Scrolling Isn’t Sabbath

Some Sundays back my dad taught on the fourth commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God (Exodus 20:8, NKJV). He spoke on the importance of having intentional rest days, and how God designed us to work, but also to enjoy the fruit of our labor.

While the Sabbath is no longer a strict ordinance punishable by death (yes, it was as drastic as that in the Old Testament), it is still something that was birthed in God’s heart. Today, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath and the rest our souls desire. And yet, God still wants us to have lives that are healthy and fulfilling, with a fruitful pace of work and a healthy rhythm of rest.

This led me to realize that while I’ve been taught much about productivity and work, I haven’t been taught all that much about actual resting. We plan for work, and we plan how to do more and get more done, but we rarely plan how to do less, sit back, and enjoy the time God has given us. How then can we cultivate healthy rhythms of rest? This is the question that has challenged me and led me to write this post.

The Beauty of Slow Living

The truth of the matter is that we all need rest, and God created us for it. He didn’t create us to produce 24/7 without ever stopping. Rather, He created us to work with Him, co-labor with the plans He has, and then take a moment to simply be. He created us to abide and not strive, which I spoke about in a post a few weeks back. We were created to enjoy God, enjoy our relationships, and enjoy the work God has given us.

The internet has been blowing up with content on slow living, offline living, pursuing analog hobbies, and taking social media rests. And with good reason. In a pursuit of meaning, many of us have forgotten to simply stop and smell the roses (pardon the cliche).

Why Scrolling Isn’t Resting

Many of us believe we are resting. But the truth is we are just consuming content and aimlessly scrolling on our phones. While scrolling may externally look like rest, it is far from it. In fact, research has shown that scrolling can lead to mental fatigue. When we scroll, our brains are going after one dopamine hit after another. And eventually, it takes more to feel that same “spark” than it did before, and so the cycle continues. But while the dopamine hits time and again, it doesn’t ever reach a sense of completion, and thus it leaves our brains weary, tired, and feeling like we just couldn’t get there. This is where short-form content, such as Reels, TikTok, Shorts, etc., can become an endless rabbit hole.

Scrolling has also been linked to feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Researchers have found that scrolling has a measurable impact on our attention span and our ability to focus. One twenty-year study found the average attention span on a screen has shrunk from two and a half minutes in 2004 to about 47 seconds today. Jumping from one screen to the next, and from one project to a social media app constantly, can fragment the way our minds focus.

So while it may look like rest on the outside, it is actually draining us slowly from the inside. Is it any wonder “brain rot” became such a famous term? We are, consciously or not, being bad stewards of our brains when we use social media without intentionality.

How To Cultivate a Healthy Rhythm of Rest

How then can we be intentional about cultivating rhythms of true rest in our lives? Here are some of the best tips and ideas I have come across while researching this topic:

Plan Your Rest Intentionally

Before you get a day off, or an evening off, plan for it! It is essential that you keep the plan loose though, or else it might turn into “another thing on the schedule” you simply have to do. So be intentional and flexible. If you have a day off, maybe write three things you have really wanted to do and pencil them in. If you get to them all, great! If you only did one, you can still celebrate. But guard your resting space fiercely. More often than not we will end up working or doing something that drains us because we didn’t intentionally plan to rest.

Spend Time With God

Rest days are the perfect days to “catch up” with God. Go for a prayer walk, write Him a letter, journal, read or listen to your Bible, do a Bible study with friends, etc. After all, the fourth commandment was all about keeping the Sabbath holy, right?

Stay Off Your Phone

This might be obvious at this point, but stay off your phone! Do a “screen-free” day, or a no social media Saturday. The key here is to not just stay off your phone, but plan an activity you will do to replace scrolling. Otherwise, you will just reach for your phone because it is easier and you don’t have anything else planned.

Do Something That Fulfills You

Think of the things you love doing, or the hobbies you’ve always wanted to try out. Rest days are perfect for this! Take some time to bake, sew, knit, color/watercolor, build a puzzle, read a good book, journal, go outside and explore, visit a new coffee shop, listen to music, etc. But whatever fun activity you choose, pick something that fulfills you and you will enjoy. Pick an activity that gives your heart space to breathe and be happy.

Spend Intentional Time With Friends and Family

Rest days are perfect for spending time with friends or family. Be intentional about it, and take the time to actually connect instead of being in the same room with a bunch of scrollers. Have meaningful conversations, tell stories, play games, or go somewhere special together.

Pay Attention to Your Energy Levels

The key to spending restful time is to pay attention to your energy levels. Maybe one weekend being with family and friends is refreshing, but another weekend you simply need space. That’s ok! Just plan according to your energy levels and make sure you are taking care of your relationships as well as your soul.

Use Screens Intentionally

Screens aren’t all that bad. But if you are going to use them (particularly on a rest day), do so with a plan. Watch a movie without looking at your phone. Make a YouTube menu and consume long-form content instead of Shorts. (I love this YouTube video about content banking.) Use your phone to listen to a podcast, audiobook, or fun playlist instead of reaching for it for social media. Long-form content is, in fact, way better for our brains than short-form content. So don’t feel bad for watching YouTube, just do so with awareness.

I pray that this post encourages you and challenges you about taking your rest life just as seriously as your work life. God cares deeply about both!

Thanks for reading,
Anna

Bibliography

Berger, Michele W. “Social Media Use Increases Depression and Loneliness.” Penn Today, November 9, 2018. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/social-media-use-increases-depression-and-loneliness.

Capuano, Cara. “Can’t Pay Attention? You’re Not Alone.” University of California, May 11, 2023. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/cant-pay-attention-youre-not-alone.

De, Debasmita, Mazen El Jamal, Eda Aydemir, and Anika Khera. “Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations.” Cureus 17, no. 1 (2025): e77145. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.77145.

Harvard Health Publishing. “Doomscrolling Dangers.” Harvard Health. Harvard Medical School, September 2024. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/doomscrolling-dangers.

Oxford University Press. “‘Brain Rot’ Named Oxford Word of the Year 2024.” Oxford University Press News, December 2, 2024. https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/.

Photo by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash