How To Reclaim Your Attention
Doom-scrolling is wrecking your focus, attention, & nervous system. Here's how to unplug without chucking your phone in the sea.
Confession: I used to be a chronic scroller. Maybe we should get t-shirts. Our thumbs strong and capable after being abused as perpetual motion machines swiping through an endless digital landscape of nothingness. Our brains totally fucked.
I’m bloody tired of it. After a heavy swiping session, I noticed my brain incapable of sticking to one task at a time. I eye-rolled constantly at the hate-comments, trolls, and spam. I compared and judged and hated myself a little teeny bit more with every single post.
So, why do we do it?
They’ve literally crafted these apps to make them addictive; dopamine-hitting, behaviour-altering, vacuous consumerist nonsense. But everyone else does it, all businesses are on there (and yours must be too, or you’ll fail), so it can’t be that bad for us… can it?
Yes, my friend, it can. (It might be clear at this point that I think social media is toxic rubbish. But I’m still a nice, normal person. Honest.)
Instead of quitting it completely, though (which you can totally do and I’ll champion you with bells on), here’s what I think we should try to do more often: unplug.
‘Unplugging’ doesn’t have to be just another wellness meme, devoid of any real meaning except the badge of pride and ego-boosting its Lululemon-clad devotees seem to get from it.
Why unplugging is actually about self-preservation
We're living in an unprecedented moment of information overload. The average person checks their phone 144 times every day (in the US, at least). That’s once every 10 minutes or so.
Yikes.
Notifications are pulling at our attention, pulling us away from genuine connections, from rest, from creativity, from literally everything else in our lives. And the endless content, 3-second videos, and bottomless scrollings are training us to be attention-lacking robots.
No wonder we struggle to watch a feature-length movie in one sitting, or focus on one screen at a time, or just patiently sit and wait for a train (when was the last time you saw someone waiting patiently without their screens?).
And no wonder we struggle with things like interoception - the art of noticing and feeling internal sensations. Something I reckon is such a massive superpower that it can change the entire world (certainly yours, my friend).
Why unplugging matters
Constant phone-scrolling isn't just exhausting, it's harmful. Research shows that chronic device use increases stress, disrupts sleep patterns, and reduces our capacity for deep, meaningful experiences.
We’re starting our days with intense cortisol hits by jumping straight into our phones, strangling our nervous system’s ability to find calm and ease, and this impacts almost everything else in our lives (want a better way to start your day? Read this).
Instead of taking a vow of complete digital abstinence—chucking your phone in the sea and resorting to only candlelight and snail mail—let’s try an intentional disconnection.
Practical strategies for intentional disconnection
Our devices are wonderful tools of connection, there’s no denying it, but they’re breaking us. So instead of vilifying the tech, let’s reclaim our most precious resource: our focused attention.
I’ve been doing this myself, and I’ve found an enormous amount of goodness from it. Here’s the four ways I’ve been focusing on my tech-life balance to reclaim my presence, and how you can, too:
1. Creating intentional boundaries
This isn’t about being strict with ourselves (unless you thrive with those kinds of rules): think of these boundaries as intelligent membranes that filter what serves you.
The best way to start is by understanding your digital consumption; maybe you're a typical user and reach for your phone upwards of 100 times a day, maybe it's less. Regardless, those notification-checking, doom-scrolling sessions, even the quick ones, are fracturing your attention and disrupting your deeper rhythms of concentration.
Then, begin to notice when and why you reach for your device. Is it boredom? Anxiety? Habit? Do you grab it in an interlude (ad break, waiting for a train, nothing else pulling your attention so… you might as well)? Awareness is the initial intervention.
Once you understand your own habit around phone-reliance, then you can start to build in some separation. Designate specific spaces in your home as device-free zones. Your bedroom, for instance, should be a sanctuary of rest, not a scrolling arena. Place your charging station in a neutral area—not beside your bed, not in your workspace—so as to create psychological distance between your life and your tech. Even small steps in this area can make huge changes in your life.
