Shadowing Practice: Scrolling Is Ruining Your Ability to Think (here’s what I do instead) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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You used to be able to read a book for an hour,
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and now you can't even get through one paragraph without checking your phone.
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You used to have actual thoughts,
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your own thoughts, and now it feels like half of what comes out of your mouth is something
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that you saw on a reel three days ago.
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If this sounds familiar, this video is for you,
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because scrolling is actually doing something super dangerous to our ability to think.
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And I want to walk you through what's actually happening,
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And then I'm gonna share five things I do instead that have completely changed how my brain feels.
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If you're new here, welcome.
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My name is Veronica and on this channel I talk a lot about nervous system regulation,
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your attention, your focus, and dopamine.
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I actually have a free guide called Your Nervous System Reset that pairs really well with today's video.
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If you want to check it out,
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I'll leave the link in the description.
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Alright, so let's begin with part one and talk about what's actually happening to your brain?
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Why it feels like your attention span is gone and you can't think of anything original anymore.
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The answer is the network that produces original thinking is literally offline.
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There's a part of your brain called the default mode network
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and this is the part that comes online when you're not doing anything.
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When you're staring out a window,
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when you're enjoying your morning coffee without being on your phone.
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When you're walking somewhere and just looking around,
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taking in all the nature.
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I know it sounds like the boarding part of the brain,
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but it's actually really important because that's where original thinking happens.
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And the catch is this network only turns on when you're unstimulated,
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when you're not using social media,
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when you're not using your phone.
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The second you try to fill every single gap with input,
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it just shuts off.
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So if you fill every single quiet moment of your day with scrolling,
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this network never gets to come online.
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And this network is often offline for so many of us because our dopamine has been recalibrated.
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There's this amazing book called Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lemke.
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And I highly recommend this book to all of you guys.
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In the book, Dr. Anna Lemke describes how modern life messes with our reward system,
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with our dopamine.
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And her research shows that if you flood your brain with constant high dopamine inputs,
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like scrolling, social media, sugar,
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anything that gives you a quick hit,
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your brain tries to compensate.
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And the result is that your baseline drops below the level that you started with.
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Things that used to feel good in the past,
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like a slow walk in your neighborhood,
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or a conversation with a friend where no one is getting distracted by their phones,
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all of that now feels flat because something is missing.
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Quick dopamine hits are missing.
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And anything that requires friction to be interesting and rewarding,
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like reading this full book or learning a new skill,
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all of that starts to feel unbearable.
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Not because it actually is,
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but because your brain has been recalibrated.
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And those small, simple things just don't give you the same hit.
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They're not as interesting anymore.
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And they also require so much friction to get started and to continue.
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Like scrolling on TikTok is so much easier than reading this full book.
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It requires hours and hours of concentration and,
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you know, sitting down and actually focusing on the words and understanding all of the main lessons.
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And the most important thing I learned from this book is
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that it actually takes around four weeks of pulling back from all of those high dopamine activities to reset your baseline.
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Not three days, not a weekend dopamine detox.
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Four weeks.
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And most people who try to cut back actually give up on day five,
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right when it's about to actually start feeling better.
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So if you're trying to use your phone less right now and at the beginning it feels weird,
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boring, unusual, you probably have to wait four weeks to actually notice a significant improvement.
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Also in the past, what I would often say is that when I am scrolling,
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I am resting.
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It's how I am rewarding myself for a day of,
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you know, hard work, doing something,
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working, and so now I just want to scroll for an hour.
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But now I realize that in my case,
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and I think that's the case for most people, scrolling isn't resting.
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It's actually keeping you in freeze.
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You open the app, you zone out for an hour,
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and you tell yourself that you're decompressing.
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But somehow you get up feeling worse than when you started.
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You feel heavier, you feel numb,
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you feel so much more tired than in the very beginning.
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And I want to show you guess this framework in neuroscience called the polyvagal theory.
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It was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and it basically says that your nervous system has three states.
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One, two, three.
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There's safety right here when you're feeling calm, alert, present.
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There is fight or flight when you're feeling anxious, activated, and tense.
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And there is freeze when your body feels so overwhelmed then it just shuts down.
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You go numb, you check out, and time disappears.
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And that's exactly how I feel when I scroll on social media for hours and hours.
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Rest, good quality rest that actually makes you feel restful,
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can only happen in this safety zone.
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But scrolling doesn't put you on safety.
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Depending on how you feel,
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it can either put you in fight or flight,
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it can make you feel very angry, or in freeze.
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This is something that happens to me all the time.
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And so if we connect it back to your default mode network,
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that part of your brain can only turn on when you're in safety.
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Your original creative thinking happens when this network is online.
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Obviously not when you're in freeze.
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And so when I learned all of that,
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that's how I started noticing that,
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okay, when I scroll, I feel like I'm in freeze.
