I relate so much to this Claudia! Like you, books are my passion and I've got 1200+ books on my Kindle! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the amount of choice on it, but I'm loathe to not buy a book I like the look of. I'm not on Instagram and only subscribe to a few writers on Substack (less than 15); I never watch the news and rarely read newspapers which may be considered irresponsible, but I find everything is presented so negatively, it feels damaging to my psyche. Retraining my brain is such difficult work, but I feel gentle awareness is the way to go and to be self compassionate too. Have a peaceful Sunday ✨️
Wow, 1200+ books on your Kindle? That is quite a choice. 😀 It's funny, but 1200 is the number of printed/analogue books I once had before I started to reduce the amount considerably (92 at the moment, I just bought 2 new ones this week 😇). It did it for various reasons, but the decision to live simpler and to choose mindfully what to have in my home played the biggest part. It helped when I worked in a library and had access to thousands of books 24/7 instead. 😄 I don't need to *have* them all any more, just reading them is fine most of the time. But having them all on a Kindle definitely has its charm. Tempting! But for me it would definitely also be overwhelming. 😉
Like you, I don't watch the news and rarely read newspapers any more for the same reason. I also choose my subscriptions on Substack carefully and only as many as I can handle and only those I really want to be part of actively and connect (about 25 at the moment). I feel honoured that I am one the few writers you subscribe to, Karen! Thank you so much! ❤️
You put it so well - "retraining my brain", that's exactly it, and it IS difficult. But invaluable, and I want to follow this path further. Have a peaceful week, Karen! ✨️
I do feel a little overwhelmed by all the books on my Kindle at times, but I can archive them and only see a few which helps! Living on a narrow boat with little space means I try to own things I love and use every week. Retraining our brains is such tough work, but sharing experiences really helps me to find clarity 💚
This post was so validating and made me realise I'm not alone in feeling this way Claudia, so thank you! Accepting that as HSPs especially, our nervous systems aren't really equipped to deal with a lot of the modern digital stressors has been tough for me, and recently I've felt so similar to you and so on edge. It's so helpful reading the insight and suggestions you have for helping relax the nervous system, and it gives me hope I can continue to heal mine too, in time.
I'm so glad you felt seen and less alone, Gina! It makes me happy that you find my insights and suggestions helpful! It's quite tough as an HSP with these modern stressors, I couldn't agree more, and it's not easy to accept and live accordingly, but as much as I'm still trying to find my way, this is what I have come to know: It's especially important to take very good and extra care of our nervous systems because there are so many stressors out there, and whilst we cannot control everything, it is all the more important to take good care of the things we can influence. Take care, Gina! 🌷💛
This is such a relatable post Claudia and so me right now. I am finding more and more being on a screen really affects my system, hence why I have been quieter to read posts at present. I think it may be to do with the time of year too, even though I tune into the simple peaceful and quiet, the consumerism and busyness of the season still seems to find me; I am avoiding my emails present for that reason! Thank you - it is good to know I am not alone in my HSP need to care for myself so much harder in a way most do not understand 🙏✨💕
Thank you for reading, Clare, and for your sharing how you feel right now. You are not alone. 💕 The season with all its busyness and consumerism seem to put even more pressure on our nervous system and it can be difficult to avoid it. I'm glad that we made a lot of changes over the year within our family: no presents, for example, no perfect dinner, just sitting together on Christmas Eve, sharing supper to which everyone brings something, talking, laughing, enjoying each other's company. My husband and I don't go to Christmas markets, don't buy a Christmas tree and avoid shopping even more than the rest of the year. These decisions have helped me a lot to create a less stressful December.
I can relate to your email avoidance. I stopped notifications for new emails altogether and just open the email app if I feel stable or balanced at the moment.
It's a bit of a journey aye getting away from all those bits and snippets of information! Loved reading what has worked for you. As you know I'm on that same journey.
