So long, Sadville: The End of the Mindless Scroll
Nicola Hughson
If you’re going to change anything this year, let it be to stop mindlessly scrolling on your phone.
If you’re going to scroll, at least be aware that you’re doing it! I promise, you are not going to arrive at your deathbed and think, “Gosh, I wish I’d spent more time absentmindedly scrolling through pictures posted by people that I barely talk to anymore…”
Did you know, if you mindlessly scroll for 30 minutes each day, even if it’s across different platforms, you will have lost two waking weeks of your year! Are you kidding?! No, thank you.
Changing this habit is easier said than done, I know. But I have some helpful hints on how to make it happen for you.
It’s always easier to change a habit when you have a strong ‘why’ motivating the change. So, here’s a few reasons to give mindless scrolling the flick for good.
1) Take your power back, honey!
When we fall into the trap of mindlessly scrolling, we lose chunks of time out of our day to moments with glazed eyes, visual consumption that wears us out and some pretty negative feelings. I mean, how many times have you looked up from your phone and been like, “Wow how long was I doing that?” And when this happens, notice how you feel? Probably a bit tired and annoyed but you can’t explain why.
In case separation anxiety is already setting in, I want to be clear, no one is saying you have to give up social media or your phone. While some people advocate the ‘digital detox’, I personally think it’s not a long-term solution, because it means the days you are with your phone, you will succumb to the mindless scroll and continue to lose time and feel crap.
What if I told you that introducing intentional scrolling could really turn your day around!?
Basically, this is where you set a rough time parameter like 15 minutes, or whatever time frame feels worthwhile to you, and you really focus on what you’re consuming…
take time to notice the caption and location where posts are tagged;
if someone has tagged another account or a brunch location on their story, follow the link and see if maybe you want to follow that account or visit that place;
save posts that give you ideas or resonate with you by using the Instagram ‘save’ function; and
comment a nice thought, reply to a story, or share a post with a friend. Use the moments that you engage with social media as an opportunity to share positive energy. When you give it, you feel it!
2) Sleep time is body repair time
My Nan always said to me, “Sleep time is body repair time,” and she was totally right. If I’m getting poor quality sleep, I am just a shell of myself and honestly just not thriving, which is not ideal, right? Hardly a dream life.
Now, you may think that you get into bed at a pretty reasonable hour and wake up at an okay time too… but how often have you scrolled on your phone in bed and gotten lost in the depths of the cyber world for like an hour or more? Because I too have been victimised by the midnight scroll.
Something I only recently learned about is the “Down Time” function in the settings on iPhones. Basically, it limits the use of most apps (not including texts and calls, so it’s different from simply putting on Do Not Disturb mode which doesn’t prevent scrolling!) after a time that you choose.
I picked 9:30pm because 9pm is a slippery slope where I think I’ve gone to bed early but end up scrolling til midnight. At least now, Instagram times out at 9:30pm and then I swap out my phone for a book or an audio book.
Another more analogue, and somewhat more extreme approach is to leave your phone in another room when you head to bed and just use an old fashioned alarm clock to wake up. I still prefer to use my phone alarm, so the Down Time setting works best for me. It’s all about being aware of what works for you.
3) Inspire > Desire on Instagram
I can’t put this plainly enough: stop following people and accounts on Instagram that make you feel like crap. You are 100% in control of who you follow, and if you are going on social media as often as every day, these virtual people are essentially the people you’re hanging out with. If their posts and/or stories make you feel average, ugly, lacking, angry, triggered, jealous, uninspired, or anything else akin to that, just hit the trusty unfollow button. So long, Sadville!
I understand sometimes you don’t want to unfollow people for whatever reason. For those instances, you can use the mute function on Instagram to stop seeing their posts and/or stories. The best part? They won’t be able to find out (unlike unfollowing and re-following), and it’s reversible..
Now, this part of Step 3 is a little bit tricky - you need to look at the content on your feed and distinguish whether it inspires you or creates an unhealthy desire for more than what you have or what you are.
If the content makes you feel like you need to buy that dress, or consume that diet, or do that exercise to make you hot or cool or look like they do, you probably could do without it bombarding you during your Instagram scroll.
By contrast, if the content makes you feel uplifted, educated, or makes you think, “Hey! I could rock an outfit like that,” or “I could take a photo like that,” or “I might like to try that product because it suits my needs,” then chances are that account is a keeper.
Honestly, it’s pretty easy to notice the accounts where the content is more fake and produced, compared to the more down to earth and authentic people, influencers, and micro-influencers. I reckon, if you’re really honest with yourself, you could weed out the accounts that make you feel sh*t pretty quickly.
In terms of implementing this, you could do a big purge, but I often just set a goal of unfollowing or muting one person each time I go on Instagram. Baby steps.
You could also search for some new accounts to populate your feed and make you feel uplifted during scrolling. Or you could send a message to your friends and ask them which accounts make them feel good.
Some of my favourites are:
@jacimariesmith
@chelseyjadecurtis
@katybellotte
@haylsa
@kyle_hunter
@kagdesignco
@nellylondon
@charlihoward
@florencegiven
@hatrikkk
@gracemandeville
@explorewithkate
@kebenae
@emanosmann
@ailiebanks
@iridessence
@nickietutorials
@lincandcanyon
Remember that it’s also okay if an account that inspires someone else, doesn’t make you feel so great - makes you feel not so great. Y you don’t have to follow the pages that others recommend, even if those recommendations come from friends or family members.
We all have different responses to content, the key is being tuned into what works for you, and using social media in a way that adds to your life, not takes away from it.
Happy (intentional) scrolling!