How to Stop Scrolling
+ this week's class: Yoga for Renewal (48 mins)
Have you ever looked at the screen-time stats on your phone?
I have.
The first time I checked I realised I was spending the equivalent of a part-time job scrolling social media.
Sheesh.
There’s a part of us, I think, that sees that, or even ignores it, and feels guilty, overwhelmed, and chucks it in the bin; we don’t need to know, I’m being inspired regularly, and so what…
But at the same time I saw these stats, I was also deeply learning about burnout, about nervous system regulation, about the fight-or-flight we put ourselves into every day.
And my utterly fucked attention span wouldn’t let me sit still for ten minutes and read a book.
What a bloody wake-up call.
Attention = regulation
Where you put your attention, you put your energy. And It became clear to me that those endless 5-second videos of people I’ve never met, the comment sections full of trolls and bots and bigots, and the likes, comments, and engagement my own soulless ‘content’ needed to reach in order to make me ‘successful’ and all the rest…
…it was making me miserable, dysregulated, and anxious.
Not only is our attention-span shot from the endless brain-numbing stream of content (fuck content), but we’re drawing comparisons, we’re feeling less-than; we’re being outraged by trolls and being sold to by The Man; we’re gently and subtly putting our systems into fight-or-flight every time we scroll,
and we’re becoming shells of humans because of it.
Now, as of writing this, I can happily say I don’t use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, or YouTube for my business in any meaningful way (and my client-base has grown as a result), I don’t have those apps on my phone, and I spend almost zero time scrolling and my life is so much better for it.
How to stop scrolling
Here are the nine things I’ve done to get present again, to heal my attention span, and to regulate my nervous system away from social media:
1. I’ve stopped treating my phone as the go-to for absolutely everything.
Sometimes I turn it off and put it in a drawer, sometimes I leave it at home, and I’ve been resisting the urge to instantly Google something I’m unsure of. This is all to say: I’ve slowly trained myself to rely on my phone a little less, and that’s been huge.
Time away from our devices is necessary, whether we’re toddlers interested in not becoming drones in adulthood, or adults looking to live a more joyful existence.
2. I’ve deleted the apps that made me spiral.
Yes, I’ve gone hardcore; I’ve not used a blocking app (although I do have a good recommendation for that if you need it), I’ve not given myself a little wiggle room — I’ve deleted the fucking apps. The freedom is immense, my friend. Trust me on this.
3. I’ve started rebuilding my attention.
I set timers for reading or writing sessions, no phones allowed, and actually stick to them. At first, I couldn’t even last five minutes without thinking about reaching for my phone, but gradually my focus has stretched. Now I can actually lose myself in a book (I started with this one), and it feels like reclaiming a superpower.
4. I redirect the energy.
Whenever I’ve found myself on the edge of a binge-scroll, I ask myself: what’s the feeling here? Mostly, it’s about releasing some form of stress, so instead of scrolling, I redirect it. Dancing like a complete fool in my kitchen, humming loudly, singing badly. Anything that lets my body shake out the stress works. Most of the time, I end up laughing at myself way more than I expect. So that’s nice.
5. I take intentional pauses.
Stopping mid-task, letting my shoulders drop, breathing audibly, noticing that my heart is racing... Tiny resets like this add up. This is interoception at work, baby.
6. Micro-nature moments.
Whether it’s five minutes in the garden — shoes off, deep breaths, noticing the air, the sky, the sun, the rain — or a full day at the beach, it’s immediately grounding, it’s cheap, it’s easy, and a million times better than any app.
Co-regulation in nature, especially where there’s water, is one of the best things you can do for your nervous system.
7. Journaling — but with limits.
I take my notebook and set a five-minute timer to give myself the opportunity to brain dump. Once the time’s up, I draw a line under it. No spiral allowed, emotions acknowledged, doom-scroll avoided.
This is a brilliant way to redirect the I-need-the-dopamine-hits-of-scrolling into something more engaging. And you’ll probably realise you just need a snack / a nap / a walk / a chat instead.
8. A ban on multi-tasking.
Eating something nice, pouring myself a loose leaf tea, brushing my teeth — it doesn’t matter the actual task, I’ve outright banned multi-tasking (and yes, this also means double-screening is out, too). This shit is meditative in a way scrolling never is, and it’s the antidote to the always-on, fight-or-flight feeling that multitasking gives us.
9. Reaching out to someone.
IRL connections are magic. Talking, venting, sharing — it doesn’t matter what. Co-regulation is real: being seen and heard in person or on a call reminds your nervous system it’s safe. It’s the ultimate antidote to isolation scrolling creates.
These things might seem small, but they absolutely work; tried and tested by both myself and my clients inside Joy Unplugged. Because regulating your nervous system isn’t about perfection or the latest self-care trend; it’s about showing up for yourself, even in tiny ways.
And if you’re curious about Joy Unplugged — my 8-week program where we dive deep into nervous system restoration, lifestyle reset, and living more joyfully — the autumn cohort is officially open.
And if you want a guided version of this — movement, breath, and full-body unwinding that actually hits your nervous system where it needs it — I recommend this class:
Yoga for Renewal (48 mins)
The focus is renewal; accepting all that is and beginning again.
This class is designed to feel like a nervous system rinse — first we move enough to shake off tension, then we sink into the kind of rest your phone will never give you.
Find this class inside The Yoga Revolution library here to favourite for later, or press play on the video below.
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