I feel the same about notes by the way, I've been trying to make an effort because I know it can lead to more readers, but it can be an overwhelming place!
Thank you, Sophie! I enjoy swapping ideas about how to cope with this overwhelming modern, digital, and technology-heavy life so that we can support each other and feel that we are not alone in this. :)
I get this so much, Claudia. Like you, I grew up before the internet, before social media. Lately, I’ve realised I really have to put limits on it all. I do quite enjoy writing my Tea Time Thoughts notes… I sit with a cuppa, slowly, mindfully, giving myself a moment to just be ☕
I also give myself 5 minutes to look through notes from others, and I aim to read at least 3 long-form posts a day, depending on what else I’ve got going on. I like to really take it in, comment, or restack quotes that spark something. Any more than that and I wouldn’t be able to process it or let anything settle.
And my paper books and magazines… oh, the pile waiting. Boundaries with online life feel more important than ever. It’s a practice, a constant one, but giving my nervous system this space, this quiet, makes such a difference.
Screenless weekends have really helped too -- I feel so refreshed by Monday! 🫶
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Dana! It's so helpful to have a clear strategy, isn’t it? So that we are in charge what we let in and how much. Screenless weekends sound great, I love to try that. I haven’t managed two days every week yet.
It’s definitely helpful to have a clear strategy. I actually started with just one day off at the weekend, usually Sunday, because that’s when my husband and I go for longer walks. Then, when I was working full-time, I noticed I felt so much better when I had the full weekend off (I was on a one-on, one-off rota). That’s when I decided to make both weekend days screenless, so I could get a full refresh.
These days, I also do a 6pm shut-down on weeknights, like a shop closing. I’ll reply to close family on WhatsApp, but that’s about it. Having that space and quiet has made such a difference 🫶
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Dana. Great ideas for adjustments and experimenting what might work well for us. ❤️ I'm excited to try them out myself. 😊 Always reassuring to see that we have options in a world that sometimes feel overwhelming. 💕
Yes, experimenting really is the key, isn’t it? I love that you’re exploring what feels grounding for you, and I hope you keep discovering rhythms that feel truly nourishing in your life ❤️
Such a good thing to think about Claudia! I'm not really a doomscroller, and I am also, just like you, not so good with Notes 🤭 But I think I can do better. So thank you for this reminder of all those little snippets that still ask for my attention. Oh, the book recommendations, I so hear you.... 😄
Wonderful and useful post for so many of us trying to get a handle on how to limit our time online. I once had an employee who shared many of my same interests. This was fun, but we soon realized that it could get in the way of getting a days work done. So we set an alarm clock whenever we were in the same room together!!! It worked! Little by little we began to intuit that we needed to 'get back to work! even before the alarm went off. We could still talk each other's ears off at another time. I also had a boss who occasionally would wear a deerstalkers cap at his desk. We all knew that that meant we were not to disturb him. unless the place was on fire! :-)
On a more serious note, this post would make a wonderful start for a book on "Online Selfcare". Please know I understand you are trying to quiet your mind and nervous system down, so please don't feel the need to respond with anything now. Totally okay to be good to yourself!!!! :-)
Thank you so much for your kind words, Sandy! ❤️ Also for sharing your story. It made me laugh, but at the same time there are some excellent ideas in there which also might work for others. So useful to share ideas, isn't it?
Thanks for saying this, Sandy, so understanding and kind of you. 🥰 I love connecting with you all here, sharing thoughts, experiences and ideas, and I feel surrounded by like-minded people which is a great joy! But I do check in with myself to see when and how much is possible at a time. ☺️ Have a lovely week! ✨️
The nature audiobook sounds great. I’m older (60) and haven’t listened to an audiobook yet. I feel like I have so many thoughts going on in my head already, do I need to add one more voice to it all. Possibly I may have ADHD. I also have a folder titled “Sunday reading” that keeps getting larger & I do think I’m just going to delete the damn thing haha. Some thoughts I’ve had recently, and I used to read a ton as a child.. are we truly living while we spend our time reading about someone else’s real or fictional life? If we spend many of our hours in a book or online, are we living less & just passively consuming? If someone reads a book a week, is the knowledge from the book enriching enough that we spent hours & hours in a chair, not actively living? How much time are creative artists creating vs reading?
