That Wasted Hour on Your Phone Here’s Why It’s Actually Necessary

That nagging feeling of being "on" all the time is familiar to almost every mom. 

You feel like you're drowning in responsibilities with zero margin, yet at the end of the day, you wonder where the time went and feel a pang of guilt over the minutes spent scrolling on your phone instead of keeping busy.

We decided to get honest and conduct a personal time audit to see if we truly have no time or if we're letting it slip away.

Cara’s audit revealed she spent an hour and a half on her phone, but the context is everything. 

She was "nap trapped" for an hour by her potty-training toddler, physically unable to do anything else. 

This sparked a crucial conversation about reframing that "scrolling time" not as a waste, but as a necessary mental break when you’re exhausted and literally can't move. 

It’s about giving yourself permission to simply be, without the pressure to be productive.

Meanwhile, Shawna’s audit showed the opposite, a day so packed with work-from-home duties and childcare that there was literally no time to stop until late at night. 

The fascinating part? She realized the act of tracking her time for the podcast put her "obliger" tendency into hyperdrive, making her even more productive out of a sense of duty.

The question is… was this a toxic revelation or a secret super power she can leverage later?

This highlights the invisible mental load and internal pressure many of us feel to constantly "show our work" and prove our value.

Ultimately, this experiment wasn't about scroll-shaming. 

It was about uncovering the truth behind our inner dialog, shaming us for misusing our time.

Maybe it’s time we start questioning the societal voices that demonize rest, and giving ourselves (and you!) the freedom to be honest.

The real problem isn’t the scrolling; it's the guilt that society has attached to rest.

TLFMTR (Too Long For Mom To Read):

• Scrolling isn't always wasted time; sometimes it's a necessary mental break.
  
  

• The pressure to be constantly productive is often rooted in our upbringing and societal expectations.
  
  

• Understanding your personality tendencies (like being an "obliger") can help you reframe and prioritize self-care (check out the last episode where we dig deeper on that).
  
  

• We challenge the default notion that spare moments must be filled with chores instead of activities just for you.

When you find an unexpected moment to yourself, what is your default activity, and how can you offer yourself more grace in that choice?

Remember, you are doing enough, and your need for rest is valid.

And if you’re spending a minute scrolling or doing something for yourself… good.

You’re Mom Enough and you deserve it. 

If you're looking for more support on your journey and want to continue the conversation with a group of moms who get it?

See you there!

Shawna & Cara