Mindfulness In The Digital Age

Navigating technology with intention

I am often amazed and appalled by the modern world in equal measure.

The technology today means a world for young people that is drastically different, mindbogglingly so, than the world that I, a GenXer, grew up in, with most people carrying around mini computers with them 24/7.

But now we’re (pretty much) all slaves to these small rectangles, aren’t we? (to varying degrees, of course). Even my dad has one of those fancy foldable glass Samsung phones, that fold down into a small square. A futuristic flip phone. He’s more hip than I am with my plain ‘ol Samsung Galaxy whatever-it-is.

But this is just how life is now, isn’t it? For good or bad, it is what it is.

You pick up your phone to check the weather, and suddenly you're deep in a reel of someone’s dog doing yoga (impressive, right?), and a reel later, you’re questioning your entire life because someone just bought their dream cottage and also seems to make their own sourdough and raise ducks and grows micro-herbs.

And you don’t even want ducks. Before 30 seconds ago, you didn’t know it was a thing outside of farms.

We live in a time where the pull to disconnect from ourselves is stronger than ever, which is what makes me fearful for Gen Z or whatever this younger generation is called now. But we’re also more connected than ever, too. Connected to information. To each other (kind of, but also it’s more of a para-social relationship). We’re connected to so much information (too much for our brains to really process everything!) all vying for our attention.

And somewhere in the middle of all that noise, there’s this voice whispering in the back of your mind (or maybe it’s just me?) and it’s saying: can we slow down?

It doesn’t have to be as full-on as it is.

Not “anti-tech” — just more awake

I’m not against technology. In fact I spend a lot of time on various social media platforms because some of my jobs are online (like this one – Writing on here. I treat it like a job. Not a full time job but still, I take it seriously because you all, my readers, matter to me). I also use apps for my health (I’m a Peloton app user so when I get those reports on my phone about app usage, that’s one of the top ranked ones with my daily yoga and strength workouts and my running).

But I’ve started to notice that when I move through the digital world without intention, I start to lose a sense of myself. I don’t feel really real. Like I’m living in the Matrix. My attention frays, and I realize I’m not really here, really present. I’m just scrolling, hearting, reacting (as in emojis).

If you’re not familiar with mindfulness (but I’m guessing you are, even just a little bit – more people are these days which is awesome), mindfulness doesn’t mean throwing your phone into the sea and moving to the country (though that’s tempting some days!). It just means bringing more awareness to how we engage with stuff. With life. With technology. And doing it with kindness, softness, and of course boundaries. We need to stop and be critical of our digital behaviour and ask ourselves: Is this nourishing or numbing me?

Tiny, gentle practices that help me stay rooted

So I thought I’d share some practices that help me stay grounded and not so ‘I’m stuck in the Matrix’-y. These aren’t solutions - more invitations for you to try. These are some little rituals, some practices that bring me back to myself and the real world.

The Pause Before the Tap

Before I open an app, I try to ask: What am I looking for right now? Again getting back to intention, instead of being mindless so I just end up scrolling aimlessly.

Am I wanting to connect? Be inspired? Be distracted for a bit? That split second of awareness shifts everything. Sometimes I realize I don’t need to use it right now. Sometimes I do end up just scrolling anyway. But at least I’m choosing with intention and mindfulness, not just reacting.

The Window Gaze Reset

Every few hours, I try to take a break and reconnect with the ‘real’ world, super simply. I step away and just look out a window. No music. No podcast. Just connecting with what’s out there. It’s quite recalibrating and restorative — like remembering I have a body, not just thumbs.

The Gentle Digital Boundary

I keep one part of my day (often evenings) screen-free. Not rigidly, though. Just giving myself some space and time away from my screen. Which, to be totally honest, can be difficult.

But mindfulness isn’t about being perfect (as I’ve said before perfection is impossible. It’s a practice, not perfect). It’s about coming back, again and again. It’s the restarting — the starting over, that’s the whole point really. And you’re not failing if you lose yourself down a YouTube or TikTok rabbit hole and realize you’ve spent an hour hoping from video to video or reel to reel. You’re human, and this is just what being human now, in 2025, is like.

The point is about noticing that you went down a rabbit hole. That the addictiveness of social media sucked you in — and coming back to yourself again. Reawakening to the real world with curiosity and compassion. We can try again next time. And the time after that.

In the age of algorithms (that we struggle to understand) and endless content being shoved in our faces, presence is a rare gift. Choosing to notice — your breath, the bird outside, your body moving through the world — is radical in today’s society.

And if you’re wondering where to find wonder? It lives in that noticing - not on the phone in your hand (that you might be reading this on), but perhaps in the space just after you put it down.

So I’ll leave you with a Tiny Invitation:

What would it feel like to give yourself 60 seconds of presence — no phone, no goal — just being where you are? Try it out now and notice how you feel, and share with me in the comments I’d love to know!

If this letter found you at the right time, feel free to share it with someone else who might need a little wonder today.

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