This is beautiful and inspiring. YOU are beautiful and inspiring! I'm just past my 3-year soberversary and am nose-to-nose with myself about leaving social media. Oof. It's time. Even with the parts of it that inspire me, it overwhelmingly leaves me feeling like I am worth nothing every day. It's so very much time.
I was so struck by the synchronicity of reading this post this morning that I almost cried. This week I finally decided to log off social media for good, and to start a Substack. In my first newsletter/essay, called “Breaking up with the Algorithm,” I reflected on the similarities between my experience of quitting drugs and my journey to quitting Instagram. Yes, they’re different, but to me they both felt like a toxic relationship with someone who didn’t respect me. And in both cases I spent so much time in the bargaining phase trying to convince myself that I could just have a little…
It’s so inspiring to read your journey, and to connect with your experience, as you are further along the path! When you use the word surrender, I gasped. Everything in the universe is telling me to surrender right now. This morning I am even reading The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. As I surrender, synchronicities are appearing abundantly, and your letter this morning was a big one.
Thank you so much for sharing and a huge congratulations on 13 years!!!
Thinking about the beautiful auspiciousness of quitting drinking on Beltane. Even if she didn’t know it, past Nicole was casting a spell for a new season of aliveness. 🖤🌻
Congratulations on your soberversary and nearly a year off social media! I have 7 months free and can’t see going back. I valued my time on the app, to my own detriment. I thought - I need this in order to be okay, inspired, connected. Satisfaction was impossible to find because I was always a few more clicks to something more, something better. Less of my experience more of “out there”. When I think about who I did it for, I always say it’s for me, but deep down it’s also for the people I love. I wanted to start valuing my family and myself more, period.
So powerful! I am also sober and off the social media (3.5 and 5 years) so you are absolutely not a lonely case where total abstinence is the only type of moderation that makes sense and that is totally fine! Kudos on soberversary! So inspiring!
I have read this letter three times since yesterday, it is so beautiful.
Congratulations on 13 years of sobriety and 10 months off social media! Do you do anything to celebrate each year? I usually buy myself a gift - for year 7 I bought a hammock, and named it "Hammie." I spent that summer chilling in the hammock while my dog napped on her rug below me just close enough to pet her while swinging. That was our last summer together, and our sunrise sessions with Hammie are some of my favorite memories of us. Getting Hammie also helped me in my journey to stepping away from social media... nothing like trading the couch and phone for a hammock and books in the morning.
I haven't decided what to do when I reach year 10 on May 30th. Reaching 10 years is a gift in itself, but there's something really wonderful about having a thing to hold onto that reminds me how far I've come.
Thank you for sharing these pieces of yourself, Nic. It means a lot. <3
This is such a beautiful invitation for deeper witnessing & celebration of self. Thank you, Marika! I am inspired by Hammie and will think of how I want to do something similar for myself this weekend 💜
Literally could have written every word myself as this is something I was just thinking about the other day. Oy. And I love it. And I don’t want to quit social media either but maybe I need to as because the whole “don’t post or share anything unless it’s the weekend” is clearly not ever going to happen, just like it didn’t for my drinking which is why completely abstaining is the only way for me to relate to alcohol. Oh man.
Welcome to our MONTH (which will then be followed by our OTHER month lol) <3
Pop OFF Nicole. Is all I can really say lol. This deeply resonated. Thank you.
lol thank you Mona, I am so glad!
I look forward to this reflection every year, and holy shit 13 years?! That is more than enough. Congratulations!
13 YEARS! I cannot believe!
Congratulations on 13 years of making a decision each day to abstain. Nothing about this easy.
Thanks, Amy!
This is beautiful and inspiring. YOU are beautiful and inspiring! I'm just past my 3-year soberversary and am nose-to-nose with myself about leaving social media. Oof. It's time. Even with the parts of it that inspire me, it overwhelmingly leaves me feeling like I am worth nothing every day. It's so very much time.
Huge congrats on 3 years, Kelly!
Do you listen to Amelia Hruby's podcast, Off the Grid? It reaaaaaally helped me so much in leaving IG.
