September 2025
Slowing down your creative practice in the age of doomscrolling
My attempt at answering the question, “What would my life look like if I was more intentional with my time?”
I noticed something about myself recently. And when I talk to other creatives, it’s clear this same phenomenon has started creeping into all our lives in one way or another:
Feeling “always on,” thanks to the constantly available digital stimulation around us.
The on-demand era we’re living in negatively affects creativity, mental clarity, and energy.
It shows up in the increased anxiety (those spiraling 3am thoughts that have become a regular companion, instead of an occasional nuisance), the short attention span (TikTok-type videos make us feel we have to be entertained in 5 seconds or less), and the fact that I’ve moved further away from the depths of my own creativity (turning to platforms like Pinterest to inspire me).
Even more troubling is that many of us turn to platforms as a type of “digital break” – scrolling the news, swiping through IG reels, reading Threads – because on the surface, these things look like downtime and rest…
But they feel absolutely draining.
And, I don’t know about you, but I am nothing if not tired of being drained in body, mind, and creative spirit.
So I found myself asking, “What would my life look like if I was more intentional with my time?”
Can “tuning out” the noise and focusing on more intentional media consumption and creative inputs bring me more energy, mental clarity, and improve my own creative output?
I certainly couldn’t lose anything by trying. Which is why I took the next steps to test my theory out!
The on-demand era we’re living in negatively affects creativity, mental clarity, and energy.
Setting some digital guidelines
I think the reality for most of us, especially when you’re an online business owner, is that you have to be prepared to be online and reliant on an assortment of digital devices.
But could I at least control that reliance?
As the founder of a mostly remote boutique agency, I knew control would require guidelines and that I could break those down into parameters that
- 1) Helped slow down my digital consumption
- 2) Unplugged me from certain activities entirely, or
- 3) Made me more intentional with the digital doo-dads I planned to keep
- 1) Helped slow down my digital consumption
With those parameters in mind, I:
Decluttered my phone’s home screen
My goal was simply to get all my apps on one screen (mission accomplished!) and group them into categories so I don’t have to look at them all at once.
I only kept what was necessary for work (Slack, Email, Asana, Google Docs, Square) and a few select apps (Finch, Duolingo, Goodreads, Unroll Me) I enjoy using and don’t necessarily need to open daily.
Then, I took it further and turned off notifications for all of my apps. Except Slack, because, you know, I’m still a business owner.
Choose which podcasts to follow
If you’re anything like me, choosing a podcast to listen to is like choosing something to watch on Netflix – it can turn into a total digital time-waster scrolling through all the options.
So I figured I’d be proactive and choose my favorite podcasts to have on hand for when I need something to listen to without wasting hours of my life on decisions.
This works well for me because I can not concentrate on a podcast and do another task, which forces me to single-task (aka actually pay attention).
If you’re looking for recommendations, here are the faves that made my shortlist:
- → What We Spend
- → If Books Could Kill
- → The Prosecutors
- → Bad On Paper
- → Happier
- → Maintenance Phase
I also try to listen to the short, 15-minute Up First by NPR podcast episode in the morning, and then not scroll the news the rest of the day.
This keeps me informed, without causing me to spiral (usually).
If I feel I need a deeper dive into a specific issue, I occasionally tune into The Daily episode, but I try not to do that too often.
Pick a day to power down
The next thing I did was decide when my phone could be powered down completely.
I try to turn my phone off and leave it in my nightstand one day a week. The best day for me to do this is usually Saturday, and yes. I keep it off for a full 24 hours.
This can be tricky sometimes depending on our plans and whether I’m supposed to meet up with someone other than my husband that day, but I feel so refreshed and rested after just one day without consuming any digital media.
Prioritize one task at a time
Part of the energy suck that the on-demand age has created is that it steals your attention.
Those shortened attention spans I mentioned earlier? They’re a direct result of multitasking that allows you to have multiple apps or tabs open at once. It’s like we can never fully commit to doing just one task at a time.
