Mindfulness can help you break habits, and escape the grip of click bait and algorithms designed to keep you hooked – so you can focus on what truly matters.
The Numbers:
Scrolling away without thinking? You’re not alone:
- 50% of us say we’re addicted to our phones with social media apps being the most addictive.
- A 2024 study found the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes staring at their phone screen each day.
- Based on that, if you got a phone at 12 and lived to 76 you’d spend over 12 years of your life staring at your phone. Yowsers!
We now live in an ‘attention economy’, where companies invest heavily to capture and retain your focus – your attention is big business.
Why it Matters:
The digital world meets many of our needs:
- A sense of belonging
- A boost to our ego
- An easy escape from the messiness of life.
But there’s a price to pay:
- Time: The one thing you can’t get back. Enough said.
- The here and now: Ironically, chasing the fear of missing out means we miss out on the real moments of our life.
- Skilful Action: When used to avoid things, constantly escaping online means we’re not taking care of difficult stuff (emotions, situations, etc)
- Doom scrolling rabbit holes: Comparison, judgement, and self-doubt? Yep, social media has a way of drawing out the darker side of us when we’re not paying attention.
- IRL (In Real Life) Relationships: Excessive phone use can make us less present with friends and family, affecting the quality of our real-life connections.
- Brain rot?! (see below)
How Mindfulness Helps:
Self-awareness = Freedom. It helps you see what’s really driving your actions, then expands the choice you have for doing something different. Mindfulness won’t magically fix the messiness of your life, but it can help you respond to it more wisely. Mindfulness is a training in knowing yourself, and with knowledge comes power!
Try it for yourself:
Before you go any further, a couple of things:
- You don’t have to break up with your phone! But if it feels like it’s taking more than it’s giving, you can aim to be the one calling the shots.
- You’re not alone! We’re all figuring this tech thing out. Instead of guilt or self-criticism, try approaching it with curiosity, kindness, and a judgment-free attitude—the foundations of mindfulness.
Taking charge requires clear intentions:
- Set boundaries: Whose life is this anyway? Decide for yourself when and how you’ll use technology.
Pro tips: Delete apps you don’t truly love. Set time limits. Plan something else to do with your time. - Notice when you’re stepping outside those boundaries: If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling, pause and reflect on what’s driving your impulse. The questions below can help you identify if you’re acting out of habit, avoidance or another need.
- Find other ways to meet your needs:
Chances are scrolling through Insta for 1 hour won’t fix what’s underneath your impulse. Perhaps you can meet your needs or take care of yourself in other ways?
When you catch yourself scrolling or reaching for your phone, pause, and ask yourself these questions:
- What’s on my mind right now?
- What am I feeling right now?
- Do I really need this right now?
- Is this adding any real value to my life or others?
- Can I save this experience for later and focus on being present now?
- Am I worried about missing out? Is what I gain from this worth missing what’s happening right now?
- Am I trying to catch up too much? Can I let go of past conversations and focus on the present?
- Can I take this moment to enjoy just being, instead of filling it with distractions?
- Am I seeking connection, and is there a way to connect with someone in person instead?
- Am I avoiding something important instead of facing why I don’t want to do it?
- Am I just feeling bored? Is there something more meaningful I could do instead?
- Am I feeling lonely? Have I given myself chances to connect meaningfully today?
- Am I feeling stressed? Can I do something physical instead to release those tensions? Exercise, walk outside, stretch, dance, have a bath?
- Can I let myself feel whatever is here and take care of myself? (A regular mindfulness practice really helps with this!)
- Do I just want to have some mindless fun for a while?
If you answer yes to this last question, that’s okay! The point is you know what you are doing, and you’re choosing to do it.
Go Deeper:
- Here are some of the latest phone user stats to make yourself feel better about your usage!
- Brain Rot? Overconsumption of digital content can impair our ability to focus, process information and engage in meaningful thought.
- Excessive phone use has been linked to increases in anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
- Doom scrolling is defined as spending excessive time searching for distressing news online. There are alternatives! Check out Fix the News, to hear about all the good stuff happening in the world.
- Mindfulness is a training. You can become more aware of why you do the things you do, find other ways to respond and to take care of yourself. Join one of our courses to begin.