Facebook Envy

I hate Facebook. I hate all the posturing, self promotion, and mental masturbation which is so common on that medium. I hate all the PR falsehoods,  the whole idea that anyone can have 3,000 "friends"! I don't want to know all the graphic, obsessive details of Barbie's awful time cleaning up Fido's poop, and how it's ruined the grass she paid thousands to maintain. I hate all the wasted time millions of people around the world are committing by living online, and not in their lives. I hate the fact that as a business person I have to have some Facebook presence to not become a dinosaur. I hate the marital violations and boundary crossings committed on Facebook which I work so hard to repair with couples. I hate the whole "faux intimacy" it generates, making face-to-face relationships seem so flat by comparison.

What I hate most of all is the envy it creates through all these illusions. I see so much unnecessary self-devaluation getting fueled by what Martha Beck refers to as "FOMO" - Fear of Missing Out, the idea that everyone else's life is so fabulous, and they've all gone to a giant daily party that is exclusive.

If you ever have this experience of envy when you read other people's posts on Facebook, then I have some tools for you which you may find helpful. I'll share one here:

• Think of what you are reading about other people as just the corner of the picture frame. You are looking at the outside trimming, not the substance in the picture. It's the part people want you to see, not the real internal deal. Would you buy a painting just because the frame looked good? Probably not. Trust that for all the ideal looking vacations, parties, connections, and fun stuff people are posting about, they too have disappointments, frustrations, hurts, and heartbreaks. Barbie may tell you about her dog poop dilemma, but probably won't share her deepest issues. (If she does on that forum, then her boundaries are bad, or she needs attention and a good therapist.)

Hopefully, the next time you cruise the Facebook site you'll take it all with a grain of salt, and stay with the goodness you experience in your own life.

* If you'd like some one-on-one help with envy of any kind, I have other strategies which may be useful to you. Feel free to contact me at my Portsmouth office at 603-431-7131 for a live or remote session.

Cheers,

Susan Lager

www.SusanLager.com

End of Summer 2013

Unbelievably, we've already arrived at the last week before Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Here in New Hampshire, parents are sending their kids off to school this week! Mercifully, in Maine, where I live, nobody goes back to school until after Labor Day, but even then, everyone groans about letting go of the long, langorous days of summer. (Except parents who are sick of their kids).

I've had a terrific summer with boating, hiking (light), swimming in the ocean and lakes, barbecues, reading, friends, family, and some wonderful long weekends away at lovely new places. I've also taken somewhat of a break from the internet to be outside more, doing active things. So, I can't complain about it all coming to an end soon, as we in New England enter the Arctic Freeze Winter for the next seven or so months.

If you're feeling blue about the transition, I'd encourage you to think of it this way: Would summer be as special to you if it were all year round? If you think "Yes!" then you should move to Florida or the Carribbean! If you thought "No way!" then savor what you've experienced this past summer. If you didn't experience much, then begin making a list of the things you will commit to doing next summer, so you don't continue the "regret cycle." (You might also need some new friends who get you out more).

Another thing you can do is to anticipate all the delightful things about the Fall and Winter. Look forward to more "tuck in" time with more opportunities for indoor activities and more reflection. Won't it be nice to not feel pressure to be outside so much doing fabulous things? If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression related to lower levels of light), do the therapeutic "light therapy." Anticipate the beauty of the changed color palette outdoors with all the invigorating things you can do outside if you're dressed properly. Look forward to Fall and Winter rituals and holidays. And of course, you can also look forward to next summer. It will be here before you know it....

Changing The Routine

If you are a regular reader of mine, you may have noticed that I've been lax in the blogging department for most of the summer.
I've given myself permission to get out of my chair, off the internet, and to have a different kind of fun! I love talking to you all, I love writing and sharing things, but I get sick of the internet in the summer! I happen to live on the southern coast of Maine, which is filled with fantastic places to go, and interesting things to do, so I feel compelled to change up my routine, get outside more, be more social and PLAY!

Changing your routine from time to time can be an invigorating experience. The sense of novelty ramps up good chemicals in your brain, especially if you're doing some new or different things with a friend or partner.
The change can expose you to new activities or people you may really enjoy.
You're likely to learn stuff as you expand and switch up your repertoire.
Then, the ironic result may be that when you resume your usual routine, you approach it with fresh eyes and ears, and are likely to be more appreciative of your life as it was!