You’re scrolling too much
If you’re like me, wondering why you “never have time”, you’re probably scrolling too much.
I looked at the data my phone collected and presented to me in a beautiful bar chart. “Here is the time you spent on your phone last week” Did I want to see it? No. But you cannot change a behaviour by ignoring said behaviour.
So I looked at it in horror. “Your average time spent on your phone is: 6h 35 min PER DAY” If that isn’t the consequence of my own actions.
What triggers this habit?
boredom
the fact that my alarm goes off on my phone also indicates that my phone is within reach and thus, scrolling on social media becomes convenient
FOMO. The never ending fear of: What if I turn off my phone now and miss an important call/text?
What are you currently using your phone for?
I edit videos, posts and co on my phone - especially because I cannot take my Mac with me everywhere I go
Communication apps for chatting, video calls, etc. for private and professional purposes
doomscrolling, but also finding loads of inspiration and recommendations on crafts and hobbies I am interested in
Audiobooks: I listen to a ton of audiobooks while cooking, working out, gardening or doing chores around the house.
Procrastination. Sometimes my To Dos for the day become overwhelming for me. Instead of tackling them, I’d rather take a nap or do anything but tasks on my To Do
Why you may want to scroll less
I fear that I have taught my brain to seek immediate rewards. My patience and attention span have shrunken significantly.
There is an overflow of stimulation. So much, that utter silence and suddenly “time” make me feel bored.
There’s always the feeling of unrest and not having enough time when I can clearly tell where the majority of my lost time goes into.
I don’t want to be available 24/7. As someone who is chronically online, I really want to find a better balance of being on- and offline
There are so many things on my “To Do” list like trying out new crafts, creating artworks, editing footage that has been sitting in a folder for 6 months, cleaning up and organizing digital documents, etc.
I want my time back. Imagine what else I could do if I could free up 5-6 hours per day! Sleep, hobbies, having energy to socialize, etc.
How to rewire your brain
It’s finally time to put that knowledge from all the non-fiction books on habits to use! In order to change a pattern/habit, one must first recognize it. Books such as “Atomic Habit” by James Clear or “The power of Habits” by Charles Duhigg suggest that there is a loop that makes us feel stuck in the same old habits
Trigger:
I feel bored
Cue
My phone is within reach/I look for my phone
Response
I open up Instagram/YouTube/TikTok
Reward
doomscrolling
Now in order to change the pattern, the reaction and reward for the trigger will have to differ from the current ones. James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” suggests:
Make it obvious (Cue)
Make it attractive (Craving)
Make it easy (Response)
Make it satisfying (Reward)
I will try to put my phone out of my sight as much as possible and instead swap it for: pen and paper. In order to track when this craving occurs, I would also like to note the timestamp.
For me personally, there is a list of writing prompts I have and since I also want to make writing a habit, whenever I feel the urge to scroll mindlessly, I will set a 2 minute timer to use one of my writing prompts instead.
2 minutes seems easy enough to do and hopefully I’ll get to increase that amount over time. But for now, this shall suffice.
I will still allow myself screen time, especially when I am using other apps than social media apps. Since communication to my community happens mostly via Intsgram, avoiding all apps won’t be possible either. But my screen time per day should be used mindfully and although the time function on TikTok and Instagram exists, I have mostly clicked away the notifications and proceeded with scrolling.
Since I don’t want to overwhelm myself with monitoring time, grabbing pen and paper instead of my phone, and noting the time stamp as well, I will celebrate each small step and change
Conclusion
Changing a habit takes time. You’re human, not a robot. Start small. Wanting change is one things, actively changing is the other and sticking to it is the ultimate “dang, you made it”
There is no one size fits all solution to doomscrolling. Perhaps you’ll find another way to engage with your phone less and see it as what it is: Device that should serve you and not the other way around.
Let me know if you have any habits you’d like to tackle and change this year.
Stay curious and BE BOLD,
Soso