Blog Guilt

I have experienced a new recently. Blog guilt. During an evening yoga session, whilst I was congratulating myself on my new reserved relationship with Facebook, I experienced an unexpected pang of guilt/responsibility that I had not updated my blog in a while.

I had no specific schedule in mind when I began, but perhaps knowing that I have a few followers (humbly appreciated) has created an expectation in me that I should check in on a regular basis.

I am attempting to change my relationship with the online world, my aim is to accentuate the positive….eliminate the negative…….

All the unhealthy habits I have developed, of checking my Facebook and email habitually throughout the day, like a click tick! It all started with the smartphone, allowing me constant easy access to these services. Then there is comparing my life to the carefully edited versions of my ‘friends’ lives that pop up in my newsfeed. That can really have an impact on my mood, despite my best intentions.

I would like to pretend that I could easily rise above this type of temptation, but it would appear it is a constant battle of wills that I often lose. I often ‘think’ in Facebook…..immediately something happens in my life, it occurs to me to post about it. Thankfully I resist this most of the time and I don’t post very much, but I feel a bit brainwashed that this is almost my first thought……I have read a few articles on the psychological reasons for this phenomenon, but I don’t have to ‘like’ it!

I have often wished I could delete my Facebook profile, but it does provide a valuable link to friends I don’t often get a chance to see, and I also have my artists page where I can share new images and information about shows etc. So there is a valuable work link which I could lose by closing myself down.

So, distraction and restricting access are the tactics for me. I have deleted the Facebook app from my phone, and I try to leave the ipad out of the studio during the day to distance myself physically from temptation. I allow myself twice daily checks of email and Facebook, and I’m hoping that this will stop me meandering through pages of drivel (much of which I have contributed to in the past)

Which brings me back to the blog……I must start my relationship with this blog in a healthy manner which does not allow it to feel like a burden.

To my happy band of followers I promise to avoid guilt blogging.

I solemnly vow to blog only when it runs up my humph.

Yours aye

Louise