There are very few self-help gurus that I like, but Teal Swan is one that i often turn to when I feel like I'm slipping down a hole of no return.
Yesterday, I finally faced up to the fact that I am indeed inside a deep addiction. I am unable to contain it, and it's time to burn the house down and start over. The video I watched about this talks about what you need to do when your life is out of control: let it sink in that you are out of control, and just exist in that space. This is what I am doing.
I am wallowing in the fact that I have an info addiction, and that it has taken over my life. In admitting this, I am now able to take steps towards health. This includes getting exercise daily and taking care of my body (which i have let go completely, due to my constant addiction to reading, yes, reading is my main problem right now. This might sound ridiculous to some people, but this addiction is having terrible effects. I can't even go to the gym, because i have FOMO, about some piece of news (related to the crypto world). I also find it impossible not to follow a story, and get all the supporting details. This has resulted in blurry vision, migraines, and other things unmentionable.)
The point is, enough is enough. For me, 2018 is about my physical self being attended to, and letting my insatiable desire for information being cut loose. I have no idea why I feel like I must know everything about everything. It's unsustainable, especially since the @slothicorn group is needed my undivided attention.
I am working today even though I have migraines.
This above video is for anyone who wants to "find themselves".
I feel that a lot of problems exist in the world (and on Steemit), because people have not had the time to find out who they are and what passions exist within them. People who are barely surviving are not at a point of discovering this since their survival is the thing most pressing.
My point is though, even if you're surviving, I feel that anyone can use this platform to help others survive and thrive. If you're in Venezuela, for instance, you can use this platform to learn how to make $5 per day, and when you do this, you can then help others learn the same skill. Think small in the beginning. If you extend your knowledge outwards, including others, you will survive. We have to think the way tribes did before the corporations took over. That is our new reality. Most don't understand this, but it is indeed the truth. You must form bonds with each other, helping each other survive. No one will save you until you learn how to save yourself.
I need to figure out how to replace my current addiction to information with something that won't kill me.
This is where I am at. And when I am chasing the information down a rabbit hole, i sometimes ask myself, "What am I after?" The truth is, I don't know.
Cheers,
Stellabelle
Information is constant in the 24/7 news cycle we have created, even more so in the Crypto World since it does not abide by bankers hours. It is easy to be overwhelmed, like you can't get away from Twitter for two minutes. The FOMO is real!
It is hard for people who have not experienced drug addiction to understand the word addiction, because that is all addiction typically gets used to convey, drugs, alcohol, or if you are Tiger Woods,Sex. These addictions are BAD, addiction to anything else is GOOD. But addictions of any type can really weigh on us.
It is good that you are recognizing the need to step back and make adjustments. You have to do what is best for you and your family at all times. With the Crypto markets the way they have been the past two days, it is a perfect time to get away from that part of the information overload and do something else you enjoy. The markets will still be there when you come back.
Keep on trucking Stella! You are the only master of you! Mind over Mind!
Ha ha MInd over mind. Yeah, I expect a lot from myself, and tend to belittle my own efforts.....the truth is that for me, info addiction feels sometimes just as bad as my alcohol addiction. i have info hangovers, and withdrawal symptoms. I think people have no idea how I am capable of abusing the most normal things. I've tried many things so far, like setting time limits, nothing works really.
I think i need to find out what is underneath the craving.......it's still not clear to me what i am trying to learn....sometimes it's like i feel i'm in a candy store, once i open up twitter and there is a whole stack of Neeraj's tweets i have not seen. I have no idea how these things start. It's very weird to me even now.....it almost feels that I was created for various addictions, and now that I got the 9-5 job out of the way, I can indulge myself in them WHOLE HOG......
I can so relate as I have found myself being consumed by my Steemit addition. Almost every waking hour I have is in Steemit.
Oftentimes while in a meeting or working I would jot down ideas for posts and even start drafting talking points so that when I get home I start writing.
