I’m so glad you’re on Substack now Megs. I love sipping my Saturday morning coffee in bed while catching up on my favourite letters here.
I relate to your letter. Too much online consumption makes me feel so unhappy. I need to disconnect from digital devices to stay well. Although, I’m not quite yearning for in-person connection as much. I mostly prefer walking in nature by myself or with my dog and sometimes my partner.
I think this is because the in-person interactions I do have depletes all my energy. So, I’m wondering now if I should explore the reasons why and perhaps spend less time with the people that make me feel this way. And instead spend time with or find more uplifting people…
Anyway. I’m really excited to read more of your journey here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 💛
Thank you for the kind words lovely 🤍 and thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me, too. Oddly, I’m reading a book at the moment that talks about raising our vibration through slowly moving away from people who deplete our energy and seek those who make life feel brighter and fill our cup. It’s not an easy thing to do is it? But I’m glad you’re having that realisation for yourself, I think sometimes that can be the hardest thing for me, in identifying what I need 🤍 Sending love xx
Excited to see you on Substack, Megan! Always love reading your thoughts.
I am so grateful for the wonderful way the Internet bridged the gap for connection during a pandemic of isolation - I found it to be a place that was safe for the times and also a great comfort to see others feeling the same way and to stay in touch. But recently, I'm feeling overwhelmed by the web again. Now that we are able to safely venture back into the world, I find it so much harder for myself to break that initial social bubble; I think it's so much harder to meet people now because we're living on our phones and screens like it's 2020. Even the people I see out and about or at events are even more so locked in to their devices, constantly worried about documenting for socials, or keeping up with the internet while out in the real world. When I'm with my friends now, we're all on our phones. I equally acknowledge the beauty in documenting to remember and reflect, and noticing small things you love in your day, and that our world is different now than it was a few years ago, and yet I crave intentional time and space now that isn't available with phones in our hands. I'm finding a lot of joy in quiet spaces where phones are no-gos: yoga or fitness classes, galleries and museums with a no-photo rule, or even at work where I'm not able to have a phone in my hand on the floor. Hoping to think about this more intentionally for myself and building social situations where we're too excited about personal connection to think about our phones!
Thank you so much for this beautiful comment Amalie - I feel this to my bones. There are so few spaces where it’s a cert that no phones will be around and I fully embrace them whenever I can. I’ve also stopped bringing my phone with me on my daily walks. I used to do what you’ve said here, capture the countryside and my dogs for socials - but actually, I just want to be present and enjoy it for myself. Part of me wishes we could rewind time - or perhaps even fast forward to a time where we’ve fallen back in love with the simpler things in life and want to be connected to them, not something we can’t physically reach. Here’s hoping for some simpler times 🙏🏼🤍
I was so pleased to see your name in my inbox Megs and I loved this so much! Isn’t it an odd thing to think how ‘big’ and open to us the internet and that means of connection wherever and whenever has meant for us BUT how much we’ve lost from lack of in real life and physical contact?! I do think like most things it’s a balance isn’t it but it’s easy to see how we can be swept up in being mostly online and not…in real life?! After all it’s more convenient, we can ‘connect’ with many people all at once from so many different places etc but the more I live that life the more I realise that that sort of connection and, the scales weighing too heavily on the online ‘connection side; the more lost, unfulfilled and….lacking I feel?!
I have also been making a point to connect more in real life and I really loved how this was intended as a solo lunch date—-which I also love to do— but ended up quite the opposite, accidentally but that you really felt positive after.
Isn’t it so strange that before the online world that was just life?! So much more of that would just happen because we would be out and ‘in’ the real world because there was no other option?
I always look forward to seeing your name, on any medium! You’re such a shiny light and I’m thankful the internet brought us together! And yes yes yes, I feel this so deeply with that feeling of lack.
The solo lunch date was the happiest accident - but I mainly wanted to share because it could easily have gone a very different way. Had I not asked her to join me, had she said no, had we both sat on our phones instead. We’ve got to make the conscious effort haven’t we, in a world where it can be easier to just pop onto our phone instead!
You’re too kind but yes yes yes to this all! There is magic in connecting otherwise we’re experiencing it all, life even (?) in one dimension surely…?! It’s flatter, felt less deeply and just…missing that extra special thing, isn’t it?
I've been working mostly from home since 2017 and I really feel this. Sometimes I can go the entire day without talking to a soul and not even leaving the house. In the last few months it has become a real burden. But I live in Buenos Aires, a HUGE city in which is not really easy to make arrangements for an easy get together without planning ahead, so it's also hard to meet with friends regularly. I'd love to be able to figure it out! haha.
Gosh I really feel this!! More recently my husband has come home from work and I’ve been feeling like ‘get me out of this house, I’m sick of these walls!!’ I didn’t really expect to feel that way, because I’ve always been a bit of a homebody, but I think it’s so vital to be able to explore connection outside of ourselves. Do your friends like to plan ahead? I do always find having things to look forward to help me when I’m feeling a bit stagnant, so maybe even just putting in one thing a month, even if it’s just a walk after work or a drink, could help with building up to more frequently if it feels good? 🤍
I struggle when I spend too much time online, or too much time doing anything at all that involves a screen. I have some wonderful friends from my blogging days and enjoy the internet as much as the next person, but nothing beats an in person interaction for me!
It’s absolutely got its place hasn’t it? I’m so grateful for the internet for lots of reasons, but it’s been quite confronting to have the realisation that it might have been contributing towards me feeling less connected to myself physically!
I’m so glad you’re on Substack now Megs. I love sipping my Saturday morning coffee in bed while catching up on my favourite letters here.
