Transform Your Habits: Swap Endless Scrolling for Peaceful Productivity

Have you ever found yourself deeper in despair after endless scrolling? Discover a fresh perspective on this common habit in a riveting video essay by Struthless titled "The Hidden Cost of Scrolling." My ongoing battle with YouTube addiction has led me down an unexpected path - and it all starts with scrolling, my friend.

But what the heck is scrolling? To put it simply, scrolling is the compulsive checking of digital news updates, particularly on social media feeds, with the belief that the news will worsen, feeding a vicious cycle of expectation and usage. In Struthless' video, he dissects this phenomenon, labeling it an addiction to negativity and detailing its various forms and effects on our well-being.

This eye-opening video could not have come at a more opportune moment for me.

I've been grappling with burnout since last July, and the effects evolved into issues that I didn't realize until recently. With the help I didn't even know I needed, my desire to write is back! One catch, though - all the muscle and stamina I built up for writing is gone. In my search for an escape, I turned to YouTube, forgetting its purpose as a tool and instead embracing it as an emotional crutch. The mental and emotional toll it took on me has made it difficult to break the cycle of mindless scrolling, despite knowing that I feel better when I'm not lost in the scrolls.

In the video, Struthless shares stories from his time as an alcoholic and drug addict. During his recovery, he frequently heard that he wasn't eliminating the substances; he was adding recovery.

That phrase struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I may not be struggling with an addiction as fierce as substance abuse, but I can certainly apply that same mentality to the challenges I face on a daily basis. YouTube has been my biggest obstacle at the moment, so I placed a sticky note on my desktop as a reminder: "You are not eliminating YouTube, you are adding peace of mind."

This single sentence revolutionized my perspective overnight. The next day when my YouTube addiction triggered, the reminder came to mind, and I was able to push past the urge. It was like nothing I've ever experienced before, and it carried me through the rest of the day. It made avoiding my bad habit not only possible but easier. I decided to explore the concept further to see where else I could apply it.

I wouldn't bore you with the details of my thought process here, but allow me to summarize my main takeaways.

This reframing strategy can be used for absolutely anything.

For my troubles getting back into writing daily: I am not eliminating sleep to write, I am adding time for my passions and dreams.

For rebuilding my exercise routine: I am not eliminating time from other tasks to exercise; I am adding stress relief and a clear mind.

For overcoming my emotional eating habits: I am not eliminating treats and comfort food from my diet; I am adding more vegetables, self-confidence, and comfortable satiety.

Framing these issues in this way makes them feel less daunting and more achievable. I feel more motivated to take action. So why does this work? Why does reframing have such a powerful impact?

I think this works because it emphasizes the goal or reward for completing the action at hand. My cycle of falling back into bad habits has always been my downfall. I do well for a while, but as soon as the irresistible urge takes center stage, resisting inevitably becomes too exhausting. However, highlighting the reason why I'm making a change, such as seeking peace of mind, helps me stay focused on the end goal and ride out the discomfort of breaking a habit.

I also think this reframing strategy works because the focus is on addition, rather than subtraction. Nobody likes feeling deprived, and this focus on deprivation gives goal-setting and habit-breaking an undesirable connotation. Thinking of what I'm adding with these changes makes the experience feel completely different. It feels like I'm receiving a gift rather than losing something, and that shift in perspective makes all the difference.

Since my weakness lies in my inability to resist falling back into old habits, I wanted to test the power of reframing in the long term. If I could use this technique to help me resist and overcome temptation, it would be a game-changer for me.

The Method

Over the course of two weeks, I've put this reframing strategy to the test with two habits – one I wanted to curb and one I wanted to cultivate: my mindless YouTube scrolling and getting up early to write every day. I set reminders where I'd normally watch YouTube and reminded myself I was getting up to write before bed. I also logged my frequency of YouTube scrolling, my success in waking up early, and my mood on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best.

The Results

I failed miserably during the first few days.

It was hellish.

I struggled with withdrawal and found myself justifying scrolling time to myself. I even removed the reminder note during a moment of weakness. This only made things worse.

On the third day, however, things began to improve. The biggest difference was I managed to get up and write for the first time in ages. Looking back now, it's almost as if getting up to write triggered a positive chain reaction that made it easier to stay away from YouTube. It was hard, and I had to remind myself that I was adding writing time, not losing sleep. But I'm motivated to keep going because my days are so much better as a result.

This method of reframing has been nothing short of magical for me! I do believe, however, that it requires patience and a willingness to embrace the change. By reminding myself what I was gaining by waking up to write, my day felt so much brighter. But I also had to actively work to remove the reminder to stay off YouTube and didn't always succeed, sabotaging my progress.

What are your thoughts on reframing habits? Do you think this could work for you? I encourage you to watch Struthless' video and see if there's something that resonates with you. Share your thoughts below!

Until next time!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The novel writing process could be enhanced by applying the reframing strategy discussed in the video essay, "The Hidden Cost of Scrolling." This strategy focuses on adding positive outcomes, like freedom for creativity and time for passion, rather than eliminating negative behaviors.

In the realm of health-and-wellness and mental-health, this technique can help combat issues like emotional eating. Instead of trying to eliminate treats and comfort food, one can add more vegetables, self-confidence, and comfortable satiety to their diet.

In the pursuit of personal-growth and education-and-self-development, one could frame the process of learning and skill-building as adding knowledge, increasing intelligence, and widening horizons rather than eliminating ignorance or deficiencies.