What Are We Avoiding When We Scroll Without a Purpose

Lately I've been working a new project (yup, even though I just launched a new website!) and I find myself scrolling aimlessly on social media more often. What gives? I certainly have a lot more to do by adding a new project to my plate. So why do I find myself caught up in stories and other people's blog posts?

When we start to work on something new, especially when something is outside of our comfort zone, distraction comes to find us. What I've found is that it's easier to avoid the difficult and uncomfortable work by hiding behind social media. And I know that it's not a healthy way to pass the time - it's taking me away for the more powerful work that I'm doing.

I believe that when we are leaning into deep and powerful work, there are many outside 'forces' that keep us from moving forward. Strangely, last week I found myself feeling nauseous for several days in a row, almost like I had morning sickness. My trusted mentor Karen made the connection for me - I am birthing a new body of work and my physical body was reacting to the process. Thankfully she is a certified Body Code practitioner and was able to clear these feelings quickly.

What can we do to avoid the dreaded scroll and lost time? Here are some ideas that I'm trying:

• Have a specific reason for opening a social media app. Am I looking to interact with a person, a group or a page that I support? If there's no specific reason, stop and take a breath before opening the app.
• Although I'm not a fan of removing social apps from your phone, I have put them into a folder I've aptly names, Distractions. This reminds me that when I open this folder, I'm probably looking for a distraction.
• Use your social media for good. Start your day by saying three kind things to others on social. We all love it when others comment on our posts! Why not start each day with three positive comments on other people's posts, BEFORE scrolling aimlessly.
• Grab a couple of new books from the library and start reading. This is a great way to get off social media. The Kindle app is great but unless you have a dedicated book reader, you'll be tempted to check your phone while reading. Stick to the physical book for now.

And lastly, I'm giving myself some slack. I know that I'm in the messy middle right now - the period after the great idea but before it's actually ready to launch. So I'm fighting distractions more than usual. You may be in a similar situation and need a bit of slack too.

What other strategies do you have to avoid the scroll?