonda! I'm here to share about my 40 day social media fast.
This past year has been tough. I don't know about you, but I internalize a lot. In fact, when I'm scrolling in social media, I take in so much information I can't hardly breathe. Then I start to mull everything over in my mind and I become anxious and irritated with everything around me. I cry out to God and I cry into my pillow. I don't like myself very much.
And I was getting frustrated with all the time I was spending on social media and my phone in general. So I got this random email from someone I subscribe to but rarely read and she said that she took 2 weeks off of Instagram and shared some lessons she learned. She also said there was a setting on her phone to help her create the "pause" she needed from social media.
This intrigued me. I thought, can I take some time off social media? I know I've thought about this before, but didn't exactly know how to do it. The addiction is real. So I found the setting on my phone. For Android it's called Digital Wellbeing. In this setting I could limit times or eliminate altogther without having to delete the app. I honestly don't want to give up social media, but I needed parameters. So I set times on phone for certain apps and when they went gray that was it for the day. I burned through the times so fast! I still continued to be on my phone WAY more than I wanted.
Are you relating to my story at all?
Enter The 40 Day Social Media Fast book launch team invite! EEEK! I knew author Wendy Speake had done an annual social media fast, but I never joined the band wagon. Then this invite showed up in my inbox. I decided it was time to break up with social media for 40 days. I honestly didn't know if I could do it. I post multiple times a day and scroll over and over in all the pockets of my day. It was going to be ugly or so I thought. But God was preparing my heart. As the day grew closer for the shut down, I grew excited! I wanted freedom and time. But more than that I wanted God.
The first few days were odd. I kept going to my phone to check...what? I actually did not delete or uninstall, but I limited the app to like 1 min so it would go gray as soon as I even entertained the thought of looking at it. I also moved the apps to a different screen on my phone. The main ones I took a break from were Facebook and Instagram. My big time wasters.
Each day of my social media fast I read a chapter in Wendy's book (The 40 Day Social Media Fast). This was my grounding for the day. I started reading more, being still, working on my memory verses, delving back into some Bible studies I had put aside, wrote in my journal each day. It was such a feeling of peace to go through my morning routine and not be dragged down by the onslaught of information.I also unsubscribed from a lot of emails. Now, don't get me wrong, I love reading about my friends, looking at pictures of what's happening and especially looking for prayer requests. And while I lay all that down for several weeks, I thought about how to continue my connection with friends.
I met a few new real life friends, I texted with several friends and I made spending time with family a better priority. But most of all I was able to stop and listen to God more. I am going to tell you that my life was not just Bible study and prayer. Unfortunately, I did open up Youtube and I watched a few movies on Netflix. I got caught up in a some Youtube drama and probably watched way too many videos of a new music group I found. However, Wendy addresses these other distractions in her book as well. I know that to be successful in fasting I really need to lay it ALL down.
I share all this to say that fasting is a personal, private and spiritual decision. I'm sharing to encourage you that if you think you cannot fast from something (that is probably your idol), then you need to pray for God to draw you close to Him. I do notice that when I cut down the noise of social media or sugar or whatever is capturing my attention, I can really open up to God and hear Him.
Blessings and love, Shonda