I experience the FOMO of reading a good post from someone here in Steemit as I have been practicing looking for hidden gems because I am practicing to be a curator.
I have been cutting time off my sleep just to satisfy my addition to read new content.
People from my group @steemitfamilyph has been admonishing me for always being online and answering questions that they jokingly threaten to kick me out so I can sleep.
I know it's not good and I set time to walk with my dog and spend some time offline from Steemit but it's so hard hahaha!
Hopefully I can better manage time and give some attention to taking care of my body as well.
Join the club. You should have seen me when i first found steemit. I was posting 2 times per day every day. I also hung out in the introduceyourself tag and was welcoming everyone. For me, it got so bad that i was having hallucinations all the time, because my sleep had become scant at best. It was a better addiction than drinking, because I was learning, so I never thought it was a problem. Now, after almost 2 years, I am healthier on here, but Twitter has become a problem for me. I think in a few years, i will be free from my last addiction, that's my goal for the future. With addicts, it feels that it is always 'something'.
You sound like you're inspired on Steemit. This is a good thing. Breaks are good too though.
I can't help but be inspired with Steemit. It has saved me from my depression and stopped me from taking my life.
I've met some pretty amazing human beings here that want to do a lot of things.
I live each day thankful and I go find people who was like me close to the edge, ready to jump and hopefully try to give them hope and walk back to where it is safe.
I plan to continue featuring stories from humans in Steemit to give exposure to people that they are not alone. That someone will always have a kind word for them
If I save one life I would consider myself to be lucky and have made a difference.
The new people I am taking care in our little pond also inspires me .
I know some rest would be good but just want to do so many things. Confessions of a Steemit addict haha.
Balance in all things is key.
Thinking is great but can be overated.
:)
But seriously ~ Sometimes a person just needs to BE
xox
One thing that helps me is to meditate, which sounds cliche. But it helps to remove the addiction to information input in the brain. If you, like me, are addicted to info, then you might not do so well with just straight up sitting meditation.
What works for me is a walking, running, or playing music type of meditation where I can get into a flow-like state and let the thoughts float by my consciousness instead of attaching to them.
Hope that helps!
I also suffer from migraines, although mine are associated with food intolerances- caffeine, mostly. Now that all my work has gone digital (all my student stuff have computers so grading etc is all digital) I find that I spend more time on the computer. I hope that it starts warming up sooner rather than later so I can start up my running program in earnest. I'm signing up for a 5k, just to give myself a physical goal to work towards. When we work in such mentally demanding fields, we have to remind ourselves that the physical is just as important.
You're so nice for commenting on this post. For that, I gave you a vote!
@stellabelle - Fortunate are those who get addictions like 'reading' and 'information'. I wish everyone in the world gets those addictions my friend. You are one of my mentors and guides (though you may not know or remember) on Steemit and I always wondered about your command on many subjects. Now I know the dirty secret. LOL
The point about the addiction taking a toll on health is well taken though. Anything is always best in moderation. So I am glad that you are controlling the 'addiction'.
I am on a slow net connection so video is stuttering a lot. I will review once I reach home. I am sure I will benefit from 'finding myself'
Thanks for the tip. Upvoted
Regards,
@vm2904
It makes me uncomfortable thinking i am some example for others including yourself. I am on a course, and I don't have all the answers. I guess I am just more transparent than most about what is going on internally.
@stellabelle - We all have our flaws. That does not mean we do not have good qualities that others can learn from. You have a lot of things going on but I love your creativity and determination. I also admire the strength with which you take up a cause and devote yourself 110% for it. I am trying to do that for my wildlife awareness cause.
This is the type of addiction i like. Where one is always scouting for the right information that will add more value to his/her life. This addiction makes one add more value to themself first then to the society at large. Steemit has created a wonderful platform for this. We wouldnt have been sharing our views here if not for a wonderful decentralised system that has enable @stellabelle do so..
Your view to this subject matter is awesome and i am so glad to read through it.
Thanks alot friend.
