Do You Need a Media Detox? THE DANGERS OF OVERSTIMULATION
Another benefit of a media detox is that you’ll have more time to pursue new and dormant hobbies. Because most of us consume media in small chunks throughout the day, it’s easy to overlook how much that time adds up. All those hours you spend on Facebook could be used to start a garden, knit a quilt, or join a soccer league. Unless you have an unlimited supply of leisure time (and who does?), you need to be selective in the way you spend it. Remember, media isn’t the cause of all your ills. Used mindfully, it can actually increase happiness and satisfaction. The problem is that we are so mired in the media muck that we can’t get a perspective on how much is too much. A detox will allow you to reassess the media you’re consuming and build a better plan for the future. You can still keep up with your grandkids on Facebook, but it shouldn’t be the only way you interact with the world.
With the current trend of getting TV, social media, and news alerts sent to our phones, we have access to more media than we could ever consume. While constant connectivity is a boon for many aspects of our lives, researchers are discovering that too much stimulation is cause for concern. One study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that too much social comparison, spurred by the likes of Facebook and cable news, can lead to an increased risk of depression. If you find yourself pressured to live up to the public lives of friends and family, or if you feel like you’re being bombarded with too much news and entertainment, consider a media detox. A detox doesn’t require you to unsubscribe from social media services or unplug your TV forever. Instead, think of it as a vacation from the overstimulation so many of us experience. Ask yourself which aspects of your media diet are causing more stress than they’re worth, and take a break from them for a little while. “In the same way we think about what we eat, we should think about what we read, what we’re seeing, what we’re engaging in, and what we’re interacting with every day,” Emma Watson told CNN in an interview about her selective social media use. If you’re not mindful of your media consumption and participation, it tends to pile up. When you detox, it’s a lot easier to identify which parts of your media diet are essential and which are only a burden.
THE RIGHT WAY TO GROW
Why Referrals Make Us a Better Firm When we hear about a referral, we reach out with a thank-you phone call. We know this personal touch matters; it’s why many of you chose Smiley Law Firm in the first place. We don’t want to be another stuffy, cold firm, with robot calls and stock messages. The world has enough of those as it is. Still, we know sometimes these thank-you’s slip through the cracks. Maybe a client forgets to mention what led them to us, or we reach out to you on an old phone number. If this has happened to you, we humbly ask your forgiveness. The drawback of putting a human face on the way we operate is that we sometimes make human mistakes. If you have referred a friend, relative, or client to us in the past and haven’t heard from us, please reach out. We’d love to thank you in person. The way our network of friends and family has flourished over the years is incredibly humbling. It takes a lot of trust to ask a law firm to represent a loved one after a catastrophic injury. As we move into spring, we strive to continue to make this a mutually fruitful relationship worthy of your trust and respect.
As spring rolls in and the azaleas
come into bloom, we’d like to again express our gratitude to everyone who has helped our
firm grow over the years. Since the beginning, we’ve wanted to keep ourselves firmly rooted in the community, where we can do the most good for the most people. Thanks to the many clients and attorneys who have referred folks to our services, we are thriving. That’s why we love referrals — they ensure we grow naturally with the needs of the people we represent. Building those grass roots relationships keeps us focused on what matters: you and your loved ones. It also keeps us sharp. We want to remain worthy of the trust you’ve put in us. We’ll continue to nurture this growth with care, and we promise to never take it for granted.
2 • www.SmileyFirm.com
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