I’m trying to move away from this habit by using the “Reading List” feature on my iPhone.
I save articles that interest me when I come across them, but I don’t want to be distracted from the current task at hand. Then I can come back to it when I’m physically and mentally free from whatever else I’ve got going on. (And I share the best ones with my newsletter readers, if you want to get on the list!)
This is what I like to think of as “slow media,” because I can consume it on my own terms, and read long-form articles of substance without feeling pressured to return to what I was doing before I interrupted myself.
Get selective about subscriptions
The app I mentioned keeping above: UnRoll Me? It’s how I manage and sort through the seemingly millions of newsletters I’m subscribed to.
This brilliant app filters all those subscriptions out of my inbox, then I can schedule a time to clear them out and read only what catches my eye.
Unplugging from digital altogether
Once I’d figured out how to slow down and be more intentional with my digital time commitments, I brainstormed how I could unplug from digital entirely.
These are the top 5 non-digital options I’ve committed to:
- Choose a favorite author and read their entire body of work. I’ve already made it through all of Jodi Picoult’s books (and enjoyed Plain Truth, Nineteen Minutes, and Mad Honey the most)!
Be a beginner at something I’ve never tried before (or something I view myself as being “not great” at). A few things on my list right now are chess, interior design, and religious history (a bit of an eclectic mix, I realize, but that’s where my head is at right now). - Make something with my hands to remind myself that I am a creative soul with creative tendencies that need an outlet! So far, I’ve completed a punch needle project and taken up Diamond Painting. I am currently making my way through the Butterfly Collection from Paintgem.
- Pick a topic that interests me and go all in by reading books, watching documentaries, or whatever else I can do to learn more. For example, one of my favorite novels ever, Circe by Madeline Miller, is an incredible introduction to Greek mythology which made me want to learn everything I can about the topic.
- Go to the library and browse the shelves. This is maybe my favorite unplugged idea! There’s nothing more soothing than a sloooow afternoon (bonus points if it’s a rainy, gray day) pursuing books at the library, checking out cover designs, and mentally categorizing book trends.
I think the reality for most of us, especially when you’re an online business owner, is that you have to be prepared to be online and reliant on an assortment of digital devices.
Slowing down, detaching, and becoming more intentional
Guess what I learned from this experiment?
→ I haven’t lost my creative edge. It’s just been buried under an avalanche of digital chaos.
→ My best ideas happen when my brain is bored or still. AKA not multitasking, not consuming content, not being “busy” or “productive.”
→ Consuming inspiration online is helpful sometimes, but I found I have more original ideas when I use offline methods like going for a relaxing walk in nature, soaking in the bath by candlelight, or taking a 100% phone-free day.
→ I also realized I do have a long attention span, but deep focus is rare when we’re constantly bombarded by stimulation. I mean, I can sit and read a novel for hours on end, and I actually enjoy my time alone with my thoughts. I can even go for a phone-free walk and never feel bored for a minute! But I can feel that attention and focus dulling around the edges if I don’t unplug from my chronically online life.
Humans can take in a lot of information, but when our brains have no where to put that information, we don’t retain it. I’ve learned that when you open up space, you understand and absorb better.
→ And (importantly for me as a designer), I’ve come to realize that when I consume less of other people’s ideas, it’s much easier for me to recognize my own style. Not being constantly tuned into trends has let me focus on what feels inspirational to me, versus what’s “in.”
→ Best of all, this new intention with my time has led to a noticeable “release” of my anxiety. I’m more grounded, time feels like it’s moving more slowly, and I’m more connected to my idea of productivity.
I still get things done – arguably more than I did when I was plugged in 24/7 – and I’m not struggling with feeling overwhelmed and on edge during the work day (or long after my day was meant to end).
Because you know what?
In this line of work, there’s no such thing as an emergency that demands you be digitally dialed in at all times of the day and night.
That client email that’s been sitting unread for a day? It’s okay.
That Slack message that pinged hours before you actually responded? Also okay.
The world demands our attention, but it’s still up to you to choose what you actually give it to.