Since the Presidential election I have been on a self-imposed news blackout. I sneak in a short local or national news clip here and there. I am primarily want updates on the upcoming apocalypse and am not participating in the fiscal cliff in case you were wondering. The recent tragedy in Newtown, CT has me on a full social media blackout.
I learned about the shooting on Facebook. I grew up a few towns away and my cousins grew up in Newtown. A lot of my Facebook friends are from Connecticut and posted on Facebook almost before the media got a hold of the story.
FoxNews reported 26 dead and 18 of them are children. I lost my marbles and cried. (This was reported 11am-ish on Friday December 14, 2012) It is times like this that I typically obsess and know every detail of every report.
Today I made a choice to not be a news hound.
My self-imposed news and social media blackout has left me wondering what I will do with all of my time. Here are ten things to do while on social media blackout:
- Use Hootsuite to at least send messages. This will prevent logging onto accounts and getting wrapped up in the stories. A good short-term solution.
- There’s a yoga mat in a dusty cover somewhere in this house…I could bust it out and do some relaxing and deep breathing.
- Read the book I started on a plane ride in October.
- Run errands that I forgot to do this week.
- Write a letter. Not type but actually write a letter with pen and paper. I bet the person who receives it would really appreciate it.
- Bake Christmas cookies.
- Dance around my office. I haven’t had a Dance Party in FOREVER!
- Complete the marketing plan I have scribbled on paper all over the office.
- Phone a friend.
- Write more blog posts
Even if it is just for the rest of today I feel like I will get a lot more completed on blackout. Please text pertinent apocalypse updates. Thanks.