How Mindfulness Can Empower You to Control What You Consume on Social Media

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How Mindfulness Can Empower You to Control What You Consume on Social Media

Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate social media. It empowers you to take control.

Denise Pyles

Mar 31, 2025

Transcript

Hi y’all,

Distractions were prevalent even when I was a nun from 1993 to 2001.

Back then, distractions included television ads, 24/7 cable news networks, newspapers, magazines, billboard signs, home network shopping, personal computers, email, and instant messaging.

Today, social media is a tsunami of distractions.

Social media is different today than when I was a nun, but they are still distracting. As a nun, I learned to set my intention every morning to focus on how I wanted to live the day.

Setting intentions was and still is one of the best mindfulness practices to minimize distractions and elevate your purpose in action.

Mindless scrolling is one of the worst distractions today - a numbing and draining habit.

And most of us are doing it on autopilot. Here’s the hard truth: Social media isn’t the enemy. Your unconscious habits are.

If you’re not paying attention, your feed chooses your thoughts, mood, and energy for the day.

Here’s how micro-mindfulness can put you back in charge.

#1. Notice Before You Open the App

You don’t need to quit. Just pause, and ask yourself, “What am I looking for?” This five-second check-in helps you become the chooser rather than the consumer.

#2. Unfollow What Drains You

Most people don’t clean out their feeds often enough. That account that makes you feel like you’re failing? Let it go. Curating your feed with intention is a healthy practice.

#3. Time-Box Your Scroll

A common mistake is scrolling as a filler between tasks. Try setting a timer for 10 minutes. This time-boxing will make scrolling a conscious activity instead of a mindless escape hatch.

#4. Tune Into Your Body While Scrolling

Are your shoulders tense? Is your jaw clenched? A quick body scan while scrolling can snap you out of a trance and help you decide if it’s time to log off.

#5. End With Something That Feeds You

Finish with something that fills your cup: save a recipe, message a friend, or watch something that makes you laugh. Be deliberate with the energy you take with you.

That's it.

Here’s what we covered: A micro-mindfulness practice to try this week to control what you consume on social media:

Before opening a social app, pause and ask, “What am I looking for?” Become the chooser, not the consumer.
Unfollow accounts that drain your energy or spark comparison. Curate your feed with intention.
Set a 10-minute timer to scroll with intention, not out of habit. Time-box your scroll.
Do a quick body scan while scrolling—notice any tension or discomfort. Tune into your body.
End your session with something uplifting: a recipe, a message to a friend, or a funny video. Be intentional about what feeds your soul.

Mindless scrolling doesn’t have to own you. With some micro-mindfulness, you can reclaim your attention and energy.

Remember, take what you like and leave the rest.

Thanks for listening. I appreciate you being part of the journey.

Have a mindful week, and we’ll see you next time. Thanks.

Denise

Denise Pyles

I'm a former nun who, at midlife, pivoted to corporate life with zero business experience and became an award-winning program manager. I want to help you find stillness in the ball pit bouncy house of life.

Mindfulness begins with tiny steps toward being present. You can start micro-mindfulness right now without adding one more thing to your calendar. Join my newsletter, and I will share simple micro-mindfulness tips every week that you can start today.

In my book Burn Without Burning Out: 7 Micro-Mindfulness Habits for Clear Thinking, Decisive Action, and Recovery from Burnout, I share other skills I learned as a nun. Grab your copy today.