Scrolling Less, Consuming Less: How Stepping Back From My Phone Gave Me My Clarity Back
What 19 Days Off Social Media Taught Me About Clarity, Creativity, and Guarding My Mind
Back in January, I did an unintentional social media fast. I started a two-day water only fast for clarity, and not only did I give up food, I gave up social media and secular music too.
When the fast ended, I didn’t feel right jumping back into scrolling, so I kept going. What started as two days turned into nineteen days without social media.
During that time, I wasn’t just praying and reading my Bible more. I was journaling. Reading books. Taking long walks with my dogs. I was fully present in my day to day life and spent significantly less time on my phone overall. I still captured moments with photos, but I wasn’t sharing them. I was completely out of the loop on world news and pop culture, and honestly, I loved it.
When I finally broke the fast, I prayed and asked God to help me maintain that mindset even when I returned to social media.
I’m not against social media at all. I think it’s an incredible tool and can absolutely help you be successful. I love a funny video just like everyone else. But it’s a lot. Between constant world updates, the pressure to post to stay relevant, and being consumed with everyone else’s business, social media can quietly pull your attention away from what actually matters.
During my time off, people would say, “Did you hear about…?” and my answer was always no. I was so out of the loop, and again, I loved it. Ignorance really can be bliss.
We spend so much time on our phones. Social media, YouTube, maps, notes, reading, FaceTime, texting, the list goes on. I can’t even count how many times I instinctively grab my phone in a single day. Being on your phone isn’t necessarily bad, but too much of anything is. The more engulfed you are in your phone, the easier it is to lose your own voice and thoughts.
From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, we’re bombarded with information, opinions, and noise.
Just because we have unlimited access on our phones doesn’t mean we’re required to use it. Just because something is available to watch doesn’t mean it deserves our attention. There are stories and topics I hear about and intentionally don’t look into, not out of ignorance, but out of discernment. I’ve learned to protect my mind and my emotions by being mindful of what I allow myself to digest.
One of the biggest reasons people struggle with focus is distraction, and we literally hold the biggest distraction in our hands. Your phone can be a tool for connection, but it can also be the very thing blocking your clarity. Growing up, anytime I got in trouble, my mom would say, “It’s that phone.” The older I get, the more I realize she wasn’t wrong.
Our phones have convinced us that boredom and silence are bad. But the truth is, when it’s quiet, when you’re “bored,” your brain finally has space to think, explore, and create. I’ve started sitting outside in silence, just listening to the sounds around me. It regulates my mind and helps me stay present. In those quiet moments, I’m reminded of God’s goodness. When I look around at creation, I see His creativity, and it brings me real joy.
Even if nature isn’t your thing, being off your phone helps you be present in whatever you’re doing. I noticed this when I was watching a movie and kept grabbing my phone without realizing it. I had to rewind the movie four times before it hit me. I eventually got up, put my phone on the table, and just watched. I couldn’t believe I was struggling to focus on a single movie.
We’ve normalized being on our phones 80% of the day; while showering, washing dishes, eating, running errands, watching TV, laying in bed, even driving. And this goes beyond social media. I used to get in my car after work and immediately call someone. Nothing wrong with that… until it became subconscious. I felt like I couldn’t drive in silence.
Now, after a long day, I sometimes drive with no music, no calls, just letting my brain breathe. Sometimes I’ll talk on the phone, but it’s no longer a requirement.
I’ve been creating more and consuming less, and it’s been blissful. My creativity was at an all time high during those weeks off social media. I’m intentional now about grabbing my phone less. So many times I told myself I’d scroll for ten minutes, only for it to turn into a two hour TikTok session. Half the time I wasn’t even entertained, I was just scrolling because I could.
I also had to be honest with myself about posting for attention and validation. I asked hard questions: Is who I am online the same as who I am in real life?
Can I show up when no one is clapping?
Am I a good person offline, not just likable online?
That reflection changed things for me. You don’t live life to post it. You live your life, and sometimes, you capture it. No performing. Just authenticity.
Comparison was another struggle. The less I scroll, the less consumed I am with what everyone else is doing. I had to retrain my brain to stop treating social media as my main source of inspiration. I stopped scrolling first thing in the morning years ago, and it changed everything. Now, I don’t scroll until after I’ve prayed and read my Word.
I’ve found small ways to reduce phone time: using my physical Bible, buying a paper calendar, writing in a real notebook instead of my notes app, and protecting my quiet time from extra noise. I used to scroll before bed, now I don’t. A surprisingly helpful trick? I have a charger that I have to lay my phone on, so my phone has to stay put to charge.
I’m reading more, two books a month is my goal. I’m playing with my dog more. Sitting in silence. Being present in my everyday life. Scrolling less has been something I didn’t even realize I needed. I check on loved ones more. My mood is better. I still laugh with friends over funny videos, but I don’t let it consume me. Now, before I scroll, I ask myself: Is there something I’m avoiding right now?
Parents monitor their children’s screen time, not because screens are bad, but because they want their brains to fully develop. So who’s monitoring ours?
You can set all the timers you want, but at the end of the day, self discipline is personal. Screens aren’t the enemy, they just require moderation.
I challenge you to do less mindless scrolling this week. This month. Pay attention to the mental shift that follows. Don’t doom scroll yourself out of the ideas, creativity, and gifts God placed inside of you.
Sometimes clarity isn’t found in adding more, it’s found in consuming less.
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