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Holly! You've posed some really interesting questions here.Exploring these questions could be an excellent topic for an entire post. 😊 In short, I think, it's very subjective and depends on the reasons why you read and maybe also what you choose to read. For me I can say, I'm interested in so many fields, topics and aspects, countries and landscapes, history and sciences, I couldn't fit it all in one single life if I had to live it instead of having the chance to read about it. Also, I wouldn't have the financial means to travel everywhere I'd like to go or study every subject. I enjoy reading non-fiction mostly now because it teaches me a lot and enriches my life and knowledge of the real world deeply. So it doesn't feel passive or a waste of time for me. But it's probably different with fiction - or I might add watching TV, sport events, following the yellow press' stories or something like that. Also about creating vs. reading: 2025 has been a very prolific writing year for me, and I've only read about half the number of books than in other years, so absolutely, creating comes first and as a writer I find it so important to listen to my own voice foremost and try to capture it in my texts. Reading other books can distract. But as a language and word enthusiast, I love to explore how others carefully put their chosen words to produce a remarkable text. It can be so beautiful and therefore enriching for me too. After all, words, language, writing are a big part of my real life. ☺️
I relate (by the way, I am also an HSP and introvert) ! I notice I grab my phone mindlessly way too often, and it is wreaking havoc on my nervous system. I want to try and sit with the feeling of boredom more, to not feel the need to fill every minute. On days that I do manage, time seems a lot more spacious and I feel calmer. What is the name of the nature audiobook you are currently listening to? It sounds interesting. I'm off to sit in my armchair now, with a cup of cocoa, listening to the rain. Hope you'll have a lovely Sunday evening ❤️
Thank you, Christine! I hope you had a calm & lovely time in your armchair with your cocoa and listening to the rain. Sounds very cosy! ❤️ (One of my favourite pastimes. By the way, I love the Marzipan-flavoured cocoa. Have you tried that one by any chance?) The book is called "The Farthest Shore: Seeking solitude and nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in winter", written by Alex Roddie. I'm halfway through and I'm loving it so far. It has an additional layer of interest for me - and fits perfectly with this post - because he walked this trail at the time (2019) to get away from the internet, the flood of emails, the constant noise of Twitter and being online all the time ...
A very reflective post Claudia ❣️ You are right in what you point out here. Too much time on Social media are not good for any of us. I have started to limit myself a bit because that is needed. I feel it in my whole body if it gets to much. I pause and do like you. I have challenges quite similar to yours. We have to take care of eachother , that is most important. Take care❣️
Thank you, Tony! It's good to know that one isn’t alone with these challenges, and it helps to share and talk about it. Yes, we have to take care of ourselves and of each other, I so agree! Take care, Tony, and have a lovely Sunday and a beautiful week ahead! 🩷💕
I relate so much to this Claudia! Like you, books are my passion and I've got 1200+ books on my Kindle! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the amount of choice on it, but I'm loathe to not buy a book I like the look of. I'm not on Instagram and only subscribe to a few writers on Substack (less than 15); I never watch the news and rarely read newspapers which may be considered irresponsible, but I find everything is presented so negatively, it feels damaging to my psyche. Retraining my brain is such difficult work, but I feel gentle awareness is the way to go and to be self compassionate too. Have a peaceful Sunday ✨️
Wow, 1200+ books on your Kindle? That is quite a choice. 😀 It's funny, but 1200 is the number of printed/analogue books I once had before I started to reduce the amount considerably (92 at the moment, I just bought 2 new ones this week 😇). It did it for various reasons, but the decision to live simpler and to choose mindfully what to have in my home played the biggest part. It helped when I worked in a library and had access to thousands of books 24/7 instead. 😄 I don't need to *have* them all any more, just reading them is fine most of the time. But having them all on a Kindle definitely has its charm. Tempting! But for me it would definitely also be overwhelming. 😉
