Scrollaholic Detox: why and how to stop the detriment of "endless" scrolling.

Studies have shown that 77% of employees use social media while on the job, according to a research-based article published by Harvard Business Review last year.

No surprise to any of us. What's the harm of looking at a few fun videos or shopping a little bit? If it were just "a little bit"...none. How much time, energy, and focus does scrolling actually take up during your day, though?

Are you or someone you love a Scrollaholic? While "scrollaholic" is a term I coined years ago (and have since noticed it being used mostly in jest..) when it became so commonplace to see people sitting at a restaurant together but not...as they were otherwise engaged on their phones. There is certainly enough evidence that supports that the addiction to scrolling is real and detrimental in quite similar ways to any mood-altering addiction. Psychologically, addiction is a disease of disconnect where a person disconnects from both others and self more over time. Physically, addiction alters brain chemistry and impairs the functioning of both the brain and body. A Scrollaholic would experience one or many of the following:

• Using social media platforms or shopping sites to decompress every day and finding that it's hard to stop once you start.
• Engage in procrastination scrolling regularly.
• Feel mild to severe anxiety either when you are scrolling or in the absence of scrolling.
• Scrolling yourself to sleep...which results in actually falling asleep 30+ minutes after you could/should have.
• Feel a blunting of positive emotional responses in life outside of the screen.
• Notice a correlation between scrolling time (amount) and increased headaches, irritability, and sleep issues.
• Have a hard time concentrating on a task, on a phone call, or in a meeting.
• Have neck and back aches and/or pinched nerve sensations more often.
• Find you are looking at a screen 50% more than looking at a real human face.Research (let me know if you want me to send it to you) shows how scrolling on our devices on and off (or just on) for hours a day results in anxiety, depression, and cravings for more scrolling. Scrolling impedes personal performance and wellness. It interferes with relationships. Need I say more to make the case that it is no less unhealthy than any other mood-altering addiction whether it be to a substance or a behavior (i.e. gambling, gaming, sex)?Do you have any thoughts about reducing screen time in 2024? How about ideas of how to lose weight, invest in relationships, make gains professionally, or simply have more fun in life? Chances are that scrolling will interfere with any of the above. How do we stop scrolling to reclaim our cognitive, emotional, and physical health? How do we master our time and energy and not lose it in the time-suck vortex of scrolling online?Scrolling detox: reset to reclaim.Why we scroll tends to fall into three categories. The first is for a "mindless escape". This is the dopamine need. The need to get a positive bump in mood with a comical or an enticing post to counter the stress of reality can become a chemical addiction. The second is out of a fear-based notion of "needing to know"...or a form of FOMO. The latter can be masked as necessary to be fully apprised of what's happening politically or socially. This rationalization can keep us glued to news feeds. The third is generated by a discomfort with being truly present and connected with others. What has been decided as "just normal" for people to be together as one or all scroll on their phones (at any age, it seems, these days) is absolutely NOT normal human social behavior. All of the above conditions of being a scrolloholic require a disruption of the pattern along with a replacement behavior that can elicit a lift in mood or alleviate an anxious need. Here's the simple Scrolling Detox (if you need more, message me here and I will connect you with the right resources):Break the pattern. Right now, your brain is simply doing what it's designed to do. You've introduced it to a pattern of stimulus:response that served a purpose with a reward initially. It latched on to it for good reason...it felt good or important to your safety. When it became an overused pattern with diminished returns over time, the overuse impeded performance or wellness in some way. 1. Stop the autopilot response to the "need to scroll" stimulus. When you think about scrolling or reaching for the phone (or other device), INSERT a new behavior option for a minimum of 2 minutes. Use 120 seconds to engage in behavior that can shift your brain chemistry and thought pattern:
• Put on a song and dance.
• Play with a pet.
• Step outside and let nature do its' magic.
• Hug a loved one.
• Write (preferably not text) a note to someone special to you.
• Write a note to yourself.
• Organize your space.
• Workout.
• Stretch.If you still "need" to scroll when you are done, go ahead but put the timer on your phone for the amount of time you want to give to scrolling. When the timer goes off, engage in one of the alternative behaviors for no less than 2 minutes.2. Enhance real-time connections. Science is showing us that the lack of eye contact and face-to-face, whole-body communication is causing our brains to have a deficiency in essential human stimulation. The result is that our brains are going dormant in parts that aren't utilized nearly as much. To combat scrolling addiction, you must increase your eye contact with others. You may have noticed that many people have become less comfortable with in-person communication since the pandemic. We need to hold each other's gaze as we talk. Read nonverbal cues. Allow our brain chemistry to flourish the way it was designed for human interaction.3. Manage your internal environment. Every one of us craves control (mostly in a healthy way). In this geopolitical world of ours, it's easy to feel like we don't have much. While we often can't control much of our external environment, barring significant illness, the one area that we can have healthy control is our "internal environment". Our internal environment is the physical condition created by what we put into our bodies. Our brain doesn't differentiate between internal and external stress. Cortisol elevates with both. If we can calm our central nervous system, keep inflammation down, and promote healthy organ functioning then we keep the peace internally. Psychologically, when we do this we gain an emotional sense of healthy control in addition to a better-balanced brain chemistry. Nutrients matter (see some of my previous articles and posts). An anti-inflammatory Mind Diet or Mediterranean Diet is a great start. Keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day. Avoid sugars (and their "-ose" relatives), simple carbohydrates, and chemically loaded foods.
• Hydration is also key. Remember, if you are over 150lbs, the necessary intake is 15.5 eight-ounce glasses of water and under 150lbs it's 11.5. (Always always always talk with your doc if you are on medications or have medical conditions when you are changing your intake.)Address the underlying issue.
• What is scrolling an attempt to eliminate, avoid, not feel?Just as in any pattern of addiction, at first this choice served the purpose. It gave you a relief, a reason, or a reward of some other type. Again, it's overuse extinguished its' benefits and actually fueled the initial problem state. Scrolling because you are anxious (about not knowing something or about being present socially) winds up increasing anxiety. You have been sucked into the vortex of a repetitive action that is hard to stop. You have lost control of your time, thoughts, and energy. You need to gain Healthy Control using the above strategy AND by addressing the root cause. Talking it through with a confidant can help. Seeking professional support may be important. Opening your mind to new ideas about yourself and the world around you is likely essential. Read my last newsletter article on Lantern Consciousness and reach out for some additional mindset-shifting strategies.While I hope you weren't in scrolloholic mode when you found this article, I also hope this gives you something to think about and take action with as needed!
• Brain Optimization programs are available for your company or team:www.brainoptimized.com