11/30/2025
It isn’t Relaxation, It’s Numbing Yourself and Avoidance
Ever catch yourself endlessly scrolling negative news, binge-watching shows, or checking your phone "just one more time"?
It's not relaxing. It's numbing.
Your brain uses these habits to escape stress, boredom, loneliness, or uncertainty. Screens become the quick fix to avoid feeling anything real.
But here's what happens to your brain:
* Doomscrolling floods you with cortisol (stress hormone), making anxiety worse, not better
* Constant stimulation dulls your emotions, you feel less joy, connection, less alive
* It rewires neural pathways so numbing becomes automatic, stealing your focus, energy, and motivation
What you're missing out on:
* Deep conversations that build real relationships
* Creative ideas that could change your life
* Moments of presence with family, friends, nature, yourself
* The energy to chase goals that actually matter
* Simple joys that screens can never deliver
The cost is huge: You trade hours of potential growth for temporary escape, waking up emptier, more restless, more stuck.
Next time you reach for the phone or remote, pause. Ask: Am I relaxing... or just avoiding life?
Awareness is the first step to breaking free.