Like you, I don't watch the news and rarely read newspapers any more for the same reason. I also choose my subscriptions on Substack carefully and only as many as I can handle and only those I really want to be part of actively and connect (about 25 at the moment). I feel honoured that I am one the few writers you subscribe to, Karen! Thank you so much! ❤️
You put it so well - "retraining my brain", that's exactly it, and it IS difficult. But invaluable, and I want to follow this path further. Have a peaceful week, Karen! ✨️
I do feel a little overwhelmed by all the books on my Kindle at times, but I can archive them and only see a few which helps! Living on a narrow boat with little space means I try to own things I love and use every week. Retraining our brains is such tough work, but sharing experiences really helps me to find clarity 💚
Me too, Karen, it's so helpful. 💚
I understand opting out of the news, Karen. I stopped watching it in the pandemic. I couldn't take the mass negativity anymore 🙏
Me neither. Sometimes people tell me it's irresponsible not to know what's going on in the world, but everything is so negative as you say.
“Is what I’m planning to do good for my nervous system? Is it really important to do? Do I need the info now? Will I benefit
Such wise questions!
This post was so validating and made me realise I'm not alone in feeling this way Claudia, so thank you! Accepting that as HSPs especially, our nervous systems aren't really equipped to deal with a lot of the modern digital stressors has been tough for me, and recently I've felt so similar to you and so on edge. It's so helpful reading the insight and suggestions you have for helping relax the nervous system, and it gives me hope I can continue to heal mine too, in time.
Take care (:
I'm so glad you felt seen and less alone, Gina! It makes me happy that you find my insights and suggestions helpful! It's quite tough as an HSP with these modern stressors, I couldn't agree more, and it's not easy to accept and live accordingly, but as much as I'm still trying to find my way, this is what I have come to know: It's especially important to take very good and extra care of our nervous systems because there are so many stressors out there, and whilst we cannot control everything, it is all the more important to take good care of the things we can influence. Take care, Gina! 🌷💛
This is such a relatable post Claudia and so me right now. I am finding more and more being on a screen really affects my system, hence why I have been quieter to read posts at present. I think it may be to do with the time of year too, even though I tune into the simple peaceful and quiet, the consumerism and busyness of the season still seems to find me; I am avoiding my emails present for that reason! Thank you - it is good to know I am not alone in my HSP need to care for myself so much harder in a way most do not understand 🙏✨💕
Thank you for reading, Clare, and for your sharing how you feel right now. You are not alone. 💕 The season with all its busyness and consumerism seem to put even more pressure on our nervous system and it can be difficult to avoid it. I'm glad that we made a lot of changes over the year within our family: no presents, for example, no perfect dinner, just sitting together on Christmas Eve, sharing supper to which everyone brings something, talking, laughing, enjoying each other's company. My husband and I don't go to Christmas markets, don't buy a Christmas tree and avoid shopping even more than the rest of the year. These decisions have helped me a lot to create a less stressful December.
I can relate to your email avoidance. I stopped notifications for new emails altogether and just open the email app if I feel stable or balanced at the moment.
Wishing you some peaceful and quiet time! ✨
Thank you Claudia; I am learning to say no gently too, as someone who follows the seasons I am
Sure you can relate how, like nature our bodies and minds need rest during Winter. Have a peaceful rest of December🍃💕
I sure can, Clare. Thank you! 😌
It's a bit of a journey aye getting away from all those bits and snippets of information! Loved reading what has worked for you. As you know I'm on that same journey.
I feel the same about notes by the way, I've been trying to make an effort because I know it can lead to more readers, but it can be an overwhelming place!
