Social Media: Control + Alt + Delete

Social Media: Control + Alt + Delete

by Troy Cady

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

While it is possible to sustain a playful way of relating to social media, it is not always easy. Many people this time of year decide to intentionally limit their social media usage or cut it out altogether for a while (or permanently). Indeed, experts in the fields of mental, emotional, and spiritual health recommend as much.

Social media usage even has effects that can be detrimental to one’s physical health. Consider this list from a recent article by the BBC World Service.[i]

• Dopamine - A pleasure neurochemical linked with instant reward but also addiction. Technology is increasingly being designed to specifically trigger the release of dopamine.

• Adrenaline - Best known for regulating our responses in fight-or-flight situations, but also released by likes and pokes on social media.

• Cortisol - The hallmark of stressed-out, sleep-deprived, too-busy and distracted individuals.

• Oxytocin - Released when we have exchanges in a meaningful connection. It is generally healthy but online predators can tap into its effects to abuse their victim's trust.

• Serotonin - Released when we are creative, connected, and contributing.

• Endorphins - The "painkiller" of the body. Released when we experience mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and cardiovascular exercise.

Those who limit or abstain from social media discover these alternatives are healthier:

Reading or listening to audiobooks (or podcasts)

Journaling, creative writing or sending hand-written letters

Drawing, painting or taking photographs

Exercising or playing sports; even going for a short 15-minute walk can do wonders

Playing unplugged games

Working with your hands: needlework, gardening, crafts, sculpture

Spending time with a friend

Taking a class to learn a new skill or to learn about a topic of interest to you

Dancing or listening to live music—there are plenty of free options available if you look for them

Practicing prayer, meditation or simple breathing exercises

Participating in a local church or other faith community

Volunteering for a good cause

Trying out some new recipes

Attending a storytelling group that meets weekly or monthly (they are not as threatening as you might imagine!)

As you set goals for healthy living in 2019, what real-life practices feel life-giving to you? Even choosing just one or two things to do regularly can make a world of difference. PlayFull encourages you to live a life beyond the digital world; you’ll thank yourself for it!

And, yes: we’re aware of the irony that we just used social media to post these thoughts! :-)

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[i] List by Pablo Uchoa, “Why a ‘tech diet’ should be your New Year’s resolution,” BBC World Service. Source:  http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20181227-why-a-tech-diet-should-be-your-new-years-resolution. Accessed: January 2, 2019.

Ann Boyd: Finding Rest in Everyday Activities...Like Cooking!

In my work with children, I have the privilege of serving alongside lots of great people. Ann Boyd is a wife, mom to two kids, homeschooler, editor of an online magazine, musician and…a wonderful cook.

Every time we have a meeting at her house, she always offers us something delicious. Heck, any time we have a meeting any place, I ask her to bring a yummy treat.

In the midst of the many hats she wears, Ann and her family have made a conscious effort to observe a time of Sabbath every week. I imagine this must be particularly difficult to do since we live in a world that, for the most part, does not practice being slow very often. Often, even our rest is rushed.

To pursue this kind of meaningful slowness, Ann makes it a point to release Sabbath from its Sunday cage. She knows that the true spirit of rest is not something that is just reserved for the weekend; rather, our weekday activities can be infused with restfulness as well. The key to finding this kind of rest every day is to eliminate hurry as much as possible as we go about our normal activities.

Last Sunday in church, Ann shared about this in a memorable way. She brought a watermelon, some mint, and some lime juice and made—you guessed it—a delicious watermelon salad while she shared with us some practical ways we can nurture restfulness in the midst of everyday chores (especially cooking).

I asked Ann if I could share her helpful tips on playfull.org and she graciously agreed. I slightly adapted a few of her words so as to make a little card you can print out, if you like.  I hope it helps. (Please note: this is copyrighted material. Do Ann a favor: don’t steal this or use it without asking her permission.)

  

I encourage you to read a brief explanation of each tip on her interesting (and food-inspired!) blog. She’s a great writer, by the way. 

I especially appreciate that Ann mentions she does not always practice all these tips with 100 percent success. Rather, the art of being unhurried will always be a work-in-progress. We will never be “perfect” at it. Still, to remind herself that it is good for us, she has these tips printed and posted in her kitchen. Whenever she cooks, she wants to try doing it in an unhurried way as much as possible.

I encourage you to take some time right now to reflect for a few minutes in an unhurried way. Ask yourself: “How hurried is my life? Are there things I can change so I can eliminate hurry from my life as much as possible?” Take a few minutes now to consider how you can, as Eugene Peterson writes, “learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (The Message)

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Thank you for reading. PlayFull exists to help people play from the inside-out and we believe that the fullest kind of play is unrushed. To stay abreast of helpful (and light-hearted!) content, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.