Unplugging to Feel More: A Note on Distraction & Healing
I've been on a journey to step back from social media, but if I'm being honest, it's a work in progress. When life gets hard or I need to numb out, the phone is still where I go. I'm aware of this pattern, and in my work as an MFR therapist, awareness of patterns is exactly where healing begins.
And based on what I'm seeing and reading, I'm not alone in this.
This isn't about shame or judgment, it's simply an invitation to reflect. We all have our coping mechanisms. This is one of mine, and I'm naming it out loud.
So why do we reach for distraction?
What would happen if we actually let ourselves feel? What if we sat with boredom for a little while, no phone, no updates, no scrolling? When we open up space to feel and think without distraction, what becomes possible?
There's a reason the saying "you've got to feel it to heal it" resonates with so many of us. It's simply true.
So my gentle nudge to you: instead of reaching for the phone, try unplugging. Go for a walk without it. Pick up that hobby you've been putting off for years. Let yourself be bored. Remember that feeling?
Here's what's been helping me:
Walks — lots of them, phone-free
Making art — I have incredibly talented friends, and I refuse to let that intimidate me out of trying. Being a beginner reminds my ego that it's okay not to be good at something yet. I've taken classes in ceramics, painting, knitting, and sewing.
Reading — books on paper and audiobooks. I'm done letting anyone dictate what counts as reading.
The Brick — a device that blocks apps for hours at a time. Absolute game changer. (Not a paid ad its just something that's genuinely helped me.) If you struggle to put the phone down, you may have already seen it pop up online.
The Brick has been one of the most useful tools I've found for breaking the cycle of numbing and scrolling instead of actually dealing with what's in front of me or just enjoying my own company.
In that spirit, I'll be sharing not only this device but also a few books one that brought me real clarity around coping mechanisms and distraction. And a few that are just good reads in my opinion. Don’t judge LOL
I hope you find them as helpful and eye-opening as I have.
Stolen Focus - Why you cant pay attention and how to think deeply again. (this one was a tough read with its complete honesty on how harmful some of these habits may be for us)
The Nightingale and The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah ( these are def books that can make you cry..so you’ve been warned lol)
Breath - The new science of a lost art - explores the profound impact of breathing on health, performance, and well-being, arguing that modern humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly.
Feel free to share what you're doing to plug back into yourself. I'd love to hear it
And a pic of my bad art for fun 🥴😂