Thank you, Sophie! I enjoy swapping ideas about how to cope with this overwhelming modern, digital, and technology-heavy life so that we can support each other and feel that we are not alone in this. :)
I get this so much, Claudia. Like you, I grew up before the internet, before social media. Lately, I’ve realised I really have to put limits on it all. I do quite enjoy writing my Tea Time Thoughts notes… I sit with a cuppa, slowly, mindfully, giving myself a moment to just be ☕
I also give myself 5 minutes to look through notes from others, and I aim to read at least 3 long-form posts a day, depending on what else I’ve got going on. I like to really take it in, comment, or restack quotes that spark something. Any more than that and I wouldn’t be able to process it or let anything settle.
And my paper books and magazines… oh, the pile waiting. Boundaries with online life feel more important than ever. It’s a practice, a constant one, but giving my nervous system this space, this quiet, makes such a difference.
Screenless weekends have really helped too -- I feel so refreshed by Monday! 🫶
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Dana! It's so helpful to have a clear strategy, isn’t it? So that we are in charge what we let in and how much. Screenless weekends sound great, I love to try that. I haven’t managed two days every week yet.
It’s definitely helpful to have a clear strategy. I actually started with just one day off at the weekend, usually Sunday, because that’s when my husband and I go for longer walks. Then, when I was working full-time, I noticed I felt so much better when I had the full weekend off (I was on a one-on, one-off rota). That’s when I decided to make both weekend days screenless, so I could get a full refresh.
These days, I also do a 6pm shut-down on weeknights, like a shop closing. I’ll reply to close family on WhatsApp, but that’s about it. Having that space and quiet has made such a difference 🫶
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Dana. Great ideas for adjustments and experimenting what might work well for us. ❤️ I'm excited to try them out myself. 😊 Always reassuring to see that we have options in a world that sometimes feel overwhelming. 💕
Yes, experimenting really is the key, isn’t it? I love that you’re exploring what feels grounding for you, and I hope you keep discovering rhythms that feel truly nourishing in your life ❤️
Thank you. ❤️
Such a good thing to think about Claudia! I'm not really a doomscroller, and I am also, just like you, not so good with Notes 🤭 But I think I can do better. So thank you for this reminder of all those little snippets that still ask for my attention. Oh, the book recommendations, I so hear you.... 😄
And good luck of course!
Thank you, Hilda! Haha, I'm sure I can't keep the book recommendation moratorium for long ... but I intend to do better with the other ones. 😄
🤭
Wonderful and useful post for so many of us trying to get a handle on how to limit our time online. I once had an employee who shared many of my same interests. This was fun, but we soon realized that it could get in the way of getting a days work done. So we set an alarm clock whenever we were in the same room together!!! It worked! Little by little we began to intuit that we needed to 'get back to work! even before the alarm went off. We could still talk each other's ears off at another time. I also had a boss who occasionally would wear a deerstalkers cap at his desk. We all knew that that meant we were not to disturb him. unless the place was on fire! :-)
On a more serious note, this post would make a wonderful start for a book on "Online Selfcare". Please know I understand you are trying to quiet your mind and nervous system down, so please don't feel the need to respond with anything now. Totally okay to be good to yourself!!!! :-)
Thank you so much for your kind words, Sandy! ❤️ Also for sharing your story. It made me laugh, but at the same time there are some excellent ideas in there which also might work for others. So useful to share ideas, isn't it?
