When Stillness Feels Unbearable
Yesterday, one of the participants in my sound healing session started scrolling on her phone halfway through. I contemplated saying something to her but decided to continue holding the space for the rest of the group instead. It made me reflect though, if we can't even be still for an hour and allow our mind and body to relax and recover, it makes me wonder about the quality of sleep we're getting too. When our minds are constantly stimulated during most of our waking hours, we tend to age faster, feel less creative, less productive, and more disconnected from ourselves and the world around us. And the thing is, we often don't even notice it happening until we're already running on empty.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of social media, especially when it comes to work and how much it's helped me reach a wider audience. But I think it's crucial to set boundaries around it so that our mental health doesn't get affected, and there's more room for creative thinking.
Those who have been following my blog would know I'm very conscious of our excessive use of screen time. This is something I have to observe daily with awareness, so as not to over stimulate my mind and fall into a sense of urgency. My mind can get pretty active, especially when creating, and it can move fast like wildfire. So it's my daily practice to slow down and retune my rhythm, so I don't get burnt out easily. This looks like not opening apps unless I actually need them, taking my dog out for mindful walks twice a day without bringing my phone, and meditating or on busier days, simply sitting or lying down in silence for 10 minutes.
My daily commute has shown me that 90% (if not more) of commuters are on their phones. Of that 90%, at least 60% are either scrolling aimlessly at high speed, or consuming meaningless videos that I can only imagine would clutter the mental space, leaving very little room left for creative thinking. Of course I also get the urge to check my phone, especially when I'm on the train. But what I do is always bring a book with me, so I can use that time wisely, to educate myself, or read something I truly enjoy and find meaningful. The difference here is I get to choose what I'm consuming, whereas scrolling aimlessly on social media has very little filter. You could go from watching the latest news about a murder by the beach, to an influencer demonstrating how to perfect the summer look, all in one minute. If our mind is so precious, why would we give it so little filter for what we take in? We wouldn't let just anyone into our homes, so why do we let anything and everything into our minds?
Fundamentally, when our minds are always being hijacked by what others want to feed us, we drown out our intuitive voice, where guidance and insight can help clear the path amidst chaos and find our way home. And if you're feeling lost, scattered, frazzled and out of sorts, being mindful of your screen time could be your first step to get unstuck.