There is something about consuming content that feels great for some time and suddenly we find ourselves feeling guilty about consuming so much content. We start feeling low about ourselves and think we are no good compared to the people we follow and admire.

Remember

Expanded perspective

You are getting bored or feeling tired, you pick up your phone and a few minutes later you are scrolling through some kind of social media feed. The content is customized in such a way that you will keep scrolling, anticipating finding something interesting.

Scrolling through the unpredictable feeds is not a problem until it becomes one. You are investing your time in it and the more posts you see more different triggers you get. The triggers can make you feel low about yourself.

It is so easy to consume content

There is so much content available on the internet to consume, from written words to videos, from entertaining gossips to informational documentaries. We get into this FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) that there is so much to learn and explore. But you don’t need to learn or know everything. Information is available, it doesn’t mean that you need to know about everything.

This is the most beautiful thing about the time we live in, the information is accessible, “when we need it”. We don’t have to hunt down random things that might be good to know because when we need something, most often, the information will be available online with just a simple search.

Be mindful of what you consume

If you spend more than 15mins on something in a single stretch that doesn’t have a purpose, you need to stop the loop. You are building micro habits that make you feel good but at the cost of your time.

Add purpose to your media consumption.

Do remember to be intentional about what you do with your time. Even if you are binge-watching your new favorite TV series your mind should be on it. If you are feeling guilty about watching it and there is something important that is taking up your headspace.

You don’t have to be mindful of everything you do for fun, but keep a check when you are having fun and when you are mindlessly taking hours away from the work that needs your attention.

You can also create

You also have a lot of say and a lot to express. You don’t need to be perfect or polished to share your thoughts, you just need to be wiser about what to share and how to.

The emotions you are feeling or dealing with at the moment, start writing about it or you can record your voice to make a podcast if writing is not your thing.

The important thing is to create, even if you don’t want to share it with the world, sharing with your close friend will also work.

There is this beauty about creating, that inspires us, that adds curiosity, purpose, and meaning to our mundane days. You don’t have to start creating for others, it’s about you and you need to start doing it for yourself.

Start with a hobby that you want to want to spend time on. You might be watching videos and reading about how to get started, it’s time to stop. Just get started.

If you feel, what you have to say already exists, do remember:

No matter how many times you hear the story, every person has a unique way of telling it.

Take away

There needs to be a balance between consuming and creating. Be mindful of what you consume. The information you feed yourself does shape your knowledge base and personality.

Guard your time against the things that don’t make your life better. It is not about removing online distractions from your life but being mindful about what you want as part of your life and daily habits.