2. Replacement strategies
This is often the way when we try to ‘quit’ something harmful: the act of quitting creates a void that demands filling. So, what’s the alternative to grabbing your phone? You get to decide, but make a decision and it’ll make this whole thing much easier.
Start reading a physical book (one of your favourites, or a classic you’ve always been meaning to dive into—something engaging and page-turning) and keep it on-hand.
Maybe turn to writing in these new gaps—keep a journal close for quick scribbling.
Maybe it’s a craft, a puzzle, or a meditation of sorts (find yourself waiting for a train? Waiting for the kettle to boil? Another time you’d normally reach for your phone? Notice what you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste).
Or the ultimate: allow yourself to be bored, and notice what happens internally (boredom is actually a really powerful tool to improve creativity and your mental health, as well as your attention-paying skills).
These aren't just distractions; they're purposeful engagement. A book expands your inner world. Journaling processes emotions. A puzzle engages problem-solving skills…
Each activity becomes a mini-meditation, training your brain to find stimulation beyond digital noise (and teaching you to unlearn the idea that distraction is best).
3. Nervous system restoration
If you’re a typical phone user, your nervous system is continuously bombarded by digital stimuli. Couple that with our incessant need to multi-task, double-screening, and rushing our food, means we’re living in a constant low-level state of fight-or-flight. Deliberate disconnection isn't a luxury, it's a physiological necessity (unless you’re happy with the consequences of constant stressors that “disrupt almost all the body's processes” and “puts you at higher risk of many health problems”).
To combat this, learn how to reset.
Morning meditation doesn't require hours—even 10 minutes can recalibrate your entire day.
Deep breathing, right down into your belly, can be a total reset.
Restorative yoga or yoga nidra can help your nervous system downshift from constant alertness to a state of calm receptivity.
Do something creative, like painting or playing music.
Practice humming in the shower (trust me, it’s a total vagus-nerve stimulator, which down-regulates your nervous system).
Make sure to find your preferred approach of unwinding, and schedule it in regularly.
(And upgrade your Joyful membership to get my entire movement, mindset, and mindfulness membership, The Yoga Revolution, at your fingertips. Learn more and upgrade here.)
4. Practical tech hygiene
Think of tech hygiene like dental care—consistent, intentional maintenance. Turn off non-essential notifications, use grayscale mode to reduce your device's visual allure (seriously, this helps), schedule weekly 'digital sabbaths' where you consciously disconnect…
This isn't about depriving ourselves of the benefits of tech-use, it's about being deliberate in our use of it, consciously deciding when you want the tech to serves you, verses when you serve the tech.
Your devices are powerful tools, but these tools should enhance our lives, not consume them.
Small shifts, significant change
Unplugging isn't just about reducing screen time—it's about reclaiming your attention, restoring your nervous system, and reconnecting with what actually matters. So start microscopically. Just choose one strategy per week and be patient; a digital detox is a practice, not a performance, and our goal is progression not perfection.
Some weeks you'll excel, others you'll struggle—and that's perfectly normal. Know that with each intentional moment of disconnection, you're rebuilding a relationship with yourself, your surroundings, and your genuine human experience.
And remember, when we step away from constant digital stimulation, we create space for:
Deeper conversations
Creative insights
Emotional processing
Genuine human connection
The utter magic we might miss when our heads are stuck too far into the digital void
You’re not alone with this stuff—I’m here, making imperfect progress, too.
Let me know in the comments if this resonates, what your go-to unwinding practice is (I’ve started watercolour painting and I LOVE it), and if you’ve any more ideas for unplugging.
Know someone who needs some support in this area? Share this article—it’s a free one.
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Thanks Chloe for this!!! A wonderful aid. I will use some of those tips- definitely scroll too much 🙈
Brilliant pointers, and observations, Chloe! I especially appreciate how you sagely note the importance of replacing one's habit with something else, because otherwise, they'll just go back to scrolling.