I am me @brightfame
It's definitely WAY too easy to be overwhelmed by all the information surrounded STEEM, and other cryptos this week (let alone the local / world news, and other crazy political events). I think it's hard wired in our brain to take in as much data as we can to try to form a picture or definition of the world, but there's almost an infinite amount out there.
Most other addictions become destructive when you RUN OUT of what you're addicted to and go through withdrawal -- but the information addiction is troublesome because there's an effectively limitless supply, and you can rapidly head towards burning yourself out. I hope you manage to find a nice peaceful distraction soon here and let your mind rest for a while.
It's hard to get truly informed on a subject in an echo chamber. Stronger opposing voices never got the deserved attention that would properly warn potential buyers of steem sp or sbd when they were near the highs. High quality information from diverse sources is better than endless streams of the same opinion.
That's why I wander out of my favorite echo chambers from time to time.
Yes! I love Teal Swan! And her life story is unbelievable.
I think you right about being authentic, it makes you stand out from everyone else. Too many people follow someone else way but entrepreneurs know. We are entrepreneurs with steem coin right now.
Now,Im watch video..Authentic! Everybody is unique. Our process should be a process of unfolding. Like a flower exposing the flower. When people meet your needs This Will happen. When they dont it Will be difficult. They tell us certain things Will be bad and unacceptable and be hidden in view. We hide parts of us. Our personality change. We Disown parts of us and forget about it, called fragmentation. We Are oblious about ourselves. A lot happens in Spite of everything.. @stellabelle
thats great advice from Teal thank you stellabelle
With love
harj : ) xoxo
Abstract artist
great post. keep it on. wait for your next post
Very nic
Really good post @stellabelle, I like it.
"This is me! this is real! I'm exactly where I suppose to be now" hehe. Beautiful post
good luck getting better and feeling better! the journey is always difficult but you learn as you go.
Thanks for opening up!
migraines is so much painful.
Great post that I find very relatable. I often find myself not getting anything else done other than research due to the pure scope of information that I am trying to take in. It is unhealthy, but I have been making sure that I get at least an hour of exercise per day and a few hours with friends or family ever since about two weeks ago.
I too suffer from migraine, but find myself always working through them - that too is not good and I need to stop that, which I will work on in 2018!
Thanks for the very helpful post.
I often wonder while I am chasing down a rabbit hole of information: what am i after?
I don't know is the answer i feel....
Knowledge accumulation has always been a passion of mine. From quantum mechanics, programming and cryptocurrencies, to Theology, Philosophy and more, I love to know things.
I think now that I have Steemit to start unloading this information, the years that I spent learning are worth it. I have just started a new blog series on my page in which I show people How To make some passive income with cryptos - something that I am passionate about. Being able to give people this information and being paid for it (albeit a small amount as I'm still relatively new), it is an amazing feeling.
have a nice day @stellabelle....great post
Damn, I think I have the same addiction. I spend all my day reading all kinds of things. Some days I wake up having terrible migraines for the whole day. While I still do a lot of activities throughout the day, I read probably from 5-8 hours per day... I seriously gotta stop doing this...
I'm glad that you've decided to take the steps required to really find yourself. It's something a lot of us need to do, but can often be put aside for other time consuming things in our lives.
Ultimately, I think it's all about balance. Once you've taken the time to really find your true self, you can immerse yourself in other things as long as you remember to make time for your mental and physical health too.
Hi... are you reading for knowledge or also for fun?
I am writing here mainly to express my thoughts through stories... I hope that some ideas (that will remain forever in the steemit blockchain) may change the world some day. Big visions from a minnow... :)
Take care and smile!
I think it has something to do with me denying myself knowledge for years, due to poverty. For many years, not too long ago, I was working myself to the bone, kind of just surviving. I had no free time to read, to learn and to let myself go into a knowledge rabbit hole. So, i think in some ways, i am making up for those years when I had to hustle constantly.
You should be proud... there are others that have all the means for a good life and still do not care about reading and learning anything...
