"When we slow down enough to truly notice, everyday life reveals quiet moments of wonder. A child's gleeful laughter, the rhythm of a shared meal, or the gleam of sunlight on a playground fountain-these are the small, unfiltered joys of being alive. But in this technological age, these moments are often interrupted. We reach instinctively for our phones, eager to capture or share rather than simply feel."
"These small shifts in attention matter. While photos and videos preserve memories, presence allows us to experience them. Yet presence is harder to reclaim when our reflex, in every joyful moment, is to reach for a device. In Parts 1 and 2 of this "Breaking Free from Doomscrolling" series, we explored inner change: learning to notice patterns without shame, understanding the feelings that drive our scrolling, and soothing them with tools. The next phase of healing invites us outward, to reshape our surroundings."
When attention is slowed, ordinary moments—child laughter, shared meals, sunlight on a fountain—become clear instances of unfiltered joy. Technological habits often interrupt those moments as phones prompt capture or sharing instead of feeling. Presence offers fuller experience than mere photographic preservation, but presence is undermined by reflexive device use. Practical environmental shifts support presence: tidy the phone by keeping only necessary apps, hiding distractions in folders, and adding friction like logging out of shopping or social platforms. Reduce impulsive consumption choices and designate a no-phone zone with grounding tools such as a journal, candle, book, or sound bowl. Adopt a daily ritual to reinforce presence.
Read at Psychology Today
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