I’m very happy for you and think it must be a blessed relief to unhitch from it all. I too have so many newsletters come through, mainly about writing, that it can be quite overwhelming so I made a ‘read’ folder and put them in there. However, I rarely get time to read them so I am also unsubscribing from those I have little interest in. It’s quite liberating to press the unsubscribe button and to know that’s one less read to feel guilty about not reading. I am also into Amanda Saint’s slow writing movement. I was becoming a slave to competition deadlines and rushing through my writing, sending stories that I knew weren’t as good as they could be just to be crossing off competition lists. YouTube isn’t an issue for me but Facebook scrolling is so there’s my next challenge. Good luck Linda. Hope it all goes well xx
I wish you luck with Facebook Sally - that was one of the first social media accounts to go back in 2019, it's been a slow march through the remainder until now. You're right of course, email demands attention and there's been a lot of research that has shown how much the inbox and a sense of what needs to be dealt with contributes to stress.
Fortunately, I learnt many years ago to reach for Inbox Zero meaning that I either deleted, replied or filed once I'd opened a message. But I found it was taking longer and longer to do that task! For a long time now I've relied on the sent mail folder as my back up, after all it contains all the correspondence I've indulged in by email.
One of my old coaching clients came up with a great tip for herself which was to just delete anything that was over 3 months old - she'd recognised that if she hadn't dealt with it by then it was never going to happen!
And one of my actions after getting rid of the newsletters was deleting a whole bunch of folders I'd stored emails in, again because I know I'll never read them.
I escaped Facebook - just never went there in the first place (phew!) I also used to have a 'read later' system but now I treat newsletters the same way as I treat magazines (& I have more subscriptions of those than I really need) - there are those I can't wait to get my hands on, others sit around until I get to them, others sit around until I throw them out.
No guilt. If I'm not enticed to read them, they clearly have nothing I need to know right this moment. And sometimes the ones I get to late have messages for me that I wouldn't have "received" earlier. Every so often I just have a purge and throw out everything I haven't got to...including personal emails. My friends will still be my friends, and if anything was urgent they'd be chasing me up. And if I miss something truly important...I'll apologise and make good if I can, let it go if I can't.
Linda, so much of that resonates with me. In particular, the need for change (when we feel it or when it is forced upon us - a bit of both in my case) and how we respond to that. Sometimes we just need to step out of one world and into another. Go for it! My experience of the last 5 years has been one of unbelievable change, and subtle shifts, and immense growth. And so so so worth it. Follow your instincts, because they are whispers from the universe.
I hope you will continue your writing prompts. I'm not always bang on time, but I do love trying to respond to them. I'm up for esoteric!
In making the changes that you feel are right for you, you remind me of why I'm taking the path I am - even though it is a different one. Let your pen lead the way.
Lesley, your sentence 'follow your instincts, because they are whispers from the universe' really struck me as true. We've all spent so many years been told that our innate knowledge and understanding is not good enough that we've been 'educated' to ignore or dismiss that still small voice. I think it's time to start celebrating it because ultimately I believe that's one of the things that brings us right back into our humanity.
I’m very happy for you and think it must be a blessed relief to unhitch from it all. I too have so many newsletters come through, mainly about writing, that it can be quite overwhelming so I made a ‘read’ folder and put them in there. However, I rarely get time to read them so I am also unsubscribing from those I have little interest in. It’s quite liberating to press the unsubscribe button and to know that’s one less read to feel guilty about not reading. I am also into Amanda Saint’s slow writing movement. I was becoming a slave to competition deadlines and rushing through my writing, sending stories that I knew weren’t as good as they could be just to be crossing off competition lists. YouTube isn’t an issue for me but Facebook scrolling is so there’s my next challenge. Good luck Linda. Hope it all goes well xx
I wish you luck with Facebook Sally - that was one of the first social media accounts to go back in 2019, it's been a slow march through the remainder until now. You're right of course, email demands attention and there's been a lot of research that has shown how much the inbox and a sense of what needs to be dealt with contributes to stress.
Fortunately, I learnt many years ago to reach for Inbox Zero meaning that I either deleted, replied or filed once I'd opened a message. But I found it was taking longer and longer to do that task! For a long time now I've relied on the sent mail folder as my back up, after all it contains all the correspondence I've indulged in by email.
One of my old coaching clients came up with a great tip for herself which was to just delete anything that was over 3 months old - she'd recognised that if she hadn't dealt with it by then it was never going to happen!
And one of my actions after getting rid of the newsletters was deleting a whole bunch of folders I'd stored emails in, again because I know I'll never read them.
Phew!!!
I escaped Facebook - just never went there in the first place (phew!) I also used to have a 'read later' system but now I treat newsletters the same way as I treat magazines (& I have more subscriptions of those than I really need) - there are those I can't wait to get my hands on, others sit around until I get to them, others sit around until I throw them out.
No guilt. If I'm not enticed to read them, they clearly have nothing I need to know right this moment. And sometimes the ones I get to late have messages for me that I wouldn't have "received" earlier. Every so often I just have a purge and throw out everything I haven't got to...including personal emails. My friends will still be my friends, and if anything was urgent they'd be chasing me up. And if I miss something truly important...I'll apologise and make good if I can, let it go if I can't.
Linda, so much of that resonates with me. In particular, the need for change (when we feel it or when it is forced upon us - a bit of both in my case) and how we respond to that. Sometimes we just need to step out of one world and into another. Go for it! My experience of the last 5 years has been one of unbelievable change, and subtle shifts, and immense growth. And so so so worth it. Follow your instincts, because they are whispers from the universe.
I hope you will continue your writing prompts. I'm not always bang on time, but I do love trying to respond to them. I'm up for esoteric!
In making the changes that you feel are right for you, you remind me of why I'm taking the path I am - even though it is a different one. Let your pen lead the way.
Lx
Lesley, your sentence 'follow your instincts, because they are whispers from the universe' really struck me as true. We've all spent so many years been told that our innate knowledge and understanding is not good enough that we've been 'educated' to ignore or dismiss that still small voice. I think it's time to start celebrating it because ultimately I believe that's one of the things that brings us right back into our humanity.
Yes, and yes, and yes!