And then another night stolen…and then a morning stolen…

And then the guilt and frustration set in.

On the second night, the guilt and frustration were so high and my chest so tight that I could not get to sleep.

I’m not sure of the year, but after years of peer pressure from friends to get a Facebook account, I did it.

Again, I’m not sure the length of time, but after a period of time, I kept my Facebook account but took it off my phone due to the time suck it became.  I went years operating under the premise that I would check Facebook from my PC when I actually had time.

And then things changed.

I transitioned my business model to one that warranted not only having a heavy presence on Facebook but on multiple social media platforms and on my (new) professional blog.  Therefore, I put not just 1 but 3 social media platforms on my phone along with all types of scheduling and analytics apps.

To say the least, this alone created a time suck and resulting anxiety.  In an attempt to decrease the angst, I turned off almost all notifications.  Yet professional social media obligations along with the few notifications I still receive allow for, “I will just hop on Social Media Platform X to do this one task and be done.”  Two hours later, anxiety and frustration set in and the looming “to do” list that could’ve been completed is left undone.  If evening time, sleep is often compromised whether in quantity or quality.

ENOUGH!

Desperation to stop the cycle before it is prolonged and gets out of control has resulted in solicitation of accountability partners and research about the guilt…causes and solutions.

The find…the Emotional Intelligence Toolkit from Help Guide (stay tuned for more on this in a future blog post).  I have not had the opportunity to delve into the depths of the guide but plan to soon and Can. Not. Wait.

My mental health has declined significantly (more to be discussed in Part II & III of this series), and my physical health has followed.  I don’t have a choice.  I can’t wait.

I share my story in the event it can help others realize there is no need to be ashamed of mental and emotional challenges.  The shame is when we don’t admit our mental and emotional challenges or do anything about them.

I share my resource in the event it can help others do something about the challenges.