Hey you. Thanks for being here. If we haven’t met, I’m Amy. I’m a therapist-in-training and a human learning to live gently. Other call-outs on my resume include: Matcha latte enthusiast, subscriber to rest culture, and avid fan of embodied living. You can usually find me hunched over a journal, nibbling at dark chocolate at the top of each hour, stretching on the floor, or wandering around outdoors.

A little download on my beliefs: I believe that we are all innately whole and enough. Without doing anything! Just as we are. I approach healing from a holistic, personalized lens. We might uncover patterns, move through traumatic experiences (physically & emotionally), practice sitting with uncomfortable but deeply-human emotions, or explore transformations that will ground you in meaning, connection, resilience, peace, or whatever else you are seeking. I believe that when we slow down, there is much more to see, hear, feel, and notice. Healing starts with softening. We’ll go from there.

Welcome to this two-part series on the intricate (and intimate) relationship between technology and mental health. I know it can be a sensitive topic for many of us, but stick with me here - I promise not to tell you to throw your phone in the ocean or delete Instagram.

First, we’ll talk about holistic-focused apps & podcasts that can help you thrive. Next week, we’ll explore strategies to mitigate some of the less-than-ideal impacts of technology and social media. We’ll get curious about our experience and invite some mindfulness and intuition to the proverbial table.

Let’s set the scene

Maybe you’ve spent a little too much time lately on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit. Whatever the platform, we’ve all been there. Unless you’ve never spent time on the internet, I think everyone can relate to the sinking feeling that settles in as we realize that we’ve lost an hour (or three) to our phones.

And we know that screen time impacts our mental health. As the minutes and hours tick up, often, so does our anxiety. It might manifest as racing thoughts, rumination, comparison, an inability to relax, or all of the above. If we tune into our bodies, we might notice restricted breathing, restlessness, increased heart rate, sweating, and an unsettled feeling in our gut, signaling interrupted digestion. I’ll admit that since I became more aware of my body on social media, I’ve noticed that I actually hold my breath. To read more on the importance of the breath & why my Instagram use might not be supportive for my vagal nerve, take a quick pause and click here.

So now what?

So we know that screen time isn’t supportive of our mental health. Yet, we live in a tech-centric world. So, how do we negotiate these two realities? I think the answer lies in finding balance and infusing some mindfulness into our screen-related interactions.

Technology has a lot to offer us. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to connect with loved ones around the world, take our therapy sessions from home, or learn how to best care for ourselves from a diverse audience. There also wouldn’t be nearly as much comedic relief in the form of GIFS.

And it’s important to call out that not all screen time is hard on our mental health. Now more than ever, there are individuals and companies flipping the script and leveraging technology to support our well-being rather than hindering it. While some apps are designed to capture our attention and keep us online (here’s looking at you, TikTok), others were created to help us experience mindfulness, cope with difficult emotions, and find moments of rest. So let’s look at the upside to technology.

My top five favorite podcasts & apps, brought to you by the technicolor world, for supporting our well-being:

1.Open (APP)

Open is a mindfulness studio offering meditation, music, breathwork, and movement to awaken the body and mind to bring you to the present moment. Open offers grounding, cinematic classes based on research & ancient spiritual practices to bring you closer to yourself.

I’ve tried a lot of movement & mindfulness-based apps; Open is by far my favorite. The teachers are kind and grounding. The practices range from challenging to completely restorative, and the platform encourages you to listen to your mind and body, taking what you need & leaving what you don’t. Before using Open, I didn’t quite understand the pull of breathwork. These days, I find myself reaching for my favorite practice, a six-minute breathwork session called ‘Quick Clearing’ almost everyday.

2.Waking Up (App)

When choosing a meditation app, it’s hard to go wrong. If you’re curious about meditation and mindfulness, my favorite is the Waking Up app. Founded by Sam Harris, a neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author, Waking up takes you on a journey of exploration. While Harris believes that mindfulness is great for stress reduction, he proposes that the ultimate goal of mindfulness is not to reduce our stress, but to live an examined and fulfilled life.

Waking Up offers in-depth practices with top meditation teachers as well as a library of spiritual theory to deepen your understanding of self. Waking Up also donates 10% of profits to the most effective nonprofits under the guidance of Giving Well.

3. ThE DAILY REST STUDIO (PLATFORM)

Emmie Rae’s Daily Rest Studio is not just a Yoga Studio but an intimate, digital space. It’s a collection of the tools, techniques, and practices that Emmie draws upon daily to support a rich, full life of doing what she loves & navigating what she doesn’t.

The Studio includes live classes as well as a library of recorded classes/workshops, including practices for deep rest, breath-work, meditation, feminine movement practices, yin, and pops of high-energy movement here & there. Emmie Rae is a poet, yoga teacher, and avid fan of drinking coffee in the sun. The Daily Rest Studio is a gentle refuge from the siren calls of hustle culture.

4. TEN PERCENT HAPPIER (PODCAST)

Dan Harris, a news anchor turned meditation believer & author, interviews eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, doctors, and even the odd celebrity. Dan interviews with ease, curiosity, and humility. Each episode brings something completely different to the table - I love the variety. You might find science-based techniques for anxiety, relationships, or productively or an in-depth conversation on spirituality, enlightenment, and the meaning of life. Here are two of my favorite episodes:

5. unlocking us (podcast)

She may not need an introduction, but for a quick refresher, Brené is a researcher & storyteller. She’s dedicated the last two decades to studying shame, vulnerability, empathy, and courage. Brené research has illuminated how I see the impacts of shame and the value of vulnerability. We’ll talk more about Brené next week. On Unlocking Us, Brené has conversations that “unock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart.” Here are a few of my stand-out episodes:

coMING UP NEXT

Next week, we’ll explore the mindful scroll: How to engage with social media intentionally, notice the rumblings of comparison, and get curious about our personal boundaries with technology. Again, there will be no suggestion of app-timers, Instagram deletion, or downgrading to a Motorola Razor. Stay tuned!

References:

Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive medicine reports, 12, 271–283