Sometime ... I may tell you about the "Charity challenge" I am thinking of starting in steemit... different from any other one...
Cheers. @stellabelle Thank you for my share. I have not watched the video yet. I am now back to the video to write comments early
im so glad you made this.. you would be surprised how many others can relate to the topic of addiction. By you writing about it, others feel more comfortable doing something about it and coming forward to take the right steps. Thankyou and i can relate because mine is out of control and i need to do something asap. although mine stems from drugs. its all the same. love you take care
ha ha! Yeah, I know about drugs too. I feel like I abuse what is around me......the "out of control' thing is probably more of us than people would guess..I hope you're ok. Try to figure out what the drugs are doing, then replicate it naturally...
Interesting post.It is very important to get rest and consult medical care.There is an adage that said Health is Wealth!
So sorry about the migraine. We all have addictions but when they start hampering our health, then we need to take a step back and check our priorities. The first step to recovery is knowing you need help and you have recognised that. I wish you speedy recovery. Cool it down a little and even with your migraine state, you still made a whole lot of sense with this post. You are phenomenal. Get healthier and come back stronger. Thoughts with you @stellabelle. Really do care about you.
I don't have an addiction to information, but feel I'm pushing myself too hard on Steemit currently (maybe an addiction to Steemit?).
Best of luck with what you're going through, and hoping we can come out on the other side better an stronger!
I'm glad that u figured it out before it turns to something malignant.
You're going to be OK Stella
Information is power. Your addiction is not so bad. Just make sure you take care of your health and try to live a balanced life. You can give yourself targets and reward yourself with more info if you do meet up with them and put yourself at top priority.
You deserve the very best stella
Cheers!!!!
ha ha thanks. If you have noticed, I quit Facebook. That was part of me getting real about what mattered.....Facebook no longer serves me, so i quit altogether. Probably no use in tagging me there anymore, FYI.
for now from immediate effect take some rest as it is very much natural that our mind and life need healthy change which bring balance to our lives. everyone get bore from overdose but what we can do is to balance them and try to feed our subconscious mind with what we really want ....
I have a serious problem focusing on my objective here most times. I tell myself that I am going to check out other people's blogs and socialise, but I end up jumping from one to the other without commenting until I tell myself that I need to write better content and hurry away to go and write another article. If I could just learn to socialise, maybe I would become a part of the tribe. It would certainly help me meet that $5 you suggest as a daily target.
I have admitted it to myself that I do have a sort of information hunger and attention deficit. May God help me get out of it.
what may help you in your thinking is this: this platform, the world and society does not run with individuals working alone. Nature is an ecosystem, with many varieties, working in harmony. Think of the honeybee colony, the bees do not work alone. They are together working towards a goal. It's the same in here too.
Thanks, the wisdom of the bees. Community is everything. Funny thing is that I am not a loner at heart. I love people but I get too distracted.
The bees are my friends.
Oh God, heck yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read "The Completion Process: The Practice of Putting Yourself Back Together Again" recently and it literally changed my life!
hard work = originality = authenticity
being authentic isnt an easy task if i may say
cause first as i aforementioned an individual has to be very hard working and dedicated also for him/her to create original works and the original works has to be unique for it to be authentic.
and also as i watched from the video, she said something about the price to pay for being authentic also
like if you could express all what happens to you without hiding other feelings it may cause you a very dear much.
so i would just say authenticity is another mystery left for us to unravel
Oh well, we first need to be aware it is imposible to know everything about everything. Simply imposible.
I always forget the author of that phrase xD
But you might have heard this one:
(That was my literal translation to English)
The point is... Chill! :) you perfectly know how to success on steemit right? I started getting better rewards right when I stopped worrying about them and focused on content, either if it was a thoughfull one like when I talk about steemit or when I am silly or artistic. I just don't worry and expect nothing :P of course I do my best!
