Mindful Scrolling: Pause-Observe-Breathe-Scroll

Truth is - we cannot live without our phones anymore and they are an integral part of our life.
So instead of suggesting that you do not scroll, I took an approach that will help you learn mindful scrolling.

This track is for someone who recognizes that their scrolling habits on the phone have become automatic and mindless. This is a cycle most of us get caught in when we consume news or social media. But even without any media, we tend to stay on our phone screens longer than we really need to. Whether it's refreshing your email inbox or googling something in the fear of missing out.

This little pause in your day will allow you to take a step back and truly observe your needs before you move on to scrolling.

Music is provided by my trusted musician, Varun Shah, who actually requested this series of social media-related meditation tracks.

Transcript

Hi there,

Before you start scrolling again,

I'd like to offer you this quick pause in your day.

Take this time to step back and hit a reset on your media consumption.

We're going to begin with a small exercise with the phone in our palm.

So go ahead and pick up your phone.

Notice where your thumb lands naturally.

It's ready to scroll,

Isn't it?

But I want you to flip your phone and observe little details about it that you may not have noticed before.

Mindfully observe the edges,

The colors,

And any reflections you see.

And whatever you notice,

Say it out loud in your head.

Good.

Now put the phone away and bring your palms to touch,

Like in a prayer.

Spread your fingers wide and maybe raise your elbows so you feel a stretch around your wrists.

Close your eyes.

Now notice how each arm feels.

Does one feel different from the other?

Does one of them feel like it needs a stretch?

Simply notice.

Relax your arms now and place them in a comfortable position.

Slowly begin to observe your breath.

What do you notice about it?

Do you notice its rhythm?

The sound it makes?

Whenever you feel overwhelmed,

Tune into this rhythm.

Let your body relax so that you can enjoy the sound of your breath.

Take long inhales and even longer,

Deeper exhales.

We're going to do a visualization exercise.

Picture yourself picking up your phone to scroll.

Now flip it and put it away.

Turn your mind's eye away from your phone.

Take a pause here and tune into your breath.

Memorize this routine if you can.

Pick up your phone,

Flip it and put it away and pause.

Allow your mind to simply be.

Breathe.

Before you start scrolling,

Think about why you might have picked up the phone.

What was your goal behind it?

How long will it take you to meet this goal?

And let's say you don't succeed within that time.

What then?

Will you continue to scroll?

Or will you stop and commit to doing something else?

This is mindful scrolling.

Use this pause in your day to guide you through it.

Now slowly come back to your breath.

Notice how the air flows through your nostrils and into your lungs.

Notice how your belly and chest rise up and fall back down.

Always remember to connect with your breath before you connect with your phone.

You may open your eyes and end this practice here or stay a while in this pause.

Thank you for listening.

Reviews

Thank you for addressing this issue in such a kind way. It's a unique topic. My phone has taken too much of my life. I will return.