Mindfulness & Social Networking

[FeeHutch]

http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-prac ... networking
This is a really interesting piece about being mindful when we are logged on, why we are logged on and also thinking about how long we are logged on for.

Until 20 months ago today my life was so frantic I didn't have chance to be online that often. I still clocked up a pretty decent number of hours a week though and most of the time I am not exactly sure what I was even doing with these hours.

Then I had a brain haemorrhage, a near miss with death and once I was let out of HDU spent several months sat on the sofa because there wasn't much else I could do. I am recovering reasonably well but have been retired from my job and have various residual mobility issues and chronic pain. My screen time went through the roof and still remains much higher than I would like it to be. It did help me connect with a lot of people, find support and it also eased the boredom. I do use the internet to connect to people, to write and to learn. The article has some useful ideas for making the time I spend logged on more mindful though.

I also love the idea of an 'internet cleanse' - some time dedicated to being totally off line. I have always found it relaxing to go and visit my mum in law for example and not be attached to my netbook, tablet or phone. I find it somehow freeing and dread coming home and seeing what awaits me and how much facebook I will 'have' to catch up on.

Reading this I am feeling a little more inspired as to how to best mindfully manage and enjoy my online life and how to maybe stop it impacting quite so much on the rest of my life.

[Gareth]

At some point soon, I'll get this article put on to the site and your comments; It's interesting, I agree with you.

Mindfulness is a continual learning curve. A few months ago, I noticed that I was picking up my phone to surf, without even realising that I had picked it up. I learnt that this was just an automatic reaction that was being triggered by something or other. So I kept a close lookout for this thought whenever it came. I moved from just picking up the phone and being lost in it, to seeing that thought earlier and earlier. I would find myself with my hand in my pocket, about to pull out my phone, realising that I didn't really want to look at my phone.

Any time I spend online now is because I want to be online. The internet is a wonderful thing, that has brought us together like nothing else in our history. But as is pointed out in this article, it can quite easily lead you down the path of mindlessness. This is the best thing about mindfulness for me: managing to keep a lid on the mindlessness.

Gareth

[FeeHutch]

Totally agree.
I have been aware of how much I switch on my many gadgets without even thinking about it. Now I am aware of it I am trying to break habitual behaviour and also my habit if having several tabs open at one and flicking between them all repetedly so not giving anything my full attention.

When I got my tablet device recently I needed it for the voice to text programme and organiser apps. I rely on things being written down, setting alarms etc now but at the same time I have made a concerted effort to use it mindfully including installing the apps I posted about recently.

I think what you say here sums it up for me too: This is the best thing about mindfulness for me: managing to keep a lid on the mindlessness.