A digital detox enthusiast shares their journey of finding balance in their WhatsApp habits, revealing how setting boundaries and curbing cravings has led to a newfound freedom from digital overwhelm.
Finding Balance in Digital Life: My Journey with WhatsApp
As I sit here, reflecting on my digital habits, I’m reminded of the constant drip of WhatsApp communications that can drain me. As an extrovert, I thought I’d be immune to the near-constant stream of messages, but it’s a siren’s call that can overwhelm even the most well-intentioned person.
My anxiety about not replying instantly to everyone’s messages was at a constant simmer until I created proper boundaries. The element of performance added to the worry that proving you care is measured in the messages you send. It’s a never-ending cycle that left me feeling like a bad person for being absent. In one group, with 248 unread messages and podcast-length voice notes, I felt like I’d let everyone down.
But I’ve not been bold enough to engage in complete “app-stinence,” and I’ve managed to significantly reduce my messaging in recent years. My emancipation from digital admin was gradual, starting with removing my “last seen” status. This simple act gave me permission to be less available and less needy, weaning myself off a dependence on receiving replies.
By being less present on WhatsApp, I’ve become more conscious of time. I’ve made space for other things: morning stretches instead of opening the app as soon as I open my eyes; reclaiming my attention span to read an actual book and finish it, like I used to. I’ve even taken up knitting – managing to knit an Ewok hood for my toddler niece, which took three years.
Being off comms has also helped declutter my scrambled brain, enabling me to think more creatively. I’m even learning Korean on Duolingo. While WhatsApp is a place where I can share prayers for each other’s sick parents, lift the heart of a friend after a bad date, hold grief and frustration, it’s also a source of intensity and overwhelm.
The dichotomy – the joy and stress it gives me, the yearning for connection and the flood of over-connectedness – is precisely why I can feel overwhelmed. I’ve considered deleting the app outright, but I’m not ready to sacrifice seeing photos of my niece dressed as an Oompa Loompa for World Book Day.
Instead, I’ve learned to curb my cravings. By holding back, I have adjusted the boundaries and given myself permission to disengage without experiencing acute FOMO. My friends have adapted their expectations: “She’ll get back to us in 3-5 business days,” said one. Now, I simply have to resist the yoke of a new app – the coercive appeal of maintaining a Duolingo streak.
In finding balance in my digital life, I’ve discovered that it’s not about cutting myself off completely but about creating space for what truly matters. By doing so, I’ve begun to enjoy a new freedom and can finally take a step back from the yoke of digital overwhelm.
