Scroll, Snack, Repeat Mindless Habits

Picture this.

You’ve finally made it through your day. Dinner and dishes are done. Another load of laundry is started. The house is quiet. And now, it's your turn to relax. You settle in, grab a little snack, just a handful of something, and then almost without thinking, your phone's in your hand.

Scroll. Snack. Scroll again.

Before you know it, it’s been 45 minutes. The snack is gone. You’ve added three things to your online cart and watched a few videos, and now you feel... well, not exactly rested. More like foggy. A little numb. Maybe even a little irritated, and you don’t quite know why.

Same, friend. Same.

For me, the couch is the cue.
It’s where I “relax.”
Which, apparently, means snacks and screens.
It’s automatic. I sit, I reach, I scroll. It's not even conscious.

And that’s the sneaky part about mindless habits. They don’t announce themselves. They disguise themselves as comfort. As a break. As a reward. But they often steal the very thing we’re craving—peaceful moments and relaxation.

I had a moment the other night that really opened my eyes.
My phone was charging in the kitchen while we were watching a show. It wasn’t long before I felt… antsy. Like I couldn’t fully relax. I kept mentally reaching for something that wasn’t there, and it hit me hard:
This is the moment I usually scroll. This is when I snack, shop, or just check out without even realizing it.

The reality? It wasn’t rest I was giving myself. It was just routine.
A habit. On autopilot. A kind of noise that fills the quiet without actually feeding me.

So I started paying attention.

One of the first changes I made was simple:
Meals happen at the table.
No more couch snacking. No more grabbing bites on the run or eating at my desk while working. Just sit, eat, and be present. We’ve made it a habit to eat together at the table. No distractions, no phones, no TV in the background. Just our meal with real, steady conversation. And honestly? It’s been a welcome shift for both of us. 

The second change?
I deleted shopping apps from my phone.
That one step alone has cleared up more space in my mind than I ever expected.

And now, when I catch myself feeling that itch to scroll or snack out of habit, here’s what I do instead:

• I pick up a magazine or book I’ve been meaning to read

• I pour a lemonade and sit on my front porch—just the drink, no distractions

• I let myself be still for a minute or two, even if it feels awkward

It’s not about finding something to do. Remember, this is our relaxation time. So find what is relaxing. I'm considering taking up crocheting again!

These habits, the ones we don’t think twice about, have a way of filling time without really feeding us. And when we start paying attention, even in small ways, we can make choices that feel more intentional. More like us.

It doesn’t take a big overhaul.
Just a shift.

Mindless habits will always try to sneak in.
But we can respond with something better.
Something quieter, more thoughtful. More true to who we are and what we actually need.

Let’s turn those automatic moments into meaningful ones—and come home to ourselves again.