We now live in a world of over-stimulation. We are bombarded by the screens in our hands, in front of our faces, reflecting in the mirrors. We can’t get away from the influence, or so it may seem. We are constantly being told what to look like, who to emulate, what to idolize, where to eat and how to act. I don’t know about you, but that has put my brain on overload.

I recently watched  a very accurate and moving video about how our obsession with technology is making us all so selfish and unconnected from the real world, real relationships, real people, real feelings and emotions. While I have also seen some very inspiring and moving accounts of how social media has positively shaped our lives, I feel like this may not be case for the majority. What do you think? I’d love to hear your opinion!

Regardless, the desire to step away from the screens has helped shape my dis-attachment to certain social media. For instance, I used to scroll through Instagram daily, mostly checking out new companies and products that I have never heard of before. But I am always bombarded with the same thing: photos of unrealistic aspirations about what I should want to be like.

So then I started thinking about other things I, we and you can do without. It’s a completely random list, and it’s mostly things I have indulged in at some point, or have watched close friends get sucked into. And it’s a very brutally honest list.

1farm raised seafood | when it’s not sustainablely farmed or sourced, it contributes to nutrient overload in the oceans where these shrimp or fish are raised. They are filled with antibiotics and in some cases, their meat is dyed a color to make it more enticing to us (who wants to eat gray salmon?). Yikes. Be a label reader, know where your seafood is coming from. And if you aren’t sure, skip the seafood in the store and search out a fish market.

2canned legumes (beans) | c’mon girl enough BPA just buy dry and plan ahead. It’s really pretty simple, just grab a bag of beans or buy some in bulk. Add water and let sit for several hours or overnight, then boil them for a couple hours and there you have it.

3your phone, stop it | grab a book instead. Stimulate the brain with a board game, or a healthy & deep conversation with a good friend. Give the eyes and the mind a rest from the over-stimulation.

4eating out more than once a week | *sigh* yes, I know. Sometimes this can be challenging. But I encourage you to challenge yourself to meal plan and cook at home. Meal planning saves money, and the satisfaction of planning, cooking and eating a delicious meal prepared by you is totally worth it.

5vending machine snacks | have absolutely no nutritional value. It’s not serving you, so skip it and try to bring a healthy snack instead. Maybe try bringing some of those healthy leftovers you made last night?

6texting instead of calling| why? Especially on birthdays, just give them a call. It will be SO appreciated and you both will feel so much more connected than just a text or a Facebook post. Let’s back to those real life connections.

7women’s stereotypical gossip magazines | stop filling your head with garbage. If you really enjoy reading then maybe try something like Women’s Health which has great articles to better your lifestyle, or maybe Real Simple with recipes, home & living and real life stories about women just like us.

8sharing your every opinion on social media | be a closed book for once. Not everyone wants (or cares) to know what you are doing every hour. If you have very strong feelings and opinions about a current news event, then type your post and pause before submitting. Reread it several times to make sure you can stand by your argument in a calm and reasonable fashion in the event that you stir some emotions. Maybe even practice the 24 hour rule – if in 24 hours you still feel the same way you did when you prepped the post, then proceed as you would.

9those friends who just do nothing but complain | time to cut off those people. I always feel exhausted and unmotivated after spending time with folks who exert all their energy on this. Life is short, we have so much to be grateful for and so many opportunities to be positive in the face of negativity. Here is your chance.