What a week. What a month. What a—honestly, I’ve lost track of time because my office is also the news feed and the vibes are absolutely rancid.
I’ll be honest with you: my mental health isn’t doing the greatest right now.
And I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not alone in this.
Because The “You Must Post About This” Era Has ReEntered The Chat
My client inboxes and feed are starting to feel very 2020 again. You know the energy:
“Silence isn’t an option...” “You have to speak up...” “Why haven’t you said something...” “It’s been X days and you haven’t posted about X” “You can no longer not be political in business”
Ooof. Triggering, even.
And look—I get it. The world is heavy right now. Things are happening that matter deeply. But somewhere along the way, we collectively decided that social media wasn’t where we kept up with friends/family and is instead where we perform our values, prove our awareness, and demonstrate our worthiness as humans and business owners. And market our stuff.
And I’m here to remind us all: this is what’s burning us out.
This month also has shined a light on the days of the casual scroll are now officially on hospice.
Who wants to casually scroll when- lately I open an app to “just check real quick,” here’s what I get in 30 seconds flat:
Thirst trap
“Sensitive content” warning
An ad
A hot take
Nail tapping product affiliate link
Dog video (the only good thing)
More “sensitive content”
Another ad
Someone I’m not following’s unhinged rant
A carousel telling me I’m doing everything wrong
Blergh.
And we don’t think this is causing some brain damage and pushing people off social?
Spoiler alert: My brain hurts, We all have brain damage AND people are leaving social.
Friends our brains were simply not designed for this level of context-switching, doom-scrolling, rage-baiting, algorithm-manipulated chaos. We’re all walking around with fractured attention spans and cortisol levels that would make our ancestors weep.
So Here’s a Human-to-Human Social Media Follower Reminder I Feel You Might Also Need:
No civilian human owes me their thoughts on social media.
I can unfollow and unsubscribe from anyone at anytime.
No business owes me a post unless it’s about their business.
No human owes me an immediate hot take two seconds after some worldwide event happens.
Humans are allowed to change their minds when new information is presented to them.
I do not control my friends, family, or followers’ stances, feelings, or when/if they post about X thing.
The only control I have is how I choose to react. (that one i say to myself alot lately)
Now onto our cortisol and nervous system- for 10 minutes or an entire weekend:
Take a break from social
Remove social apps from your phone
Go for a walk without your phone (Scandelous)
Open the window and get some fresh air
Bake something
Pet an animal
Paint
Call a friend (an actual phone call)
Email your elected officials
All of this anxiety needs somewhere else to go besides essential strangers’ inboxes or comment section.
Because another spoiler: We’re all living through this together. You AND Me. Wow.
It’s heavy. Our nervous systems are maxed out. The world feels like it’s spinning faster than we can process.
And your soul? Your soul is never going to be here again. You are never going to have this day again.
This exact moment. This exact version of you. This exact life you’re living—it only happens once. And what are we doing- doom scrolling and arguing with people we’ll never meet or buy from on social.
Here lies the casual scroll Oct. 6, 2010 - Jan. 26, 2026
Not that you asked for it but here’s yet another piece of advice to myself (as someone also barely holding it together)
It’s OK to Stay in your lane.
Not in an apathetic way. Not in a “I don’t care about anything” way.
But in a “I’m going to protect my energy so I can actually show up for the things and people that matter most” to me way.
In a “I’m going to be thoughtful instead of reactive” way.
In a “I’m going to log off and live my actual life” way.
In a “My calling and mission is different” way.
So goodbye casual scroll. We’re killing iit with our hot takes, constant need for content, our performative activism, our algorithmic manipulation, and our collective inability to just... be quiet sometimes.
And honestly?
Maybe that’s not the worst thing.
Maybe it’s time we find better ways to connect, to care, to show up, to be intentional.
Maybe it’s time we stop outsourcing our humanity to platforms that were literally designed to keep us anxious and engaged.
I have faith in you.
I have faith in us.
Even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Even when your mental health is taking a beating.
Even when the news feed feels inescapable.
You’re allowed to step back. You’re allowed to not post. You’re allowed to not have all the answers. You’re allowed to protect your peace. You’re allowed to be human.
And that stuff matters more than any post ever could.