Sep 19

Sep 19 Why You Shouldn’t Start Your Day with Instagram

For the past year or so, the moment I wake up, I roll over, grab my phone and click the Instagram icon. I’m not exactly a morning person, so I enjoyed laying in bed for a bit before getting my day started. Then I started to notice that Instagram was an automatic click for me. It was like something came over my finger. I was addicted.

Laying in bed, the timeline flooded my mind, and many different thoughts spilled out:

“OMG she’s so cute!” Scroll. “I need that purse!” Scroll. *eye roll* “Everyone is having a baby”. Scroll. “I’ll save this workout for later”. Scroll. *laughter* Scroll. “That’s such a great idea!” Scroll. “Okay, now I’m really annoyed”. Scroll. “We have so much in common I wish we were friends in real life”.

As you can see, before my feet even hit the ground, my mind was in chaos.

Spinning like a whirling dervish! (Aside: I have heard this term all my life and assumed it was like a Tasmanian devil going crazy. Wrong. My brother literally just showed me what it was the other day. Yes, these are the types of tidbits of information I receive daily. Haha! Thank you to all the avenues that provide me with inspiration!)

Spinning. Spinning. Whirling.

Can you see how entering the day this way muddies your mind?

That first moment when you wake up, it’s important to get in touch with your own existence. To connect with yourself and ask - how am I feeling?

I know sometimes this can be hard to remember, when most of us are rushing off to work. But even in those moments when you’re getting ready for the day - do a mental check in.

Create your own thoughts from a blank slate.

Plan your day: What do you want it to look like? What does it actually look like? What goals have you set for the day? What one thing do you want to achieve or focus on?

Instagram is the Reality TV of this age. We can constantly watch others lives in real time, but sometimes, that hinders us from creating and living our own life. While Instagram can make you feel more connected, it also can make you less connected with yourself.

Too much of a good thing can also be harmful. It may be a good escape from reality. But if you’re constantly clicking and scrolling, then you aren’t living your own life.