Why I’m Taking A Break From Social Media

The Internet has become bad for my health. Taking a break from social media until further notice.

If you want to stay connect while I’m taking a break from social media, you can join my mailing list here (plus, get instant access to the email challenge I built to help you find your own brand of happy!)

In the past few weeks since returning from our wedding and honeymoon, I have fallen back into my depression. Some might think that’s normal to experience after a wedding. Especially one as perfect as ours was. But, that is not what triggered it.

I haven’t spoken up about this online yet, but in order to offer context as to why I’m leaving social media for the foreseeable future, it’s necessary to share what’s really triggered my latest bout of depression. So, here goes.

Last week I was involved in a lock down and evacuation at my local JCC. A bomb threat was called in while I was at the gym. Before going to the gym, I had dropped my youngest stepson off at school. He’s in pre-k. Upon hearing of the bomb threat I ran to his class only to find the doors locked. No one in, no one out. So I, along with a few other moms, waited there in front of the door like sitting ducks. No one knew what was going on or how serious/imminent the threat was. Eventually, an administrator opened the door saying, “we don’t know what’s going on, but you can go get your kids and run”. So I did. I ran down the hall, scooped him up in my arms, and ran back to my car. Still not knowing if or when something might happen. I sped home, picking up his older brother from the nearby public school just in case. I told them school was closed for early release and they were happy to stay home. It ended up being a hoax phone call, just like the other hundreds around the country. Then, this Tuesday, it happened again. As I dropped him off, another threat got called in and we were put on lock down. They locked us in a classroom and closed all the blinds. God bless the teachers who are able to act in moments like these. I made a run for it and was able to get out the door with him and to my car before complete lockdown. Again, the “all clear” was announced hours later and normal activities resumed. Another hoax phone call. Another day in the life.

Naturally, my depression has been triggered. Feelings of anxiety took over, followed by an intense lack of enthusiasm and motivation. Lots of spontaneous crying. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the couch, not being able to handle my daily work and responsibilities. With that, I’ve been spending a lot of time mindlessly scrolling through my phone. And all I seem to see is negative, scary, sad, infuriating news stories. Long story short, it hasn’t helped my deteriorating mental health. So, in my concerted effort to help myself feel better, I am signing off.

I am taking a break from the online world in the hopes of reconnecting with everything that’s going right. Like my family. My work. My clients. My community. My neighbors. Things I actually have control over. Things I can actually touch and make better.

If you need me, you can call  If you don’t have my number, please send me an email at Lauren@LoeyLLC.com. I will continue to be working with existing and taking on new clients, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested. I hope to be sending out an email to my list every week with an update about how the hiatus is going, what I’ve been up to and when I expect to be back. If you’d like to join that list and receive updates, you can sign up here: http://loeyllc.com/find-happy-challenge/. Or check my blog for new posts.

In the meantime, I will be getting better. I will be reconnecting with what matters most to me. I will be writing. I will be getting out into my community and helping those who need my help, making a difference where I can- making small changes in an effort to make a bigger impact. I’ve been feeling very small and hopeless lately. Powerless. Like I can’t do anything about how shitty I perceive current affairs to be. So I need to start with what I can control and hopefully find my way to a place of feeling more at peace. I know there’s good out there. We aren’t seeing so much of it lately. We’re being distracted by the garbage. But I’m on a mission to find it.

If you’re also feeling this way, I need you to know you aren’t alone. It’s not just me. I’m seeing it everywhere. And I hope to see you on the other side of this hiatus with actionable solutions for how to feel better.

Thanks for taking the time to hear my story. I look forward to staying connected. I love you.

Singing off.