This week I have been making a special effort to go fallow. That is, restoring my energy by being kind to myself – resting, re-setting, switching off and finding some time amid the chaos of daily life that can swamp us unwittingly.
Social media is a key player in our saturated lives. I adore social media and all it brings us, but the constant reach culture and feeling of missing out if we unplug can lead to frazzled brains. Stepping away from the screen is good practise to recharge this brain cells, something my ecourse alumni know I am vocal about.
So, going fallow as bloggers can reap many benefits. Once you have set up a workflow and system that you trust to email you the right news alerts and smart information gathering, take time out to recharge that grey matter. No one can work efficiently under a constant information barrage, and reclaiming some space reaps creative rewards and allows for some space and clarity in your writing.
Yesterday I tore up my to do list (which as a mum of twins running two businesses isn’t small). I watched 3 films in one day – actually watched them without playing on my iPad at the same time – and I also read a book. I also listened to new radio stations, an audio book, played with some new hand lettering ideas, had a bike ride with a friend and enjoyed sitting outside having a cup of tea.
Taking time to go fallow can feel like a luxury and maybe you start with a manageable chunk; just an hour of ‘you time’ will make the world of difference.
When you step back into your workload and social media world it is so much easier to be focussed, procrastinate less and have those ideas that make you stand out.
Over to you: do you find it hard to go fallow and let the weeds grow? Can you allow yourself a little time out to restore your busy mind? If you do, let me know how it affects your blogging.
Image credit: Johnboy Mitchell’s photostream
