Ever scroll through your phone and go down 8 rabbit holes?
At every turn, there’s a notification beep, a vibration on your watch, flashing lights calling for our attention on our tv screens, or an email dinging from your inbox. Each and every device seems to call our name, multiple times per day!
What I’ve noticed more and more is how the sensory overload makes me feel afterwards.
Tired. Drained. Stressed.
There is a yearning for calm, peace, quiet and just sort of checking out of reality for a bit. This is often the beginning of endless scrolling and at the same time, the end to your sanity. This is exactly why there’s an analog trend people are jumping aboard for (I think a blog post is coming soon for that as well!).
You know the drill! 😉 Grab your coffee (or fave beverage!) and let’s dive into why doomscrolling is stealing your energy, and even better, what to do instead!
It’s Sensory Overload for Your Brain
I think all of us can agree that we don’t scroll through our Instagram feeds in order to feel literally worse than ever, right? We do it because we want to feel a sense of peace, wind down from a long day, or even just a quick break mid-day.
A few fun recipe reels or ASMR evening routines can bring a little joy and have a calming effect!
However, when 10+ minutes passes and you’ve been in a constant scroll of video after video or post after post, your brain starts to experience sensory overload. You may feel overwhelmed and as if your energy has been zapped, all the while sitting in a cozy chair in your living room. With technology, you can be psychically comfortable and safe, yet mentally be in an entirely difference space.
The Algorithm Can Take a Negative Spiral
Have you noticed how if you’re viewing one creator’s reels, you start seeing more and more of those? Meet the algorithm, created to keep you trapped in an endless scroll of things you supposedly like.
But what happens when it’s stuff you don’t like or makes you feel bad about yourself?
The internet is filled with negative content! Whether it’s things that are masked as ‘helping’ you become a better version of yourself, factual news that is daunting, or the type of content that you don’t even know if it’s real or not (hello, AI!), it can truly take a toll on your mind.
It Distracts You from What Actually Recharges You
Anytime you make a choice to do something (like doomscrolling), you’ve sacrificed that amount of time for any other thing. There’s always a tradeoff. The question becomes: is it worth it?
While you could spend 10 minutes stuck in a loop of content, here are some other ways to relax and recharge your mind and body (and I’d even argue your soul!).
- Reading a book that’s been on your TBR list for a little while
- Watching an episode of your favorite tv show
- Spending time in your planner
- Decorating things in your art journal (or create one!)
- Jotting down all the things swirling in your mind on paper like a brain dump
- Grabbing an iced coffee that’s the perfect color
- Find something new to track your progress in the coming week
- Walking on your treadmill or outside in some fresh air
That’s a wrap on why doomscrolling is stealing your energy, sweet friends! I would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments, and let me know if there’s something similar you’d like to see me write about soon!
![Thoughts on 2020 & My Word for 2021 BEFORE READ-MORE Let’s be honest, 2020 was a tough year! I had a whole lot of beautifully-laid out plans that unfortunately just didn’t happen. Partly because of the pandemic, and partly because of my mindset. I found myself just sort of depressed and couldn’t really find the motivation I needed. Thankfully, ever since the holidays, I’ve felt like this universal shift is coming and things are going to be so much brighter this year. I’m definitely pouring all of my positive energy into making my goals happen this year, no matter what things look like with the pandemic. I have to realize that it’s not within my control what happens in the world. I just have control over myself. I wanted to share with you my biggest takeaways from last year. I want to stay mindful of these three things during 2021, and beyond. Plus, I’ll be sharing my word for this year at the bottom! Take Care of Your Loved Ones This past year tore us away from our family and friends. It was heartbreaking for so many, especially to those who are now grieving over some of them. As each year passes, it is almost always on my mind that some of my loved ones may not make it to see another year. That probably sounds very morbid and daunting, and is probably just a result of my life experiences. But it has opened my eyes to really pay special attention to those I love the most. I want to show them that I care while they are here. I want them to know without a doubt that I’m there for them and will do anything in my power to help them. I work very hard to not take anyone for granted because we never know when our time is up. Protect Your Peace I learned how important protecting my peace was last year. I felt like I was going through a multitude of things. Some of the things that were bothering me the most, I couldn’t even control and didn’t directly involve me. They involved loved ones. I’m sure many of you have had similar situations where you have family members that can sometimes play a toxic role in your life. As a result, I really needed to rely on creating healthy boundaries and sticking to those. It’s an ongoing difficult situation for me, but I have truly handled it better than I ever have before. I hope to continue to grow in this area and get better with those