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30 Day Lifestyle Experiments

Day 25 of no facebook

I think it just get's easier and easier as time goes on. 

I don't know what I'll do when I can get on facebook again. I know that I won't become addicted to it as I was. I won't spend several hours per day on it. I'll probably use it as a tool to communicate, and that's pretty much it. 

 

Day 19 of no Facebook. Over halfway!

I wrote this on November 19th

 

It's now day 19 in my 30 day challenge of no facebook. 

There are a few annoyances that come with not logging into Facebook, when I decided to do the challenge I uninstalled the app from my Android phone so I wouldn't have any temptation to tap an icon and be in FB. Upon doing this a lot of my numbers and contacts disappeared. I wasn't aware how many people I had tied to FB that I talked to on a daily basis. So for future reference I need to make sure my contacts are backed up somewhere else besides just linking FB accounts. 

I thought I would feel more disconnected from the world, but I don't feel disconnected because I still am in contact with all of my closest friends. I still have a social life. In fact I actually feel closer to my friends because my communication with them isn't comments on wall posts, and the next awesome movie that's coming out. It's legitimate human contact, whether it be hanging out or a phone call. 

Some friends I only talked to on FB, and sometimes I feel like talking to them, but at the same time we obviously weren't good enough friends to exchange phone numbers (unless they're one of the previously mentioned contacts that disappeared) so why talk anyway? 

I think when I log back onto FB one of the first things I'll be doing is getting rid of clutter, people, likes, et cetera anything that doesn't matter and doesn't help me progress in life. Next I'll contact the people  I want to stay in touch with, and ask them for their contact info, if they choose not to give it, then I'll eliminate that clutter as well. 

Next 30 day challenge? Bring it. 

Missing something 30 Day No Facebook Challenge

That's the feeling I've had throughout the day. As if I'm forgetting something, or missing something.

Generally my phone is on silent so I constantly take it out of my pocket and check it for messages, phone calls, and usually facebook.

It's a different feeling to consciously force my body to do something it isn't used to.

Overall today was easy, lets hope tomorrow is even better.

November 30 Day Challenge - No Facebook

November 1st 2011 - Day 1

My first actual 30 day challenge of this year is no facebook for 30 days. 

This challenge will be difficult, as I currently probably average an hour plus on facebook at minimum everyday. Somedays I find myself waking up and since my phone is my alarm, checking my facebook for updates that friends may have posted while I was sleeping. 

When I'm out doing daily activities my brain is thinking about how cool that picture would be for facebook, or what I could post to make a cool status update. Sometimes I get anxiety if I'm not constantly looking at my phone, whether it is on facebook, or email, or text messaging. 

I would rather be in the moment, than living in a virtual world. So the first step is to get rid of facebook. After the 30 days I will reflect on what I've gained from the experience, and decide to either permanently deactivate my facebook, or apply rules and guidelines for myself and using it. 

As a secondary challenge I'm going to try and use my phone less when I'm with or around other people. Potentially even leaving my phone at home or turning on airplane mode more often. 

Here is a great article to read on technology and how we are constantly involved in it, and possibly addicted depending on which definition you use and how tied to technology you are or are willing to admit to yourself.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/30/opinion/greene-smart-phone-addiction/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2

 

Devan!

Why Stretch?

When I decided to stretch every day for my 30 day challenge I did it for a multitude of reasons. 

Stretching relaxes your mind, and your body by reducing muscle tension, helping coordination by allowing your body to have more free and easier movement, increases your range of motion, can help prevent injuries, make activities easier, develops body awareness, helps loosen your mind, and just feels good. 

Update November 09th 2010

Yesterday I went and got a massage at Massage Envy, and my therapist showed me a couple of stretches that will help me out with my upper back. It has been giving me a lot of problems lately. Other than those stretches he showed me I did not stretch yesterday. 

Today I stretched a lot more, and I am still not quite to my toes, but I can tell that I'm getting closer! If you have any stretches that you would recommend please comment and let me know. 

I've been doing research on stretching and back pain, at the end of the 30 days I hope to alleviate all my back pain. I've read that the cause of most back pain is from muscle imbalances. This was also confirmed with my massage therapist, that showed me which muscles were imbalanced. A lot of muscle imbalances come from poor posture, sitting down a lot, and weaker back muscles compared to the muscles in the front of your body. 

Here is a list of stretches for lower back pain: http://doubleyourgains.com/stretches-for-lower-back-pain

The List

A lot of people that influence me have been doing 30 day challenges for a quite a long time, and I've been planning on starting one for a long time, but I've always put it on the back burner. Tonight I received a news letter from Neil Strauss where he spent a month going to bed at 9:30 p.m. and waking up at 5:30 a.m. 

I decided that I am going to start a 30 day challenge today. First I brainstormed on what I would do first, and here is the list that I cam up with. (A lot of these I got from Steve Pavlina's blog.)
  • Give up T.V. shows
  • go out every evening some place new
  • meet someone new
  • spend 30 minutes cleaning/organizing your home/office 
  • write in your journal
  • call a different family member, or friend
  • read
  • meditate or have 15 minutes of self reflection
  • learn a new vocabulary word
  • give up on soda, junk food, sugar, et cetera
  • stretch
  • yoga
  • run or exercise for 15 minutes
  • wake up at 6am 
  • work on personal business (except sat, and sun)
  • no eating out
  • create new music using reason
  • just write 
The one I decided on for my first 30 day run was to stretch everyday. Right now I can't even bend over and touch my toes, by the end of the 30 days I would at least like to be able to do that and feel more limber. In addition to that 30 day challenge I am going to  write everyday, even if it's just on my progress of stretching. 
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