Managing Discontent

It’s really hard to be truly content nowadays isn’t it?

Obviously the problem lies with everyones perfect lives being just one tap and scroll away.  Accessible anywhere you are, as long as you have your mobile in hand and a relatively good data bundle.  You’re probably thinking, “Look at them, with their mid-morning coffees and delectable pastries, or their cozy beds and interesting books, or their amazing holiday destinations, or their new dress (and skinny bodies), or their perfect children (who weren’t bribed to pose for the picture) – I wish I had one/all of those”.  We might roll our eyes at another amazing restaurant review or gaze with longing at the prospect of a kids free brunch or turn downright green at that perfect new “thing” (insert your favourite thing accordingly), but still we scroll further, taking more in and feeling more and more discontent with what we have at home.

Yes, we tell ourselves that they are only showing the best of themselves and that we should take everything with a pinch of salt.  But still we find ourselves throwing around statements like “come on, be more real” or “where did all the real people go?”.  As with most things in life we want to be reassured that we are not alone, that we are not the only ones with crying children, or an overflowing laundry basket or a flabby tummy.  But no one shows that side of them though, because it’s scary.

Failing in finding “real people” to engage with, we find ourselves considering removing ourselves from various social platforms to both stop us from wasting time on it but also stop feeding ourselves with reasons to feel discontent.  Some of my friends do this regularly, either taking intermittent breaks or closing their accounts forever.  Inevitably they come back online eventually (the curse of our age is that so often we are left out accidentally if we do not have an online presence).

But doing that is just not realistic for me.  I love social media.  I think the fact that this blog is still here is evidence of that.  Sometimes with the crazy busy way of life, it’s my life line to see what my friends are doing, because it’s going to be another couple of weeks before we will see each other again.

I need to find another solution for managing these feelings that sometimes pop up out of nowhere.

After doing a bit of research on good old Google, I have realised that the only one that can manage that discontent is me.  When those situations arise where I feel those feeling rise up in me I need to take stock of what I’ve got.  Here’s what I do when I feel discontent:

• Put my phone down and open up a good book
• Have a meaningful/funny conversation with my partner or my kids.
• Connect with friends by making play dates/girls nights/whatsapping to catch up and vent a little
• Finding a new hobby that I enjoy and put my heart into it (in case you’re wondering, this little blog is it!)
• Make small changes in how I use technology – specifically not opening or reading anything online if I’m feeling particularly unhappy.

How do you manage discontent in your life?

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