Thanks for saying this, Sandy, so understanding and kind of you. 🥰 I love connecting with you all here, sharing thoughts, experiences and ideas, and I feel surrounded by like-minded people which is a great joy! But I do check in with myself to see when and how much is possible at a time. ☺️ Have a lovely week! ✨️
The nature audiobook sounds great. I’m older (60) and haven’t listened to an audiobook yet. I feel like I have so many thoughts going on in my head already, do I need to add one more voice to it all. Possibly I may have ADHD. I also have a folder titled “Sunday reading” that keeps getting larger & I do think I’m just going to delete the damn thing haha. Some thoughts I’ve had recently, and I used to read a ton as a child.. are we truly living while we spend our time reading about someone else’s real or fictional life? If we spend many of our hours in a book or online, are we living less & just passively consuming? If someone reads a book a week, is the knowledge from the book enriching enough that we spent hours & hours in a chair, not actively living? How much time are creative artists creating vs reading?
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Holly! You've posed some really interesting questions here.Exploring these questions could be an excellent topic for an entire post. 😊 In short, I think, it's very subjective and depends on the reasons why you read and maybe also what you choose to read. For me I can say, I'm interested in so many fields, topics and aspects, countries and landscapes, history and sciences, I couldn't fit it all in one single life if I had to live it instead of having the chance to read about it. Also, I wouldn't have the financial means to travel everywhere I'd like to go or study every subject. I enjoy reading non-fiction mostly now because it teaches me a lot and enriches my life and knowledge of the real world deeply. So it doesn't feel passive or a waste of time for me. But it's probably different with fiction - or I might add watching TV, sport events, following the yellow press' stories or something like that. Also about creating vs. reading: 2025 has been a very prolific writing year for me, and I've only read about half the number of books than in other years, so absolutely, creating comes first and as a writer I find it so important to listen to my own voice foremost and try to capture it in my texts. Reading other books can distract. But as a language and word enthusiast, I love to explore how others carefully put their chosen words to produce a remarkable text. It can be so beautiful and therefore enriching for me too. After all, words, language, writing are a big part of my real life. ☺️
I relate (by the way, I am also an HSP and introvert) ! I notice I grab my phone mindlessly way too often, and it is wreaking havoc on my nervous system. I want to try and sit with the feeling of boredom more, to not feel the need to fill every minute. On days that I do manage, time seems a lot more spacious and I feel calmer. What is the name of the nature audiobook you are currently listening to? It sounds interesting. I'm off to sit in my armchair now, with a cup of cocoa, listening to the rain. Hope you'll have a lovely Sunday evening ❤️
Thank you, Christine! I hope you had a calm & lovely time in your armchair with your cocoa and listening to the rain. Sounds very cosy! ❤️ (One of my favourite pastimes. By the way, I love the Marzipan-flavoured cocoa. Have you tried that one by any chance?) The book is called "The Farthest Shore: Seeking solitude and nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in winter", written by Alex Roddie. I'm halfway through and I'm loving it so far. It has an additional layer of interest for me - and fits perfectly with this post - because he walked this trail at the time (2019) to get away from the internet, the flood of emails, the constant noise of Twitter and being online all the time ...
Thanks so much for the book recommendation, I have added it to my reading list. Sounds exactly what I need right now too. ❤️
My brother lives in Lübeck and sometimes brings me Niederegger cocoa. It really does taste like Christmas in a cup!
Perfect, I hope you enjoy it. 📖 😊
Ha, that’s exactly the cocoa I was talking about (and you're right, it does taste like Christmas in a cup). 😍 I live in Schleswig-Holstein too ...
I identified with this SO much. A good prompt for me to be more aware this coming week. ♥️
Thank you, Christina, I'm so glad it's helpful. I wish you a calm & lovely week! Take care! ❤️
A very reflective post Claudia ❣️ You are right in what you point out here. Too much time on Social media are not good for any of us. I have started to limit myself a bit because that is needed. I feel it in my whole body if it gets to much. I pause and do like you. I have challenges quite similar to yours. We have to take care of eachother , that is most important. Take care❣️
Thank you, Tony! It's good to know that one isn’t alone with these challenges, and it helps to share and talk about it. Yes, we have to take care of ourselves and of each other, I so agree! Take care, Tony, and have a lovely Sunday and a beautiful week ahead! 🩷💕