We seem to be filling ourselves with all sorts of random facts. We gather knowledge from every notification we get in our cell phones. Most of it is unverified or nothing useful, and yet we keep on reading.
Maybe it’s time to go back to basics with a very simple rule.
What would happen if you forced yourself to read 10 pages of a REAL book for every hour you spent on social media per day?
According to Statista the average user spends 135 minutes per day. Social Media Today says teens are spending up to 9 hours per day. But honestly, how can you REALLY tell how long it has been? How can you measure how long you’ve been checking profiles, liking, or commenting on your social media? Chances are you peek into your screen every 10-20 minutes just to see what’s going on.
So, let’s go with this… Count how many hours have gone by since the time you first checked the first social media notification or post today. Ok, now check what time you’re going to bed (and thus checking your last notification or comment). Now, for each hour you’ve spent doing this, make it a point to read 10 pages of a book, any book… Your choice.
Chances are you’ll be reading anywhere from 20 to 80 pages per day. This will likely compensate from the overwhelming jumping from one topic and source to the other. It will help you focus again, and stay on topic. It will also remind you that you can enjoy other media and information sources, and give your eyes a break if you actually read a book on print. If you don’t, then, please, at least turn off social media notifications while you read. The purpose of this exercise is to get you away from stressful multi-tasking and allow your mind to imagine, conceptualize, and exercise areas you’ve been neglecting thanks to this excessive connection we seem to have.
So… are you up for it?
My own experience: I started a week ago with the average measure of 20 pages per day, and I’ll make some adjustments with this new measure (probably end up reading around 60 pages per day). I’ve also noticed in the last week that I am less prone to check my phone without reason. I’m starting to make specific “social media” times, so I can actually focus on what’s going on in each account, and with each content. And I’ve felt I make more progress in my to-do list.
Oh how I wish I was able to do this – definitely a habit changer.
I want to read at the end of the day, but now I’m still in the middle of getting the habit of meditation.
But this should be my next habit 🙂
Start little by little, you can even choose books that have to do with your meditation topics to get you in the mood before you do that last bit of daily activities. It takes less and less time every day to read more and enjoy more those moments.
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