24 HOURS WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED

Over the weekend, I challenged myself to NOT go on my phone and on social media for 24 hours and guess what?

I DID IT!

Now, I know some of you are probably thinking "Gosh. What an easy challenge!" Well, for me, social media dominates most of my waking hours. See, I spend 7-8 hours sleeping and the rest of the day, I'd be blogging, researching, editing, working - basically everything that requires social media apart from having meals and going to the bathroom. 

But I sort of hit the limit last week when I felt like social media was damaging my life a little. That's why I decided to switch off for the weekend and I did that at the worst possible time because I was away on a retreat and I wanted to post pictures on Instagram and Facebook. 

Anyway, I didn't know what to expect because part of me loves social media and another part of me hates it. But anyway, I switched off my phone and here's my little 24-hour journey. 

1st - 3rd hour: 

I was itching to check my messages and emails just to see if there's anything urgent. I was also wondering if I had missed any major celebrity news whatsoever. 

4th - 5th hour:

Upon arriving the little treehouse retreat, I took some pictures on my camera and my phone and I wanted to post pictures badly. But I managed to stay offline and keep myself occupied by enjoying nature. 

6th hour onward:

I felt relieved more than anything else. It felt good not hearing any beeps from my phone. It was peaceful. That's when I realized - it only takes 6 to 7 hours to detach from social media and your phone. Yes, it is definitely possible. 

I do think it's healthy once in a while to take a social media break, detox from the online world and stay off your phone. It makes you see what matters and it makes you appreciate time a little bit more. We're so caught up on who's doing what, who's going where, who's got a bigger house, who's got a better job that we constantly compare our lives to the lives of others, which is the number ONE cause of depression, if you ask me. 

So, if you ever feel like you're stressed out mentally, switch off your phone, exercise, and take some quiet time to yourself. 

Challenge completed! If you didn't know, last month, my challenge was to not drink coffee for a month. (You can read the post here.) If you have any challenges in mind that you are too afraid to try or that you would like me to try, drop them in the comments and I'll document it for you :) Keep it clean, of course 

x

Here's a vlog from my weekend getaway: 

I STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE FOR 1 MONTH AND HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED

On the 7th of May (last month), I made a conscious decision to cut back on coffee. Here something you should know about me. I need at least 4 cups of black coffee a day to function. On good days, probably just 3. On bad days, 5 or more. I realized that this was becoming an addiction and I needed to do something about it before I get completely hooked. 

I knew it was going to be difficult because they say it takes 21 days or more to get rid of a bad habit. But just like the clothes challenge I set myself at the beginning of the year, I knew I could do it. So, here's my journey. 

1st week (7 days) 

1) I felt uneasy the first few days, like something was missing. Like a part of me was missing. Friends around me were drinking coffee and the smell was just like a perfume I was addicted to, which made it even more difficult for me to resist. 

2) I felt tired most days because I kept telling myself that I haven't ingested any coffee. 

3) There were so many times when I just wanted to take ONE sip of coffee. 

2nd week (14 days)

1) I thought it would be easier the 2nd week but I was so wrong. It was so so difficult. 

2) Some nights, I would cry for no reason and ask myself is all of this worth it? What is the purpose of me doing this? Some ridiculous thoughts would just appear out of no where (which, I think is completely normal when you're trying to give up something).

3) My mood was all over the place. I snapped at people over trivial things and my tolerance level towards people deteriorated. 

3rd week (21 days) 

1) I started to focus all of my "coffee thoughts" on swimming, which is good because I've been meaning to start doing some form of exercise since the beginning of the year. 

2) The scent of coffee became bearable although it still sucked when I had to order diet Coke or water instead of black coffee in Starbucks or restaurants. 

3) I always drink coffee when I travel but when I was in Lombok recently with my uncle, I felt like I did not really need it. 

4th week (What I've Learned)

1) "Coffee thoughts" don't pop up everyday anymore. 

2) I could still function and live my day without coffee. 

3) My productivity is as good as when I have coffee. 

4) A lot of the times, we think we NEED coffee but that's not necessarily the case. 

5) I'm swimming and exercising more. 

6) Coffee is good but at a moderate amount. 

7) Coffee doesn't control my life. 

8) I saved some money from cutting coffee. 

9) My breath is not always smelling like a coffee machine anymore. 

10) Coffee actually helps with my digestive system and blood circulation.

1 hour ago (19th June), before writing this post, I've finally had my first cup of black coffee since the 7th of May. Yes, I've lasted that long but I do feel like coffee keeps me warm. I don't feel the urge or the need to drink anymore coffee today because I'm functioning perfectly fine. 

My friends, this was my experience and my journey. I hope this helps any of you who are trying to cut back on coffee or trying to cut coffee out of your life. It can be done :) 

x

Challenge: Finish What You Start

How many times have you said to yourself "oh, I'm going to do this today" and you actually do it but you don't finish it?

The answer: Too many times

Now, I won't think of myself as someone who doesn't follow through, but there are so many times I've started something and don't ever finish it - be it chores, work, projects - I always seem to have a bunch of unfinished things piling up. 

I'm not too sure why this happens. 

But I think it's either your mind wanting to avoid some kind of sticky situation or you just have too much on your plate you don't know which one to finish first. Either way, my challenge for this week is to finish what I've started. 

1. Pack and move into my new apartment - it's really happening!

2. Blogtober - I'm doing so well at it, but not gonna lie, it's tough as heck!

3. Organize my upcoming projects - because there are just too many post-it to-do-list notes everywhere!

4. Book my upcoming trips - before it gets expensive

5. Finish reading one book by the end of the month! 

Do you have anything that you would like to finish? Let me know in the comments :)