I think it is the same with knowledge, I used to be a book worm o.o history books were my passion, I took a course for reading 2000 words in a minute! And right after getting that crazy skill I quit reading xD I just have had too much I guess. Now I read ocassionally, the latest complete series I read were the Hunger Games, just for fun.
I don't know if I am making sense :s
The point is (I think) we need to focus on what we will earn at the end, knowledge, yes.. What for? Money? What for? Travel? Food? Luxuries? What for? To prettend? Or... Knowledge to help? Who? How? Are they even learning? Am I leaving behind my health? My family?
You can ask and ask and ask... The more you ask the more you discover what really matters :)
Take care Stella! Take a break when you need it! As I told a friend a few days ago... You don't even have to explain, just take a well deserved vacation.. From steemit, utopian, twitter, discord, books, whatever. Sit and draw with your daughter (I don't know how old she is but I assume she is a child) :)
Or ignore me xD you can do that too! If migraines at the end are worthy! Just find balance!
I better stop writing... I hope you find the answer :)
i am overly curious, for reasons still unclear to me. It's not a question of just changing, it's just the facts. I will try to come up with some kind of plan to reduce the negative effects of my reading....
It seems like you read for al those who don't read. But you don't have to. I really hope you find the right plan that works :)
It's not that crazy: at least, it's not that crazy to me. Recently, I've been wondering about the podcasts, news, Web stuff that I've been reading inveterately: wondering, "Is this my TeeVee?"
Meaning: despite the more intellectual-centered content, is all my reading/listening a time sink like TeeVee is?
It takes a certain insight to ask this question, as it's a standard conceit in the intellectual set that reading, or paying attention to intellectual subjects, must be better for you than watching TeeVee for most of the day. What if it isn't?
Yeah, I've replaced my addictions with knowledge and research.. I feel similar to what you are saying .... It's hard to stop and meditate for 20 minutes when at the bottom of flesh life just trying to find a way to sustain myself... Balance is necessary... But there is always more work to be done than time in a day :shrug:. I will see what teal has to say.
Side note, I've heard from a bunch of people I respect that exercise makes our brains work better.
i worked out 3 days in a row, due to fear of dying.........you're in a different place than me, and i think you need the research and steem addiction in order to get yourself stable. Let's revisit this once you get stable and are in a different place mentally.....
for sure, I wasn't planning on slowing down my research addiction any time soon. I am always trying to consider ways I can be more efficient with my time.
Teal is one of the best ones because she doesn't sugarcoat anything. She also gives steps.
My girlfriend loves Teal Swan. I've been reading one of her books & she's a cool person from what I gather. Ever tried CBD oil for migraines? It's been very helpful for me with back pain.
nope. i just get off electronics and into a black room, and the migraine goes away
Real recognize Real!
Really appreciate your transparency and honesty!
Since discovering steemit a month ago (through you, @stellabelle!), I've found myself constantly wanting to research and read... It can get addiciting! Glad you're airing it out here- it's always good to acknowledge so we can make room for insight and perhaps different options.
Here's to hoping your migraines subside and that you get some peaceful time away from the screen <3 and me, too, I'm going to go shower! :)
I’m always addicted to something. So I can somewhat understand but not entirely.
I switch caffeine out for water and drink more than a horse. That is at least a positive change.
Instead of gaming for 80+ (maybe it was 100+..) a week I traded that in for a while of studying till my eyes were so tired I could not see the words on the page and had put down the book otherwise I would keep going. Did that for about 2 years straight without a break not even on holidays. As I would get ready for next set of classes during my “downtime.”
Then I put all that energy into countless other things. None of them work out as expect. People noticed I need to pour in all those hours. This made them very very very happy. The only person that was unhappy was me even more so with how little I got out of anything.
While I have always been fat it’s never been this bad. So in a way, I’ve useed my newest addiction to make me go out and exercise.
For a while, I only exercised because I had a weekly blog about my health and fitness “challenge” so I needed to do something daily to write. Which allowed me to work out a few hours a week and even eat better. I got bored of it after a while. Then I mostly stop exercising as well when I stop posting about it.