I relate to your letter. Too much online consumption makes me feel so unhappy. I need to disconnect from digital devices to stay well. Although, I’m not quite yearning for in-person connection as much. I mostly prefer walking in nature by myself or with my dog and sometimes my partner.
I think this is because the in-person interactions I do have depletes all my energy. So, I’m wondering now if I should explore the reasons why and perhaps spend less time with the people that make me feel this way. And instead spend time with or find more uplifting people…
Anyway. I’m really excited to read more of your journey here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 💛
I’m excited to read more of your newsletters.
Thank you for the kind words lovely 🤍 and thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me, too. Oddly, I’m reading a book at the moment that talks about raising our vibration through slowly moving away from people who deplete our energy and seek those who make life feel brighter and fill our cup. It’s not an easy thing to do is it? But I’m glad you’re having that realisation for yourself, I think sometimes that can be the hardest thing for me, in identifying what I need 🤍 Sending love xx
Excited to see you on Substack, Megan! Always love reading your thoughts.
I am so grateful for the wonderful way the Internet bridged the gap for connection during a pandemic of isolation - I found it to be a place that was safe for the times and also a great comfort to see others feeling the same way and to stay in touch. But recently, I'm feeling overwhelmed by the web again. Now that we are able to safely venture back into the world, I find it so much harder for myself to break that initial social bubble; I think it's so much harder to meet people now because we're living on our phones and screens like it's 2020. Even the people I see out and about or at events are even more so locked in to their devices, constantly worried about documenting for socials, or keeping up with the internet while out in the real world. When I'm with my friends now, we're all on our phones. I equally acknowledge the beauty in documenting to remember and reflect, and noticing small things you love in your day, and that our world is different now than it was a few years ago, and yet I crave intentional time and space now that isn't available with phones in our hands. I'm finding a lot of joy in quiet spaces where phones are no-gos: yoga or fitness classes, galleries and museums with a no-photo rule, or even at work where I'm not able to have a phone in my hand on the floor. Hoping to think about this more intentionally for myself and building social situations where we're too excited about personal connection to think about our phones!
Thank you so much for this beautiful comment Amalie - I feel this to my bones. There are so few spaces where it’s a cert that no phones will be around and I fully embrace them whenever I can. I’ve also stopped bringing my phone with me on my daily walks. I used to do what you’ve said here, capture the countryside and my dogs for socials - but actually, I just want to be present and enjoy it for myself. Part of me wishes we could rewind time - or perhaps even fast forward to a time where we’ve fallen back in love with the simpler things in life and want to be connected to them, not something we can’t physically reach. Here’s hoping for some simpler times 🙏🏼🤍
I was so pleased to see your name in my inbox Megs and I loved this so much! Isn’t it an odd thing to think how ‘big’ and open to us the internet and that means of connection wherever and whenever has meant for us BUT how much we’ve lost from lack of in real life and physical contact?! I do think like most things it’s a balance isn’t it but it’s easy to see how we can be swept up in being mostly online and not…in real life?! After all it’s more convenient, we can ‘connect’ with many people all at once from so many different places etc but the more I live that life the more I realise that that sort of connection and, the scales weighing too heavily on the online ‘connection side; the more lost, unfulfilled and….lacking I feel?!
I have also been making a point to connect more in real life and I really loved how this was intended as a solo lunch date—-which I also love to do— but ended up quite the opposite, accidentally but that you really felt positive after.
Isn’t it so strange that before the online world that was just life?! So much more of that would just happen because we would be out and ‘in’ the real world because there was no other option?
Loved reading this today Megs!
I always look forward to seeing your name, on any medium! You’re such a shiny light and I’m thankful the internet brought us together! And yes yes yes, I feel this so deeply with that feeling of lack.
The solo lunch date was the happiest accident - but I mainly wanted to share because it could easily have gone a very different way. Had I not asked her to join me, had she said no, had we both sat on our phones instead. We’ve got to make the conscious effort haven’t we, in a world where it can be easier to just pop onto our phone instead!
You’re too kind but yes yes yes to this all! There is magic in connecting otherwise we’re experiencing it all, life even (?) in one dimension surely…?! It’s flatter, felt less deeply and just…missing that extra special thing, isn’t it?
I've been working mostly from home since 2017 and I really feel this. Sometimes I can go the entire day without talking to a soul and not even leaving the house. In the last few months it has become a real burden. But I live in Buenos Aires, a HUGE city in which is not really easy to make arrangements for an easy get together without planning ahead, so it's also hard to meet with friends regularly. I'd love to be able to figure it out! haha.
Gosh I really feel this!! More recently my husband has come home from work and I’ve been feeling like ‘get me out of this house, I’m sick of these walls!!’ I didn’t really expect to feel that way, because I’ve always been a bit of a homebody, but I think it’s so vital to be able to explore connection outside of ourselves. Do your friends like to plan ahead? I do always find having things to look forward to help me when I’m feeling a bit stagnant, so maybe even just putting in one thing a month, even if it’s just a walk after work or a drink, could help with building up to more frequently if it feels good? 🤍
I really should try to make it a habit. I like working from home but the lack of contact with other human beings is sometimes difficult 😅 Love, Megs!
I struggle when I spend too much time online, or too much time doing anything at all that involves a screen. I have some wonderful friends from my blogging days and enjoy the internet as much as the next person, but nothing beats an in person interaction for me!
It’s absolutely got its place hasn’t it? I’m so grateful for the internet for lots of reasons, but it’s been quite confronting to have the realisation that it might have been contributing towards me feeling less connected to myself physically!