healthy boundaries. Try to Control What You Can Control (Not What You Can’t) This one is pretty much directly tied to what I just mentioned about protecting my peace. I’ve spent so much time (that I can never get back) stressing myself out over things I can’t control. Mostly in regard to loved ones, but also the world as a whole. While I choose not to talk politics in this space, I think we all can agree that things have just been a mess in the United States for the past year and even right now. The pandemic, the mud-slinging, all of the sad news that’s plastered all over the tv or our social media...it’s just exhausting. I just had to cut out most of the news because it was so depressing. Short of voting and praying for things to get better, that’s really all I can control. The rest of it will be what it will be, and I’m really trying to remind myself that each day. My Word for 2021 is Growth I’ve been flip-flopping between ‘change’ and ‘growth’ for my word this year. I realized what I wanted for this year was way more like ‘growth’ than ‘change.’ My thought process on using ‘change’ was that I was creating these new habits that were going to be life-changing and help really boost me to achieving my goals. When I thought about it a little more, I realized ‘growth’ really summarizes what I want to embody this year the best. It still requires change to happen, but it just seems like a better fit to choose ‘growth.’ [PIN] I hope you’ve gained a little something from reading this post, friend. I’m wishing you an amazing week filled with lots of joy. ust on a fun side note, I’m looking forward to watching The Bachelor and WandaVision this week. Do you have any fun shows/things in general you’re looking forward to? Let’s Chat! Do you identify with any of these takeaways from 2020? Have you chosen a word for this year? Fun question: Have you been watching The Bachelor this season?](https://i0.wp.com/www.makelifemarvelous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Thoughts-on-2020-and-Word-for-2021.png?fit=150%2C126&ssl=1)
Scrolling really does zap my energy and you’re right, the algorithm then serves you more of the same. These are great ideas to put down your phone and shift to something more productive!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you so much Jill!! The algorithm is so smart to pick up on things we’ve viewed, but it can really get icky when it comes to sharing some doom-and-gloom content or even if the content is something we love, it sort of traps us in the loop to keep us there longer.
It feels like such a time suck doesn’t it? And the thing is, it’s mindless. If I read a book I tend to remember it, whereas with doom scrolling I can’t even remember the video I watched 5 minutes ago.
Sarah x http://www.oomphlondon.co.uk
Yes, that is so true Sarah, I feel the same way about not remembering what I even scrolled through!
This is such a good reminder. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of scrolling without even realizing how drained you feel afterward. I’ve definitely noticed a difference when I’m more intentional with my time online—my mood and energy are so much better. Thanks for sharing these tips!
I love that your mood and energy are better Laura, that’s fantastic!! I absolutely agree with you, doomscrolling is very sneaky and it took me a long time to realize it was the reason I was feeling drained instead of blaming it on other things at the time.
I’ve really been trying not to do this!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
I’m right there with you Jennifer, it can be so easy to do, but also makes me feel so icky afterwards if I’m scrolling for too long.
You nailed it! I never feel great after spending time on my phone – it’s so draining!
Thank you so much, Kristen!
These are fantastic suggestions! I need to go to my journal when I get stuck.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you tons my dear friend, I appreciate you! I know you have a beautiful art journal!! 🙂
I have been doing this a lot lately and I hate it, because I could be doing something relaxing or productive! I have like 4 books I’m reading right now, so that would be a better use of my time! Ha, ha!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Haha you are doing amazing with all of your books! I totally can relate, and it’s so easy to get caught up in the loop before you even realize it.
Such a relatable post. I always hop on my phone “for a quick break” and end up feeling more drained instead of rested. Love your gentle, practical ideas for recharging offline.
I’m so happy you loved this one Candice, thank you so so much! I actually ended up in the endless loop this morning and had to remind myself of this post I wrote, haha!
Mindless scrolling is definitely not the healthiest of hobbies. I know we’re all guilty of it from time to time, and I’ve really been trying to be more aware of my time that I spend on social media in recent months. Even though some content brings me joy, there is so much that does not, so you really do have to be careful not to get sucked in.
Yes, the algorithm is so sneaky about getting us trapped in those endless loops and sometimes it’s of things that don’t make us feel very good at all. I just fell into one of those this morning and had to remind myself of this very post! It’s so easy to do.
This is such a relatable post. I love your suggestions to move onto something more relaxing and/or productive. I love walking in nature or reading a book.
Julia – The Velvet Runway
Aww, I’m so so happy you loved those Julia, I tried to pick some relaxing things for our mind and our body!