I still get on the treadmill a couple of time a week now. One for some shitty weekend exercise post I plan on making weekly as a friendly remind people to need to go do something instead of sitting in a dang chair all day long.
Another part, I miss being able to go hiking deep into parks and seeing nature. Naturally, this will give me something to blog about so I want to get in better shape to do this. I’ll also be dead sooner than later if I don’t try and be more healthy.
In a couple of years, I might see it again in person. I wish you best of luck in finding out why you are chasing and what can better replace your current energy usage that makes you happier and healthy.
Hello @stellabelle
Being in addiction for 8 years makes me understand almost perfectly what you maybe passing through, though in a different way. But i must commend the fact that you finally recognised the problem and took a decision to deal with it. That is the starting point, its always exiting there, but you must be ready to face the darkest part of it: going way off the path of your decision so quickly, you have to be ready to forgive yourself during those times else you fall into depression, make sure your decision still stands (even if you go off the handle few times - i mean many times). As the time goes on, your will unbent you just noticed you have already broken the addiction.
Easy to say - i mean for me.
Thanks for the words.
I can totally understand you.
But I wonder, is it truly an addiction for information or is it the internet? We are not sitting there zapping through tv channels to find the latest news, the greatest documentary. ..we are not leaving a library with a ton of books... it's the phone in our hand, the tablet our lap, the computer at work with instant access to all this.
Another thought crossing my mind, to write authentic good content you gotta go out and experience life. That is what keeps it real for me and gives me a brake of this kinda media.
Hugs!
The truth is none of us know what we are after. Change is always good, that is something I believe, always have believed. Even if it is only a small change it can have such a large effect on a person. Health, happiness, wellbeing, and even mentally.
I think that people fear change and its effects primarily because they like living the rut lifestyle. The wheels and patterns have been deeply ingrained in us. But those ruts lead to "But I have to do this, if not me who? This is who I am.", thinking. It stops one from grabbing the headphones or ear pieces, plugging into the music device and doing something simple like going for a walk.
Here is a small one day break thing. You live in or real close to a big Zoo. They have an inside area, so weather should not be to much of an issue if they are open. Go visit the reptile and bird cage areas, listen to some music, (Cat Stevens), and take some cool pictures. Just a one day break from the routine rut idea.
In the spring, when the weather warms up a bit, if you are still doing your local meet-ups, you could tell everyone to bring their camera or smart phone and do a group walk-a-bout. Taking pictures of the everyday normal scenes, the odd little piece of litter caught in a tree or bush, the squirrel chattering at someone, the birds being feed, even the dirty streets or park benches, then after everyone can do a post about the walk.
Cheer-up, (god I hate hearing that sometimes), but you will find what you need when the time is needed to find the right thing to do. Look back at some of your earlier post when you were telling us about how you dislike some of the jobs you had to do, how the 9-5 rut was killing your spirit. We can not time the time when it is time to make a change, it just shows up on our doorstep and kicks us in the butt and says, it is time.
have a wonderful day @stellabelle
Are you double posting?
https://steemit.com/addiction/@stellabelle/a-real-post
https://steemit.com/addiction/@meromera/how-to-be-authentic
Its amazing at the level of insight you bring to the fore stella bella,determining of oneself is crucial as it is a gateway to plethora of opportunities,both in the crypto world.
Its amazing at the level of insight you surfaced,there are shackles that are cut off because things are meant to be aright,thus,enlightenment draws windows of opportunity.
It's hard to imagine life from an orca perspective...
Take care of yourself @stellabelle - and feel free to reach out to anyone of us if you'd like to shoot some bull or just vent.
An info addict, I never thought that existed. But your angst about it proves it does truly exist.
Is that the cryptographic world is very fascinating and being aware of so many things that happen in a single day is difficult, unless we spend all day reading all that information, but as you realized, it is not healthy.
This post has been deemed resteem & upvote worthy by your friendly @eastcoaststeem ran by Steemian @chelsea88