Mayday Mayday! Mindful Meow 30 Day Digital Detox

Mayday Mayday! Mindful Meow 30 Day Digital Detox by feline editor Clyde. Updated May 1, 2019. What began as a digital detox a year ago changed how we experience social media and changed life at Cat Wisdom 101. Gradually being online lost its luster and we stopped blogging a few weeks ago. If you haven’t seen our last post, please check out the “warts and all” details. Stayed tuned for what’s next. It’s going to be meaningful and hopefully you’ll be a part of it.

Comments are off and so are we. I’d love to say we are off on an exotic holiday or far flung adventure but we’re home, unplugged. Here are just the facts and no fluff.

WHAT: A digital detox means unplugging from digital devices completely or partially.

WHEN: Begins May 1 and ends May 31.

WHY: Because it’s do or die. We tried cutting back on blogging and social media but the online world is so pervasive 24/7, it wasn’t enough. Last year was brutally stressful and after Layla wound up in the hospital last September she was supposed to take it easy, but easier said than done. The overdue Black Cats Tell All book project fell off the rails and required a gargantuan effort to get it published. In October, our book was published and days later as the marketing ramped up, Layla’s mother died. Book marketing and grieving are strange bedfellows. Things fell by the wayside. Promises were made to take time off but never materialized. The holiday season sparked new project ideas instead of quiet healing. The new year propelled new beginnings but the daily grind gradually took its toll.

It was harder to focus. Layla felt more angry, frustrated and torn in all directions. There was no energy for serious writing. The rescue stories she’s been writing for Cole and Marmalade while read and shared by a huge audience is taking time away from writing books. The clincher came when a happy story of three rescued kittens last week met a sad fate. Two of the kittens died and the third may die as well. All the while, every post, every social media anything seemed to take double the time and effort for little return. Layla turned down a large contract for sponsored posts. It was a big sacrifice she could ill afford. She entertained thoughts of quitting, selling Cat Wisdom 101, anything to get off the hamster wheel. Not because she doesn’t love cats, or blogging or you dear reader, but she loves her sanity and life more.

WHERE: Across all social media, email, text, DMs on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Push notifications and alerts will be off. We will check DMs on Facebook once daily and possibly less often. Unless it’s urgent we won’t respond. Please don’t message asking if we’re okay. We will answer our landline telephone but not cell. Any scheduled calls or meetings will be honored.

HOW: Mindfully. After a decade of blogging (8 years at Cat Wisdom 101) this is a first. Like anything new, it’s exciting, scary and riddled with question marks. Who knows what will happen? Us cats will relish interacting with a less tech connected human. Odin plans to take Layla on a hike. There will be lots of outdoor activities in nature and more analog everything. Being eternally curious, Layla will keep a journal and document the process. She will use the Internet minimally for writing research and watch minimal TV or Netflix. Instead of a cell phone camera, only a DSLR will be used. Yes, it’s digital but not online.

It’s a risky business to disappear for an extended time. It’s much more than a blogging break. Online life is the only life Layla knows.

There will be automated sharing of some old and new content that was created in advance. The merry month of May is a special month and our favorite. There will be a post tomorrow for Domino’s birthday. I will be back next Monday. Mid-month we will honor the two year passing of our feline muse, Merlin. We used to joke about unplugging for a day or two and would but this is on another level.

There are a couple amazing guest posts, we’re excited to share. And Layla was a guest on the Purrrcast podcast which will air in May. So, we’ll be here, but not be here if that makes any sense. You can be sure I’ll be looking after Layla to keep her in touch with what’s meaningful and healthy. If you’d like to help, do something nice. Share this post. Chances are not everyone will see it and wonder what happened. If Layla has ever done you a favor, reviewed your book or promoted your product, perhaps you could leave an Amazon review or purchase our book on Amazon. It’s a nice gift for Mother’s Day.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Much furry love and Happy May Day or Beltane!

Clyde and mom, Layla