October Mindfulness Challenge – Day 31 – The End

It’s hard to believe, but I actually did it. Thirty-one days without Facebook and Twitter. Thirty-one days without reading, watching, or listening to the news. Thirty-one days (well, almost) of meditating and writing every day. Thirty-one days of trying to be more mindful and present in the moment.

Needless to say, it’s been a long yet peaceful month. The question is: Will I continue this new, more mindful way of life.

Probably not.

I certainly plan on keeping my social media usage to a minimum. Like so many of us, I’d been wasting WAY TOO MUCH time mindlessly perusing my Facebook and Twitter feeds, which accomplished little more than increasing my anxiety. That said, I recognize the value of each platform (Facebook: sharing good news and stories, and keeping in touch with friends; Twitter: staying up-to-date on current events and networking) and plan on leveraging the good parts of both. I’ll probably limit myself to checking them 2-3 times a day at the very most.

As for the news, I think I’ll just let Twitter be my go-to for what’s happening in the world. I don’t feel any of the big news channels on either side – either the Right or the Left – can be unbiased anymore and both are more intent on providing “news” that’s shocking, sensational, or scandalous. And if I want to find out what’s going on locally, I’ll just do my own digging.

I’m really glad that I was able to write a new post here just about every single day (I missed 2 days total). Writing has always been therapeutic to me. It allows me to vent when necessary and also to find the humor in everyday life. I’m definitely not going to be posting everyday moving forward (you’re welcome), but I do plan on writing something at least once a week. Regardless if anyone reads it. (Hello? Is there anyone out there?)

As for the meditation part of the challenge, I’m thrilled that I was able to stick to this somewhat difficult practice for an entire month. It’s still not easy for me, but it is getting easier the more I do it. And the 10 minutes of mediation I’ve managed to squeeze in each day really has become one of the more peaceful and centering times of my day. So, yeah, I think I’ll keep up this daily routine, try to build on it, and see where it takes me.

So, what did I learn through this month-long mindfulness experience? Well, I learned that:

• It is actually possible to survive without social media. Who knew?
• Writing everyday isn’t easy, but sometimes you’ll be surprised and actually write something worthwhile.
• Some people are really sensitive about The Donald and/or cats. Or both.
• Meditation isn’t some hippie-dippie thing. It’s an important, healthy practice that helps you calm your mind and appreciate the present moment.
• I really enjoy challenging myself, as long as that challenge doesn’t last more than a month. (Next time I’ll think I’ll go with February.)

So that’s it. The end of my October Mindfulness Challenge (I’m sure you’re heartbroken). Thank you to those who stuck it out with me and read all or most of my posts. I’d love to chat about it with you sometime, preferably in person over a cup of coffee. There’s not enough of that nowadays.

Please leave a comment if you can. I’d appreciate it. : )

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Copyright © 2018 Valentine J. Brkich