Thanks! Yes, I just very recently started listening. :)
You said it perfectly, I already have the answer. Dangit.
Amelia was my first resource as I began to feel the pull to leave social media. She’s so brilliant and wonderful.
13 years of choosing to love yourself more. 10 months of choosing to love yourself more. Congratulations. Honored to know you.
Such a beautiful way to articulate that, Toni. Thank you💜
Joining the community in celebrating your success with this huge milestone and honoring what is true and best for you.
Thank you, Kristen!
I was so struck by the synchronicity of reading this post this morning that I almost cried. This week I finally decided to log off social media for good, and to start a Substack. In my first newsletter/essay, called “Breaking up with the Algorithm,” I reflected on the similarities between my experience of quitting drugs and my journey to quitting Instagram. Yes, they’re different, but to me they both felt like a toxic relationship with someone who didn’t respect me. And in both cases I spent so much time in the bargaining phase trying to convince myself that I could just have a little…
It’s so inspiring to read your journey, and to connect with your experience, as you are further along the path! When you use the word surrender, I gasped. Everything in the universe is telling me to surrender right now. This morning I am even reading The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. As I surrender, synchronicities are appearing abundantly, and your letter this morning was a big one.
Thank you so much for sharing and a huge congratulations on 13 years!!!
✨
Ooo this gives me chills! I'm so glad you took the time to share this with me/us, and big congrats on taking care of yourself in this way 💜
Thinking about the beautiful auspiciousness of quitting drinking on Beltane. Even if she didn’t know it, past Nicole was casting a spell for a new season of aliveness. 🖤🌻
I think about this ALL THE TIME 🖤
THE THINGS WE DO TO SAVE OURSELVES MUST ALWAYS COME FIRST!!!! 👏
Congratulations on your soberversary and nearly a year off social media! I have 7 months free and can’t see going back. I valued my time on the app, to my own detriment. I thought - I need this in order to be okay, inspired, connected. Satisfaction was impossible to find because I was always a few more clicks to something more, something better. Less of my experience more of “out there”. When I think about who I did it for, I always say it’s for me, but deep down it’s also for the people I love. I wanted to start valuing my family and myself more, period.
So powerful! I am also sober and off the social media (3.5 and 5 years) so you are absolutely not a lonely case where total abstinence is the only type of moderation that makes sense and that is totally fine! Kudos on soberversary! So inspiring!
I’m celebrating 12 whole months off social media!! Yay to us. I’m so happy for you Nic. Look at all the goodness and kindness you’ve created!
12 whole months!! Congrats, Uma!
🎊🎉🥳
I have read this letter three times since yesterday, it is so beautiful.
Congratulations on 13 years of sobriety and 10 months off social media! Do you do anything to celebrate each year? I usually buy myself a gift - for year 7 I bought a hammock, and named it "Hammie." I spent that summer chilling in the hammock while my dog napped on her rug below me just close enough to pet her while swinging. That was our last summer together, and our sunrise sessions with Hammie are some of my favorite memories of us. Getting Hammie also helped me in my journey to stepping away from social media... nothing like trading the couch and phone for a hammock and books in the morning.
I haven't decided what to do when I reach year 10 on May 30th. Reaching 10 years is a gift in itself, but there's something really wonderful about having a thing to hold onto that reminds me how far I've come.
Thank you for sharing these pieces of yourself, Nic. It means a lot. <3
This is such a beautiful invitation for deeper witnessing & celebration of self. Thank you, Marika! I am inspired by Hammie and will think of how I want to do something similar for myself this weekend 💜
Literally could have written every word myself as this is something I was just thinking about the other day. Oy. And I love it. And I don’t want to quit social media either but maybe I need to as because the whole “don’t post or share anything unless it’s the weekend” is clearly not ever going to happen, just like it didn’t for my drinking which is why completely abstaining is the only way for me to relate to alcohol. Oh man.
Rooting for you, Beth 💖
Five year sober here and still playing the damn social media game 🤦
Congrats on 5 years!!!