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floatingleafJust a quick post tonight to sort of summarize my recent conclusions concerning MY LIFE. Or, more precisely, my "lifestyle". Which, I am realizing yet again, is not healthy. Because what do I do for most of the day? Well, I sit in an office and stare into a computer screen and/or type. And what do I do for most of the evening at home? Well... yeah. I stare into a computer screen and/or type. And my body/brain seem to be of the opinion that this is somehow deeply wrong. It's not that I haven't known until now that there is something wrong with that picture; it's just that I am no longer able to shrug off that knowledge and keep postponing any "lifestyle changes" until an unspecified "later" (which is what I've been doing for some years). What I've been noticing lately is that my eyes feel very tired in the evenings, my mind gets sluggish and my body CRAVES some sort of movement, if only consisting of gentle stretches. Also, I've gone to bed a little earlier than usual a few times in the past week or so - and I am quite amazed at the difference it's made. Even as little as an additional half hour of sleep seems to be having a very positive impact on the way I feel the next morning. While a full extra hour of sleep entirely gets rid of the "OMGwhydoIhavetogetupnowshitshitshitthissucks" syndrome.:P
On the other hand, if I want to stay on top of LJ comments, emails and other online stuff on a daily basis, I know full well that any extra sleep isn't going to happen. Most likely, any exercise isn't going to happen either. It's always the same story: "I'll finish reading flist/respond to comments first, and then I'll do some exercise." And then suddenly it's past 10 p.m., and I'm just SO tired, and I need to start getting ready for bed anyway, so I might just as well skip any other plans for the evening. I know I was very eager to meet some new LJ friends a while ago, and very happy to actually have some new posts to read every night - but what I had forgotten was how very time-consuming it is. Back when I had a very active flist - in the heyday of LOTR slash fandom - I was also able to access LJ from work, since I used to have a corner desk at the office, with my computer screen facing a window. This is no longer the case. So all I'm left with are 2-3 hours at home in the evening, when I am already tired and my body cries out for at least a bit of something OTHER than computer time. And that just isn't cutting it anymore.
So what I'm saying is that I need to rethink my priorities. I would love to frequently interact with most of my new friends, but I don't want it to feel like a chore. There are a few people I do have a real connection with, and I will continue to make an effort for those few - but other than that, I just don't see myself commenting much from now on. At least not during the week. Posting on weeknights is also something I am going to see if I can do without - unless I have some momentous news that can be contained within a brief entry. I've wasted way too much time blinking tiredly at the screen and struggling to organize my thoughts just because I "felt like posting". So from now on, I will try to "check in" each weekend - either with a post, if I feel like I have something to say, or with a bunch of comments to the people I have "clicked with" (those people, if they are reading this, most likely know who they are). Or both - if time allows. But don't expect much from me on regular workdays. If that is a problem, or if you feel like there is no point having me on your flist under the circumstances, then please don't hesitate to remove me - there will be no hard feelings on my part whatsoever (if I do want you to keep me, I will let you know). It's nothing personal - it's just that I'd rather have very few friends I actually talk to, on a more or less regular basis, than many friends I never talk to because I can't spare the time. On the other hand, if you don't mind me just "lurking" in your journal for the most part, then I'll be happy to do just that.:) I usually eat in front of my computer screen - and I eat pretty often, LOL - so that allows for some reading time. I also drink gallons of tea in front of my computer screen, which I will most likely keep doing. But the time I spend typing needs definite reduction - which will be a mercy for my entire body (especially my wrist, LOL).
In brief, I am trying to focus more on physical/mental health and wellbeing, and get rid of some bad habits. Which means that my internet time outside of work needs to be reduced to the bare minimum - at least on weekdays. And I am most likely not going to bother responding to LJ posts unless they talk about something I can relate to extremely well, and I can already "hear" my response forming in my mind while reading. That said, I do not intend to "unfriend" anyone unless they choose to remove me first.
That's all for now.:)
On the other hand, if I want to stay on top of LJ comments, emails and other online stuff on a daily basis, I know full well that any extra sleep isn't going to happen. Most likely, any exercise isn't going to happen either. It's always the same story: "I'll finish reading flist/respond to comments first, and then I'll do some exercise." And then suddenly it's past 10 p.m., and I'm just SO tired, and I need to start getting ready for bed anyway, so I might just as well skip any other plans for the evening. I know I was very eager to meet some new LJ friends a while ago, and very happy to actually have some new posts to read every night - but what I had forgotten was how very time-consuming it is. Back when I had a very active flist - in the heyday of LOTR slash fandom - I was also able to access LJ from work, since I used to have a corner desk at the office, with my computer screen facing a window. This is no longer the case. So all I'm left with are 2-3 hours at home in the evening, when I am already tired and my body cries out for at least a bit of something OTHER than computer time. And that just isn't cutting it anymore.
So what I'm saying is that I need to rethink my priorities. I would love to frequently interact with most of my new friends, but I don't want it to feel like a chore. There are a few people I do have a real connection with, and I will continue to make an effort for those few - but other than that, I just don't see myself commenting much from now on. At least not during the week. Posting on weeknights is also something I am going to see if I can do without - unless I have some momentous news that can be contained within a brief entry. I've wasted way too much time blinking tiredly at the screen and struggling to organize my thoughts just because I "felt like posting". So from now on, I will try to "check in" each weekend - either with a post, if I feel like I have something to say, or with a bunch of comments to the people I have "clicked with" (those people, if they are reading this, most likely know who they are). Or both - if time allows. But don't expect much from me on regular workdays. If that is a problem, or if you feel like there is no point having me on your flist under the circumstances, then please don't hesitate to remove me - there will be no hard feelings on my part whatsoever (if I do want you to keep me, I will let you know). It's nothing personal - it's just that I'd rather have very few friends I actually talk to, on a more or less regular basis, than many friends I never talk to because I can't spare the time. On the other hand, if you don't mind me just "lurking" in your journal for the most part, then I'll be happy to do just that.:) I usually eat in front of my computer screen - and I eat pretty often, LOL - so that allows for some reading time. I also drink gallons of tea in front of my computer screen, which I will most likely keep doing. But the time I spend typing needs definite reduction - which will be a mercy for my entire body (especially my wrist, LOL).
In brief, I am trying to focus more on physical/mental health and wellbeing, and get rid of some bad habits. Which means that my internet time outside of work needs to be reduced to the bare minimum - at least on weekdays. And I am most likely not going to bother responding to LJ posts unless they talk about something I can relate to extremely well, and I can already "hear" my response forming in my mind while reading. That said, I do not intend to "unfriend" anyone unless they choose to remove me first.
That's all for now.:)
