Mindfully Digital | Part One
Do you ever look up from your phone and wonder where the time has gone? Our Communications Coordinator is starting 30 days of mindful screen time to reflect and explore what meaningful online presence means for her.
Wanting to cut down on screen time might sound counter-intuitive for someone in a communications role, but it’s something that’s been niggling in the back of my mind for a little while now. Digital tools help keep me connected at work and home, but I want to be more mindful and present in using them.
More and more frequently I’m finding myself checking notifications from friends, or scheduling a post for work, and then, without even really thinking about it, being swept from one app to another as I scroll and scroll without a clear purpose. I’m beginning to feel like the time I would have previously dedicated to things I enjoy is being gnawed away at by my phone.
The impact the push notifications on my phone, desktop or even my watch have on my wellbeing worries me. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression and feeling like I’m not doing enough, or should be doing this, that or the other thing; the feeling of being overwhelmed by notifications can sometimes contribute to me withdrawing from conversations altogether.
And I don’t want that, I want to stay connected with my friends, family and community. I just want to do it in a meaningful and manageable way.
During one of my recent scrolling periods (the irony isn’t lost on me here), I came across a video which outlined a way to mindfully reflect on social media use that feels like it might work for me. The idea is to create a ‘circuit breaker’ by jotting down a short thought before opening your social media of choice.
At the end of the reflection (in my case 30 days) the idea is to review these small thoughts and look for themes, situations and experiences that are shaping my behaviour.
Why do I think this will work for me?
I want to know what feelings or experiences are driving my social media use.
Jotting down a few words each time feels achievable.
It’s interesting to know that I’m not alone in feeling this way. Since finding this journaling idea, I’ve spoken to many others on their own journey with their mental health and the digital world. Everyone’s approach is different. One person might go social media free for a few weeks, another is doing a similar circuit breaker with a breathing exercise, and another might deactivate certain apps.
Practical steps
If you want to try your own reflection, here are the practical steps I’m taking:
Make my notes app of choice the most visible item on my phone’s home screen.
Swap my most used social media app out on my phone with the notes app to overcome “muscle memory”.
Note down the date and time at the beginning of each session.
Archive any apps that I already feel like I don’t enjoy.
I’d love to hear how others more mindfully approach the digital world and will share my reflections in part two…
* The original video that inspired this post can be found here and is not related to Changing Minds. We know many people in our community practice mindfulness and journalling and would love to receive suggestions for other practices and tools you have created or found beneficial on your wellbeing journey.