I want to do less.
My constant battle is between more and less.
But lately, I’ve realized more isn’t the answer.
I’m happier when I’m not chronically online.
(Substack doesn’t count but I still try to limit)
I love not knowing what’s going on in Instagram land.
I love the updates that come through texts, voice notes, real conversations.
The people closest to me are the ones I talk to every day anyway.
Less...
Work.
Why do we overwork ourselves?
Who decided burnout was a badge of honor?
It’s not sexy.
Let’s stop romanticizing the grind.
Let’s stop confusing productivity with self-worth.
Now there’s a surge of content on how to slow down.
It’s almost ironic we need tutorials on rest.
Our bodies are screaming. Our minds are tired.
So many women I know–friends, acquaintances, strangers on the internet are dealing with health issues.
Hormonal. Emotional. Physical. Chronic.
It makes you ask:
What are we actually doing all this for?
Is it worth the mental strain?
Who are we trying to prove something to?
Success. Fulfillment.
These words echo in my mind lately.
What actually defines success in my life?
Do I feel fulfilled?
It’s not likes, followers, salary, or status.
It’s alignment. Peace. Energy.
Feeling grounded in who I am.
Not feeding into the need of more.
Abundance.
This is the journey I’m on this year, and especially the next.
Comparison.
Social media convinces me I need to do more.
Workout more.
Eat cleaner.
Read more. Travel more. Create more. Hustle more.
Be more.
It clouds me.
It makes me forget I can just be.
The ADHD version of me is finally leaning into “less.”
Still doing what feels good–but at my own pace.
Comparison is the thief of joy. (Thanks for the reminder
)Notably:
Less time online = more happiness.
But I still struggle with balance.
I’m either in a scroll spiral for weeks… or cold turkey.
Right now, I’m cold turkey. And I always feel better here.
I log in when I want to post.
When I feel inspired to create.
But even then I ask myself:
Who am I posting for?
Post with intention.
When you’re not overthinking.
I’m not an influencer. I’m not a celebrity.
Why do I feel the need to share?
Is social media the only way to reach my goals?
No.
There’s word of mouth.
Real conversations.
People. Community.
You know who I admire?
Chronically offline people.
People like Cillian Murphy, who have no idea what’s trending.
They’re living. Present. Selective with what fills their minds.
I want to be like that.
To nourish my brain–not clutter it.
Maybe that’s why I don’t count Substack as social media.
It’s slower. More intentional.
It feels like a community, not a performance.
I feel heard. I feel safe. I feel inspired.
And don’t get me wrong–I still love my favorite comedians on YouTube and Spotify podcasts (Smartless, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Theo Von).
Plus, I’m a notorious film and show watcher.
Private and present.
I love people who live in the moment.
When I’m with friends, I barely touch my phone.
But when I’m alone, it’s the first thing I reach for.
I love staying connected. I love laughing at videos.
But I don’t want to be reliant on any of it.
One day, I want to be fully off social.
It started with deleting Snapchat.
Then TikTok, over a year ago.
Now I use Opal to block the scroll traps: Instagram, YouTube… sometimes even Substack.
The apps aren’t evil but the design is addictive.
Now, I want to freelance again to help businesses build beautiful design systems and seamless applications.
Social media does help me reach those people.
So am I back to square one?
told me to treat that account like a creative business.Create with no pressure.
Use it to reach the right people.
To show my range.
And like my mom always says: I’m the creator of my own life.
Today, I choose less.
Less noise.
Less pressure.
Less pretending.
Because maybe more isn’t the answer.
Maybe it never was.
Time to work on rewiring from the capitalist mindset.
From equating value with output.
From believing rest is earned, not essential.
From measuring self-worth by productivity.
What about you?
Do you believe in doing more or less?
Being online or offline?
Do you consume more than you create?
Anyways welcome to my raw thoughts on a friday night as i’m sipping tea with my cat hugo behind me while watching Alien Convenant :)
Cheers xx
🤍🤍 it’s hard to reach “peace” when there’s noise everywhere!! We shouldn’t have to remind ourselves to slowdown although easier said than done