How To Become Mindful And Stop DoomScrolling In 2023

Mindfulness is the ability to be utterly perspicacious of your environment and, most importantly, your actions and reactions to situations. In today’s modern world, the simple act of mindfulness is equivalent, if not greater, to overcoming a traumatic childhood phobia. The reason? We have distractions all over the place; one of the prominent ones is in your hand or pocket right now.

Constant diversions demolish your aptness to focus and get things done. Hence, learning the art of mindfulness is exceptionally crucial in today’s world. According to a study by The University of California Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task. (1) Now, suppose your phone buzzes after every 15 minutes; you will never be able to refocus and get into the same zone as when initiated.

To accomplish success in any realm, you need to be in sync with your attention consistently, and mindfulness is the key to achieving that state.

The Truth About Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a preached philosophy that teaches you the art of being aware of your thoughts, actions, and reactions. The ideology behind this philosophy is that the present is the only thing that matters. Why? Because it is the only thing that can be controlled through your actions. The past is long gone, and no matter how much you beat yourself for it, the incidents cannot be reversed. Conversely, the future is an unknown instance; it is neither good nor bad because it hasn’t occurred yet.

Therefore, the time you have in hand, your present, is the most crucial phenomenon in your life. You can take action today and seamlessly direct your life toward a set future. Mindfulness helps you stay in the moment and be aware of what is happening in and around you.

Now, what do you think happens when you’re mindful of your activities and actions? You become alert and start questioning, which is the beginning of greatness. Every action you take from this point forward should be known and recorded in your subconscious mind. Every time you pick up your phone and initiate mindless scrolling, be alert that this is draining your energy and filling your mind with unnecessary information.

The Downside of Mindless Scrolling

Mindless scrolling on social media gives you a dopamine hit that keeps you hooked; it brings no value to your life. A cluttered space strips you of focus, and a cluttered mind deprives you of your future success. Social media is where billions of people consume content daily, and millions of people create it for them. We are exposed to more information in a day than our ancestors could access in their lives.

Our mind is a device that isn’t built for over-consumption. There are people scrolling for 5 hours a day, consuming thousands of pieces of information stored in their subconscious and inhibiting them from focusing. The transitional period between one information and another is merely 30 seconds, a destructive habit indeed. Losing focus is not an enormous side effect of endless scrolling; here are a few more:

Every time you keep your phone aside, there is an insane urge to pick up your device and open social media. It is an addiction that disconnects you from the real world. It affects your real social life and destroys relationships.
Your mind cannot process so much data at a time, which inevitably causes exhaustion and fatigue. Do you feel tired in the middle of the day? Now you know the reason.
It shatters productivity because an innocent 5 minutes break could quickly turn into 3 hours of doomscrolling. You may not even realize that you lost one of the most vital assets of your life, time.

During your doomscrolling session, if you tell yourself that “this motion is merely an addiction, and I am gaining nothing from it,” it will be easier to close the app and put your phone down. There are ways to save yourself from the delusion of social media; here are a few steps:

Be alert in your mind when you pick up your device. Which app you’re opening, and what is the purpose behind this session. Were you about to search for something for your school, office, or business? If so, keep the phone aside as soon as you get what you want. Ignore the notifications you receive, switch off the data, and put your phone into do not disturb mode.
Set a particular time to grab your phone and set the alarm for 15 minutes. As soon the alarm goes off, close all apps and keep your phone aside with its face down.
Stop using your phone 30 minutes before bed, do not take it with you, or it will keep you awake for hours.
Spend more time with real people doing actual activities. You can work out, play with your friends or kids, talk to your spouse, etc. Whatever keeps you away from your devices and strengthens your bonds with people around you is worth it.

Mastering the art of mindfulness involves being in control of your actions. You can conduct multiple activities to bring your brain to the optimal state:

Sit straight, doing nothing, but observing the present. Look around you and notice how things are operating. You don’t have to think about past instances or worry about the future; merely look at the present with an unfiltered lens.
Meditate every day for 15 minutes to calm yourself and enrich your mind. Meditation has numerous benefits, including and not limited to health, money, spirituality, etc. Some of the most influential individuals, like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Kanye West, Shahrukh Khan, and Christiano Ronaldo, advocate for meditation because it improves decision-making abilities.
Take a walk and observe the surrounding with a vigilant mind.

Conclusion

Being alert in today’s world is no less than a superpower. With the proper mindfulness, you will be able to achieve it. All it takes is awareness and practice; everything else will fall into place. Understand the side effects of doomscrolling and realize that long-term success is more critical than temporary happiness.

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