Mindful Search
Take control of your time online through conscious searching
Mindful search is a way to use the Internet wisely
If you ever find yourself tumbling toward a search engine spiral, the kind that overwhelms you with information whilst inhibiting your sense of wellbeing, chances are you could bring a little mindfulness into your time spent online.
Whether it’s being aware of how long you scroll, what you search, why you do search or how it makes you feel then you are already taking the right steps towards breaking your spiral of problem Internet use.
Fortunately, mindful search is a simple technique we can use to alter our unhealthy relationship with the internet and social media, providing a method for noticing when our current search spiral has spun out of control.
How to practice mindful search
Practising mindful search can be difficult at first, especially when the clawing grip of the Internet or social media won’t relent. However, this is the same as any form of mindful activity, and simply takes time to learn like any other skill.
To practise mindful search, remember to:
Take a few deep breaths away from your device before you search;
Continue to focus on your breath as you search;
Ask yourself questions like:
“Why am I searching this?”
“How does searching this make me feel?”
“How long am I spending on this search?”
“Is there something more productive I could be doing?”
If you find that the answers to these questions don’t have very positive responses then perhaps it’s a good time to put the device away and and focus on one of those productive things you could be doing instead.