Transform Continuous Scrolling into Microjournaling Practice
Reworked:
Hey there! Fed up with spending hours lost in the digital abyss of social media and time-wasting apps? Trying to kick that mindless scroll habit?
While you might have tried tactics like deleting apps or setting screen time limits, they might not always work. According to experts, the key to quitting bad habits often involves replacing them with better, healthier ones.
So, how about I share with you an awesome alternative to mindless scrolling? It's called microjournaling, and it's a game-changer.
I've dabbled in microjournaling for a few years now, and I can vouch for its effectiveness. Here's what it's all about.
Microjournaling? But What and How?
Microjournaling is no rocket science. Instead of setting aside longer periods to write in your journal, you'll be squeezing in micro-sessions of just a minute or two. That's right—you can even dash off a thought in under 60 seconds!
But what should you write about during these spurts? You can record anything that tickles your fancy. Talk about your day's events, express your emotions, write down repeating thoughts gnawing at your brain, note down someone you can't stop thinking about, jot down worries, list things you're grateful for, or even obsessively repeat your goals. In short, let your thoughts flow freely!
Let's Get Microjournaling on Your Phone!
Since microjournaling is quick and easy, it can perfectly take the place of mindless scrolling on your phone. Whenever that compulsive urge to check Instagram hits you, skip it and practice microjournaling instead!
Here's how to set up microjournaling on your phone:
- Rearrange your home screen: Move your notes app to where your social media apps used to live. Try moving the problematic apps out of sight or deleting them altogether.
- Start a fresh note every morning: Title it with the date.
- Whenever that scrolling itch gets more prominent, microjournal in your notes app: Throughout the day, simply write one to five sentences whenever you get that desire to scroll mindlessly. Embrace random thoughts—don't overthink it!
- Keep it short and sweet: The moment you find yourself becoming too wordy, stop. Remember, microjournaling is about capturing your thoughts, not crafting literary masterpieces.
- Weekly review: Look back at your notes on Sunday night, identify patterns, and take note of any items worth exploring further.
- Use AI to amplify your insights: Copy your week's worth of notes into an AI language model like ChatGPT, and ask it questions like:
- What themes or patterns do you notice across these entries?
- Group these notes into categories based on mood, topic, or concern.
- What seemed to occupy your thoughts the most this week?
- Were there any recurring negative thoughts or triggers? Any recurring positive ones?
Bye Bye, Scrolling; Hello Life-Enhancing Insights
When that urge to scroll takes over tomorrow, reach for Notes instead of a feed. Write a sentence about your lunch, your kid's funny antics, or that messy meeting. And then get on with your life!
You're not trying to eliminate the habit, you're refocusing it. As with moving the veggies where the cookies used to be, making this switch can help you eventually prefer reflecting on yourself over scrutinizing others' lives.
Your scrolling habit won't vanish overnight, but after a few weeks, you might find that your muscle memory begins to enjoy capturing your own life over gawking at everyone else's.
Unlike the fleeting stream of tweets and posts that you'll likely forget, these short snippets of your life's moments can create a treasure trove you'll eventually want to revisit—a diary of your life, and a roadmap for self-improvement.
Check out my full conversation with Campbell about some other journaling practices that could revolutionize your life:
Additional Reads
- Podcast #861: 7 Journaling Techniques That Could Revolutionize Your Life
- The Strenuous Life Could Change Your Life; It Can Change Yours Too
- 8 Tools That Could Change Your Life
- NUTS! Why Remembering Christmas 1944 Could Change Your Life
- How to Replace a Wiper Blade
- How to Install or Replace a Door Knob
- Incorporating microjournaling into your daily routine can offer a healthier alternative to excessive time spent on social media, fostering personal growth and promoting mindfulness.
- By writing down thoughts, emotions, and events in micro-sessions, you can hone your skills in self-reflection, cultivate a character that values introspection, and adopt a lifestyle that prioritizes self-improvement.
- Transforming your home screen by moving the notes app near the social media apps and deleting time-wasting apps can help strengthen your resolve to practice microjournaling instead of mindless scrolling.
- Applying tools like AI language models to analyze your microjournaling entries can provide valuable insights into your thoughts, allowing you to better understand your character and address any areas that require self-development.
- Embracing microjournaling can lead to a realization that documenting one's own life moments is more rewarding than endlessly scrolling through the lives of others, promoting home-and-garden projects, education, and self-development as more fulfilling pursuits.
