I started this year by tackling my long to-do list that I didn’t get to finish in 2024, along with cleaning and decluttering. Honestly, I think my whole January will be spent on that! xD Here’s what I’ve started so far:
Social media, especially Instagram, to be honest, is a huge part of what I do to stay motivated and inspired. It’s also the best way for me to promote my blog, based on the statistics. I love Instagram! There’s both a good and a bad side to it.
On the positive side, it’s a platform to share, create content, express creativity, and find inspiration and motivation. You can also inspire and motivate others, which is the truly beautiful part of it. We share and learn from one another in this amazing community.
But it can also become overwhelming, which I think happened to me later in 2024. It’s one thing to get inspired and motivated, but when you start comparing yourself to others and feeling like you’re not good enough or that your life isn’t good enough; it begins to have a negative effect.
Honestly, I think Instagram has been messing with my head lately. Don’t get me wrong; I love the creative, sharing, and connecting aspects of it. But sometimes, especially over the past few months, I’ve felt like I’m not enough. I see all these perfect reels and pictures, or how everyone else seems to be living their lives, and I think: Oh, I don’t have that or do that. I’m not fit enough, I’m not healthy enough, I’m not wealthy enough. My relationships aren’t good enough, I haven’t read enough books, I haven’t healed enough. My home isn’t good enough. My life and I am not good enough.
And you know what the funny thing is? If I weren’t constantly bombarded with all this information and content 24/7 (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit), I’d actually be totally satisfied and happy with my life and myself right now.
The truth is, I’ve been growing and evolving. I have people around me that I love and who love me. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and I have the freedom to do almost anything I want. I feel quite settled and relaxed. I know what I want, and I have all the things I once dreamed of.
Yet here I am, being ungrateful and greedy; just because I saw some random person on social media who seems to have it all figured out? First of all, no one truly does. It’s ridiculous to think that way, to be so hard on myself, and to feel guilty for resting, doing nothing, and just sitting still for a moment.
With all that said, I’m not going to quit Instagram. That’s not what I’m saying. I love creating content, seeing others’ content, and finding and sharing inspiration. I genuinely enjoy taking photos, recording videos, and editing them!
What I am saying, though, is that I haven’t been very mindful about how I use Instagram or what I consume on the app. I want to spend less time on it, and I also want to be more intentional about what I engage with. This means I’m doing a cleanup on Instagram.
I’ve started by tidying up my own feed, highlights, and other content, but I’m also looking at who I follow. When I’m in a better state of mind, I’ll probably follow some accounts again. I’m not planning to unfollow everyone or take an overly strict approach, but I will be unfollowing a lot of random accounts—mostly content creators that I don’t know personally that I initially followed for inspiration or motivation.
The thing is, those accounts aren’t having the positive effect they once did. Once I’ve moved past this phase, I may follow more again.
I’ve also started cleaning up my mailbox by unsubscribing from all the senders I don’t want emails from. Most of the emails in my inbox are newsletters or advertisements that I really don’t need in my life.
This is just the beginning of my decluttering journey. Next, I’m going to clean up my computer, phone, clothes, and makeup. I’ll delete or throw away anything I don’t need or move files to my hard drive ;)
Aside from cleaning and decluttering, I’m slowly getting back into my healthy habits; the ones I used to be so disciplined about every morning before I got lazy. I’ve started making green smoothies again because I genuinely enjoy them. I’m eating healthier and have also started working out again, which gives me so much energy and positivity. I get surprised at how much it lifts up my mood every time XD
On top of that, I’ve picked up meditation, journaling, and reading again. This year, I want to read a lot more books, stay positive, and focus on building a healthier mindset. My overall well-being is my main focus right now, and so far, things are moving in the right direction! So I just have to keep it up without putting too much pressure on myself! :)
Oh! I also started watching Squid Game Season 1. My husband convinced me, and I hate to admit it, but I’m hooked! It’s not bad at all. It’s not something I would usually choose to watch on my own, but it’s surprisingly interesting!
I’m starting work again tomorrow, so it’s back to the daily routine.
