Living on Purpose in a Distracted World

• By candidasullivan
• March 20, 2026
• No Comments

Do you live in distraction or intention?

We live in a time of constant information. Right now, there are millions of posts for us to read or watch. It’s hard to navigate social media in a healthy way. Once we open an app, we are exposed to others’ thoughts and emotions. Sometimes it feels like a whirlwind for me. 

One friend is happy and celebrating something wonderful. While another is navigating anger or complaining. And in an instant, I have felt all the emotions. 

As an empathetic person, I struggle to scroll without feeling everything. And the emotional scrolling takes a toll on me. 

Honestly, I don’t know how to navigate it all in a healthy way. But I wonder if it is disrupting my nervous system every time I take a peek into someone else’s life. I’ve noticed that scrolling through social media leaves me mentally, physically, and emotionally drained.

Therefore, I am going to post and ghost more. 

I want to live intentionally and focus on writing, reading God’s word, and choosing my thoughts. Instead of absorbing someone else’s energy and watching them live their lives, I am going to intentionally create the kind of energy I want and create my life. 

One morning, I had a to-do list, motivation, and a plan to get things done, but a social media post derailed me. I allowed someone else’s problems to affect me deeply. I spent hours thinking about it and analyzing it. I wasted my day on something that was none of my business. 

If I continue doing this, I will reach the end of my life and wonder where it all went. I want to write books and use my time to make a difference. Every day, I want to appreciate it and live as if I do. 

I didn’t write this to shame anyone, but to bring awareness. One day of no scrolling helped me tremendously. I didn’t feel a whirlwind of emotions. I felt calm and peaceful. Instead of sitting on my porch and scrolling, I talked with my husband and enjoyed the nature all around me. 

I was more productive all day. I realized that the harmless scrolling breaks throughout my day were really harmful to my mental health and productivity. Now, when I take breaks, I want to do something that energizes me and makes me feel good. 

While this might be different for everyone, sometimes it’s great to take inventory of how we feel and how we are spending our time. Then we can discover what we need to add or remove from our lives. 

I am going to add more movement, read encouragement, take prayer breaks, and write a few sentences more often. 

What about you? Are you willing to examine how you spend your time and make healthy changes?