I’m sitting here at 6:23am drinking coffee with my cute big puppy snoozing at my side. No TV, no laptop, and no phone apps, save this app that I am writing this blog entry from.

I am finally taking the plunge and going for my social work licensure. I graduated with my MSW almost 13 years ago and never sat for the LMSW exam. I had big plans to sit for it immediately following graduation, but instead my daughter was born 5 days after I graduated. I just never seemed to find a way to carve out time to study. And to be honest, it wasn’t a priority. My priority was my daughter and figuring out how to return to work when I just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Lol.

Fast-forward 13 years: I submitted my application and all my fees in January. My application was approved and I now have a temporary license to practice. The only things left to do are to prepare and to schedule my test date. I am feeling very good about my motivation and my progress. This has long been a goal of mine, with my long-term goal being earning my upper-level licensure, the LSCSW (Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker).

I have several things motivating me to take these next steps. I was an Indian Health Services Health Professions Scholarship recipient for the last year of my MSW, so I owe a service obligation of 2 years. I am not eligible to do my service obligation, my “pay-back”, until I earn my LSCSW. In addition, my first social work area of interest was always clinical work. I am excited at the chance to do clinical work, to do what I’ve always wanted to do…to do the work I went to graduate school for.

In order to help myself prepare and properly motivate myself to study, I deactivated my FaceBook and my Twitter accounts. I’ve been without social media for over a week now. Going without my daily routine of scroll, like, share, comment, post, has actually been quite wonderful.

I’m finding the benefits of being social media-less go far beyond having less distraction in order to study. My days feel more full of meaningful stuff. I feel more connected to everyone and everything. My husband says I’m more active, I’m up and around doing things instead of veg’d out on the couch with my phone in my face. My sleep has improved. I’ve always enjoyed my time with my children, but it feels different. I feel more “present”. And not having the distraction of daily screen time has been quite motivating. I’m on a decluttering mission in my house. I’ve actually worked in my yard and refurbished my patio furniture. My little family had a spontaneous cookout over our fire pit last weekend. No one was looking at our phones and it was so much fun. My family doesn’t have to compete with my phone for my attention. My mornings are off to a better start and my evenings are much more relaxing. Which makes the vibe in my home better for everyone.

I am truly enjoying being without social media. Not sure how my blog will fare without the visibility of the Book of Faces or Twitter. But I basically write for me. Lol. So hopefully I will find myself with more time to write along with the other stuff I am making time for on my social media fast.