The Social Media Fog: How Small Shifts Can Help You Feel More Present & Energised

The Social Media Fog: How Small Shifts Can Help You Feel More Present & Energised

I know what it’s like to feel exhausted, burnt out, and stuck in an endless cycle of stress. For years, I used distractions, food, exercise, overworking, and social media to escape the heaviness of my reality. I’d open my phone to just check something and suddenly lose myself in a blur of scrolling, absorbing everyone else’s “perfect” lives while feeling like mine was falling apart.

At the time, I didn’t realise what it was doing to me. I thought I was just unwinding. But what I was really doing was numbing myself, avoiding the discomfort, the stress, the deeper feelings I didn’t want to face.

If you’re reading this and thinking, Yep, that’s me, I want you to know that I get it. And more importantly, I want you to know that small, gentle shifts can make a HUGE difference in how you feel.

Why Social Media Feels Like a Break (But Isn’t Always One)

When life feels overwhelming, social media gives us an easy way to switch off. A quick dopamine hit. A distraction. It feels like connection, relaxation, or inspiration. But if we’re not mindful, it can leave us feeling more drained, anxious, and disconnected from ourselves.

Here’s why:

  • Passive Connection vs. True Connection - Watching other people’s lives online isn’t the same as experiencing real connection. We need deep, meaningful interactions to feel nourished.

  • The "Grass is Always Greener" Trap - Social media makes it easy to compare our reality to someone else’s highlights. Even when we know it’s curated, it still plants seeds of doubt.

  • Mental Overload - Jumping between posts, news, messages, and videos scatters our focus and overstimulates the mind, making it harder to be present in our own lives.

And the thing is, it’s normal. We all do it. The key isn’t to shame ourselves, it’s to notice. When you become aware of something, you can change it.

How Social Media Affects Your Energy (Through the Lens of Yoga)

When we think about stress and exhaustion, we often blame work, family responsibilities, or lack of sleep. But one of the biggest things draining your energy? *Constant input.*

Your brain and nervous system weren’t designed to process endless streams of information, notifications, and content. The more we scroll, the more we overload ourselves and the harder it becomes to feel truly rested, present, or connected to what actually matters.

So, how can yoga help you? In yoga philosophy, we talk about the koshas - the koshas are the different layers of our being. Everything we consume (food, information, emotions) affects us on all 5 levels. Social media doesn’t just affect your mind; it impacts each layer:

  1. Physical Body (Annamaya Kosha) - Hunched shoulders, eye strain, disrupted sleep.

  2. Energy Body (Pranamaya Kosha) - Feeling drained, overstimulated, restless.

  3. Mind (Manomaya Kosha) - Scattered thoughts, low focus, constant comparison.

  4. Emotional Body (Vijnanamaya Kosha) - Mood swings, self-doubt, lack of confidence.

  5. Deeper Self (Anandamaya Kosha) - A sense of disconnection from what truly makes you feel fulfilled.

Recognising how something affects you is powerful, because once you see it, you can start making choices that genuinely support your well-being. Once I realised how much my habits were affecting me on every level, I started making small changes that felt achievable throughout the day. Little, mindful shifts that helped me feel clearer, more present, and actually rested.

Simple Ways to Reclaim Your Energy

This isn’t about cutting out social media completely, I know many of us have to use it for work, it’s about using it differently, so it serves you instead of drains you. Just becoming aware of your habits and making small shifts can have a profound impact:

  1. Pause Before You Scroll - Ask yourself: Why am I picking up my phone right now?

  2. Set Boundaries - No phone for the first or last 30 minutes of your day.

  3. Create Digital-Free Zones - Keep your phone out of the bedroom or off the dinner table.

  4. Replace Scrolling with Mindful Movement - Swap five minutes of social media for five minutes of yoga, breathwork, or stretching.

  5. Try a Digital Detox - Even just a few days of intentional disconnection can help reset your nervous system and improve your overall well-being.

You Deserve a Reset (And It Can Be Easy)

I know first-hand how easy it is to slip into habits that feel like rest but actually leave us more depleted. That’s why I created my 5-Day Digital Detox Challenge: Pause & Reset - a simple, guided way to step back, recharge, and feel more present in your life.

No extreme detox. No guilt. Just small, easy shifts that make a huge difference.

Click here to join the challenge!

You don’t have to change everything overnight. Just start with awareness. A few gentle shifts. And see how much lighter and more energised you feel. You deserve that.