We're all guilty of scrolling mindlessly on our phones, and the time lost can have far-reaching consequences. Menka Sanghvi explains the MORE method to being more mindful about your time online.
This article was published in the Welldoing Magazine on Aug 27, 2025
There's a particular feeling that arrives, with crushing familiarity, as you surface from a thirty-minute social media trance: the realisation that you've been scrolling without intention, without awareness, and — most distressingly — without any recollection of deciding to do so in the first place! One moment you were about to reply to an important email; the next, you're deep in a stranger's holiday photos.
Don't worry, this isn't a prelude to suggesting you throw your phone into the sea (though I'm sure the fantasy has its appeal at times). Rather, it's an invitation to consider a more aware and intentional relationship with these powerful supercomputers in our pockets—one in which our scrolling habits can have a meaningful role to play.
Understanding the scroll reflex
Before we can transform our scrolling habits, we must acknowledge what we're up against: our devices are designed to capture and retain our attention. The reflexive reach for our devices — that automatic motion toward the pocket, purse, or bedside table whenever there's a spare moment, a twinge of boredom, or a flash of discomfort — is not just us being careless with our attention, it's exactly what most apps are created to do.
Research reveals a fascinating neurological truth: our brains are flooded with far more dopamine while anticipating a reward than while experiencing the reward itself, which explains why the mere thought of checking notifications can be so compelling. Once we're in the app, algorithmically curated feeds exploit our curiosity gaps and appeal to our most ancient survival instincts to be in the know, keeping us locked in for much longer than we’d like. In other words, we zombie-scroll because we’re human!
The mindful scroll: The M.O.R.E. method
The M.O.R.E. method is a systematic approach to creating intentional digital habits through four essential steps: Mobilise, Observe, Reflect, and Experiment.
1. Mobilise – Connect with your intentions
One of the most powerful ways to move away from an unconscious habit is by creating a moment of intention. Each time you reach for your device, pause briefly and implement a simple ritual that connects you with your purpose. This could be as simple as taking three deliberate breaths before unlocking your phone, or simply asking yourself the question "Why?"
This momentary check-in isn't about judging your impulses or denying yourself access. It's simply about reinstating choice where habit has taken over. Sometimes, after this check-in, you'll still decide to scroll—and that's fine. The victory is in the awareness, not in a particular outcome.
2. Observe – Embrace curiosity
Once a day, set aside time to simply observe yourself without immediate judgment. When you find yourself mid-scroll, try shifting from unconscious consumption to curious observation.
Notice the time of day, the content that's captured your attention, and the sensations in your body. What emotions arise as you engage with different posts? Which accounts leave you energised, and which leave you depleted?
This practice transforms scrolling from a passive activity into an active investigation – an essential foundation for making changes.
3. Reflect – Analyse the patterns
Take time to process what you've observed by asking deeper questions: What patterns am I noticing? How does my scrolling align with what I value? What might my scrolling habits be telling me about my needs?
After analysing patterns with hundreds of clients, I've found that the emotional triggers for scrolling often cluster around five common states: boredom, anxiety, loneliness, mental fatigue, and decision avoidance.
Such insights convert raw observations into meaningful information that informs intentional change. You might discover that afternoon scrolling provides a needed mental break, while morning scrolling derails your productive start.
4. Experiment – Challenge yourself
Finally, run small experiments to discover what works for you:
- Set time limits for apps that trigger compulsive use
- Regularly audit which accounts you follow
- Create designated spaces and times for different types of content
- Try changing your physical environments (Do you scroll differently at a desk versus in bed?)
The key is approaching these changes as experiments rather than rigid rules for a “New You”. Remember, each provides valuable insights about your unique relationship with technology, and what helps you to feel in control again, might be useless for someone else.
From self-criticism to self-knowledge
The M.O.R.E. method offers a non-judgemental framework to help us explore our digital behaviours without amplifying negative feelings like shame or anger. Rather than pathologising screen time, this approach treats our digital life as simply another environment to navigate mindfully.
Instead of berating yourself for mindless scrolling, get curious. Your scrolling patterns can reveal your needs, fears, and desires — turning digital distractions into tools for self-knowledge. What am I truly hungry for when I reach for my phone? That Instagram account you check obsessively might reveal something about what you aspire to; the news site you can't stop refreshing might point to anxieties you haven't fully acknowledged.
This shift—from self-criticism to self-knowledge—is where the real transformation lies.
Remember it's an ongoing practice
The goal isn't to achieve some idealised state of digital nirvana. Such an aspiration only adds another layer of pressure to our already demanding lives. Instead, aim to gradually increase the proportion of intentional engagement over mindless consumption — and approach inevitable lapses with compassion.
After all, our relationship with technology isn't so different from our other relationships: it benefits from regular attention, clear boundaries, and occasional recalibrations when (inevitably) our situation changes and our needs from our devices change. That's why we call it a practice.
So the next time you find yourself emerging from a scrolling session wondering where you are, and how you got there, skip the negative self-talk and instead get into a scientific mindset. If you look closely, your mindless moments might just become your most mindful teachers.
Menka Sanghvi is a researcher, writer and social entrepreneur exploring the intersection of humanity and technology in the digital age. She is the co-author of Your Best Digital Life: Use Your Mind to Tame Your Tech