Lent: Failed Facebook Fast

Well, I didn't meet my goal of giving up Facebook for the 6 weeks of Lent. I was successful for 15 days and then the emails started coming in about the Coronavirus; my husband started working from home and I just had to check in with online community to see what was going on. I hadn't realized how much of my news comes from you all!

What were those 15 days like? Peaceful. Quiet.

I read books, I played with my boys, I listened to podcasts, I cleaned my house and I put down my phone. I don't think I had quite broken the habit of picking up my phone to check Facebook, but I was more quick to put it down than waste time looking for a distraction. Dinners weren't silent --Chris and I had conversations.

It was worth it.

And now, a week after schools closed I'm back into my old habits and it's not good. I'm overwhelmed by the news, the links to free resources, the continuous updating of my feed. It never stops. I find my patience thinning as I'm "interrupted" from my scrolling. I'm annoyed by the "play with me" requests. As if the articles, the status updates, the pictures are more valuable to me than my own children. But this is when my kids need me present. I need to show them how valued they are. I need to put it back down.

There are a few FB groups I continue to check in with but other than that I'm hoping to continue the fast with a renewed resolve to be present with my family. It will be worth it.

Well, I didn't meet my goal of giving up Facebook for the 6 weeks of Lent. I was successful for 15 days and then the emails started coming in about the Coronavirus; my husband started working from home and I just had to check in with online community to see what was going on. I hadn't realized how much of my news comes from you all!

What were those 15 days like? Peaceful. Quiet.

I read books, I played with my boys, I listened to podcasts, I cleaned my house and I put down my phone. I don't think I had quite broken the habit of picking up my phone to check Facebook, but I was more quick to put it down than waste time looking for a distraction. Dinners weren't silent --Chris and I had conversations.

It was worth it.

And now, a week after schools closed I'm back into my old habits and it's not good. I'm overwhelmed by the news, the links to free resources, the continuous updating of my feed. It never stops. I find my patience thinning as I'm "interrupted" from my scrolling. I'm annoyed by the "play with me" requests. As if the articles, the status updates, the pictures are more valuable to me than my own children. But this is when my kids need me present. I need to show them how valued they are. I need to put it back down.

There are a few FB groups I continue to check in with but other than that I'm hoping to continue the fast with a renewed resolve to be present with my family. It will be worth it.