Stop Scrolling!

Hey, Cadre family doctor Carrie here. My message for you today is stop scrolling. Just stop the scrolling and shut it down. And I'm talking about social media, but I can expand on this topic and talk about everything that you input into your brain. I recently quit my job and therefore have a lot more free time. And I looked at that little clock thing on my phone. That adds up how many minutes you spend on every app. And I was shocked as to how much time I was wasting on Facebook and Instagram. Those are my advices.

I don't watch tv. I don't really watch movies. I listen to music a lot, but that's more in the background. So for me, like, to veg out, it means pulling up Facebook or Instagram. And I was shocked as to how much time I spent on these apps. And I was starting to really struggle with this, like, comparison. I was starting to struggle with body image issues, and I couldn't really figure it out until I went on a fast from social media for, like, a week. And unfortunately, I had to go back on because as part of building my business, I actually have to be active on social media, putting posts together.

So otherwise, I'd be off the apps right now. But I was just amazed as to how I started feeling, like, less temptations to use vices that I used to use in the past. I used to struggle with sex and p*** addiction, alcohol, and I was, like, craving drinking all of a sudden. And I'm like, this is weird. But I was really amazed as to the time that I wasn't spending on social media. I was filling with something else. So I want you to take an inventory of what you put in your brain, because I guarantee what you were putting in your brain, what you were filling in with, that, you know, free time, veg out time, whatever.

It makes a difference in how you view yourself, how you view other people. It makes a difference in your relationships. I mean, think about, like, what shows you watch, what do you look at on social media? Not all social media is evil. I'm not saying that, but there are definitely things about it that can be really destructive. And I think back to, like, I grew up with, like, Facebook in college. That was when Facebook came out. But the kids these days, I can only imagine what they struggle with when they're scrolling through and looking at other kids, because I struggle with that, being as the age that I am not married, no kids, and seeing my friends that I went to high school and college with, and they're happy family photos.

And you can always put on you know, a certain Persona on social media. But I look at this and I think, why can't I have that? What's wrong with me? Like, what do I need to do? What? You know, maybe if I were skinnier. And I just start to, like, think these things that are just, like, not me. And it's from that comparison and that jealousy that you feel when you scroll through social media. And for me, my Facebook is very different than my Instagram. So when I now start to realize that, I'm feeling kind of icky as I'm scrolling through Facebook, I go on my instagram, and my Instagram, I'm extremely intentional, is full of pretty pictures of mountains and landscapes and travel, funny dogs doing funny things, just cute dogs and bible verses.

That's my instagram. I don't follow that many people. And I go on there to get uplifted. And as I'm scrolling through and I'm seeing these uplifting things, I start to feel better, and I start to, like, wash out whatever I just saw on Facebook. And then I get off Instagram. So that's my habit. So I'm not to say that, like, social media or watching TikTok or YouTube or your tv shows are bad, but what. How much of it are you doing and what are you filling your time with would be my question for you, because I used to read people magazine, Cosmopolitan, watch just these drama tv shows, almost, like, wanting to live in this life of fame and drama.

And this was when I was, like, experienced just a lot of really destructive things in my marriage. And I was, like, tiny, tiny, skinny, and, like, still thought I was fat. And, like. So, I mean, I just think back to that time in my life when I was filling my head with all of these really negative self body image things and just, like, really poor examples of relationships on these tv shows, and what was the fruit of my life at that time? So I would encourage you, take an inventory of what you do, what you scroll, what you watch, and is it filling you up in the way you want to do you have the life that you want to have?

And I know that's, like, a loaded question. There's a lot more to that, but what are you spending your time on? They always say that, like, the people you surround yourself that you spend the most time with are the people whose lives you're going to have. So, same thing with what you're watching. What are you feeding your brain? Is it uplifting you? Is it making you a better person? Is it the person you want to be would be my question for you. So I'm not saying that, like, all social media is bad, but there's definitely things you can do to make it more fruitful.

And there is definitely a self inventory opportunity here to look at what are you filling in your brain? What are you feeding your brain from the music you listen to, to the stuff you watch, to social media? So I encourage you to take that inventory. I'd love to know how it goes. See if you have any revelations when you take that inventory and start to notice how you feel when you're watching YouTube or on Facebook or whatever it may be. So thank you for tuning in with me today, guys. God bless.