In Traditional East Asian Medicine, as in all holistic systems, we believe that your body will react to what we expose it to. I want to take a few minutes to discuss the importance of how to limit upsetting content in your daily life for your own health and wellness.
Much of our screen time distracts and distorts our ability to focus, be mindful, and be productive. In regular acupuncture sessions helping a patient process intense emotions or manage misdirected energy is how we reduce anxiety, poor focus, insomnia, low energy, and sometimes pain. Working with your nervous system to increase emotional flexibility and resilience we can improve how we respond to life’s challenges. Balancing the mind, body, and spirit comes in many forms and can start with very small shifts in our daily lives.
Throughout this year many of us have experienced some form of personal anxiety about current events or the future we are trying to plan for. Many changes have begun to affect even the boring corners of our lives recently, challenging our feeling of stability and predictability. How we each cope with uncertainty is largely what keeps us whole as a person. When we become overwhelmed or blinded by strong negative emotions it affects our entire body, the decisions we make, and the quality time we have for recreation.
One small part of this problem is our access to data and how we choose to use our screen time. Reintroducing ourselves to upsetting media and reexposure to images and words that terrify and anger us does not help us be better humans. It does not help us find solutions and the price of staying informed robs us of our peace. If you do not have a way to quiet your mind and practice awareness of your body in a calm way please consider adopting a habit of meditation or contemplation that works for you.
If you are a beginner to mindfulness and meditation, consider the following resources:
- This is how to get started: https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide
- Basic info about benefits: https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/a32934987/how-to-meditate
- List of app and services that support your meditation journey: https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/03/best-meditation-apps
- Headspace app: https://www.headspace.com/headspace-subscription
- Calm app: https://www.calm.com
- Alternate forms of meditation: https://www.innerpeacefellowship.org/how-to-meditate/
If you already have a structure you use, make sure that you are using it when you have a few free moments wherever and however you can.
Our constant use of a personal device that is interconnected makes it very hard to “unplug” and digital detox. Our newer habit of consuming short videos and reading short articles can also hide the severity of the negative exposure. If you want to make your media more positive overall consider changing your preferences in your apps and on social media and start ignoring and disliking all videos and posts coming into your feed that you do not think is healthy for you.
Next, you have to begin searching for new content that is different from your usual reading and watching.
Here are a few suggestions for getting started on positive content farming:
- Watch some bloopers of your favorite movies
- Find animal reels, especially baby animals
- Harmless, obvious, unrealistic AI created short videos
- Follow people teaching DIY projects or who have a talent you share
- Scroll through real photography, no filters, old school raw images
If you would like to take a more active approach:
- Consider creating your own “content” document your interests or just take your own photos for sharing or not. Looking back on your own content can be grounding and reassuring.
- Try reading more about interests and avoid videos, listen to a podcast and let your mind wander
- Share positive or inspiration posts directly with your friends and loved ones, this direct communication makes a stronger personal connection than posting to social media
- Always set a timer when reading or watching the news, don’t get stuck in a negative feedback loop
Remember to give yourself a break! A digital detox is like a vacation for your nervous system, you deserve one whenever you have a few quiet minutes.
About the Author
I combine Traditional Chinese Medicine, nutrition, and a patient-centered approach to help individuals achieve lasting whole-body wellness.
