My life became about crafting 140 characters, where it used to be about crafting hundreds of words.

Would I be checking because I genuinely wanted to see all those pictures and status updates? Or would I be checking out of some strange obligation now that it was "allowed" again? I hadn't missed social media during my time away, so why go back?

The disappointment I felt at the thought of surrendering before I'd even started my resolution was, thankfully, more powerful than the need to check my Facebook feed. Instead, I read a magazine.

Three months ago, I decided to take a permanent FaceBreak. While I acknowledge Facebook has beneficial qualities -- the ability to share photos and stay in touch with friends and family who live far away, or receive status and event updates from groups and organizations -- it does have a dark side.

My compulsive checking had become a burden instead of a fun way to keep in touch. I wanted to live a better, more present life, and in order to do that I had to stop bombarding myself with information on how everyone else was living theirs.