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And so that prevents me from truly resting.
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And that also prevents me from thinking clearly,
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from having all of those originally creative thoughts.
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It's a double loss.
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You don't get the rest you came for and you don't get your thoughts back either.
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Now in part two, let's talk about what I do instead to actually teach myself to think again.
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The first thing I do is I read out loud.
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When you read silently, especially after years of scrolling, your eyes just skim.
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You're reading a book the same way you're reading the comments on TikTok.
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Fast, surface level, looking for the next thing.
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But I noticed for myself that when I read out loud,
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that actually allows me to slow down.
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So I have two strategies.
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The first one is reading out loud,
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and the second one is reading while listening to the audiobook.
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Because this strategy works really great for me as well hearing my own voice
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or maybe an audiobook is very effective for me
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because my brain registers that very differently from passive reading
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and it also helps me take my focus back
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if i feel like okay right now i'm distracted that is okay
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because again in the past i always felt like it was
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so easy for me to read like 50 pages 100 pages it was so easy But now,
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sometimes, I feel like my attention and my focus are really struggling.
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And I need something to actually help me come back to the present moment.
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So I either start reading out loud or I just listen to an audiobook while reading at the same time.
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The second thing I do is I keep something in my hands.
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So it can be something super simple.
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like I think I told you guys in one of my previous videos that I always have a notebook on my desk.
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It's always open just like this so that if I have an idea,
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I want to doodle something,
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I can always use my notebook instead of picking up my phone.
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Because the thing is for many of us,
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the action of picking up our phones is already a habit.
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You know, just like holding your phone,
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picking it up every three minutes.
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It's a habit.
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And so instead of just,
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okay, now I'm not gonna do anything.
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I'm not gonna hold anything in my hands.
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That's often pretty hard.
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So what I propose instead is replacing it with something else.
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So on my desk, I have my notebook.
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I also have my lip balms that I really like to play with
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because they have these cute little attachments that allow me to hook them onto my bag,
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but usually I just keep them on my desk.
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And so if I feel like I want to just,
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you know, touch something, hold something in my hands i do
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that some other ideas
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that i can give you guys here is you can use a rubik's cube
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or maybe like a fidget toy i think they're called worry beads like something
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that you can hold in your hands
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because the idea here is not to tell you that okay now you don't need to you know hold anything
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Just like sit like this all day and that's it.
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All of these things are helping you to need something different.
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Something other than your phone.
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Because a huge part of why we even scroll isn't the content.
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It's the motion.
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It's having something in your hands.
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So replacing it with something low stakes and something fun is always better.
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The next thing I do is I walk without anything in my ears.
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This one has honestly been the hardest for me to even start because in the past,
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I was a huge productivity freak,
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a big perfectionist, and so I always wanted to optimize absolutely everything.
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Every single hour of my time,
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I was always listening to everything in 2x speed,
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and you know, every quiet moment,
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I wanted to habit stack things.
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So when I was walking somewhere,
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I was always listening to a podcast because I always wanted to learn new things.
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And I still do.
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But now I also understand the importance of the default mode network because I even notice it for myself.
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When I'm always listening to something,
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when I'm feeling every quiet moment with input, I feel more anxious.
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Like right before I fall asleep,
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that's the time all of those thoughts actually pop up
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and I'm like okay let's think now
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and now what I do instead is I create those moments during the day for my brain to be creative
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and to think and to process things
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and I think in general I can apply this habit to physical activities
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that you can practice without technology because you guys know I do yoga
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and there are
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so many different ways I can practice yoga like I can
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do it at home I can use my phone to watch like a video on YouTube
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and just practice this way or I can go outside.
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I can practice yoga outside in a park
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or maybe I can go to a yoga studio and be surrounded by people who are doing the exact same thing,
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who are all working towards the same goal and we're all not using our phones and that just feels so nice,
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you know, to be completely disconnected from the world for at least 60-90 minutes.
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Habit number four that I have implemented recently is I have one slow thing every single day that I refuse to optimize.
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It started with something super small and super simple like enjoying my morning matcha without my phone,
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without absolutely anything because it usually takes me around 5-10 minutes to drink this.
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And then I looked at other things that I did every single day that I can subtract my phone from.
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For example, in the past,
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every time I would go take a shower,
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I would always listen to a podcast.
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Now, I do it sometimes,
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but not every single time because I want to give my brain some time to actually relax and think freely.
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What all of this does is it teaches your nervous system that being unstimulated isn't dangerous,
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that it's actually very safe it might feel very new
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and very weird
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and usually you know in those quiet moments we start to ruminate on things we get a lot of thoughts
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because we never have those moments of quiet we're
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so used to picking up our phones the moment we feel
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bored here i also want to add one really important thing i don't want you guys to experience this all
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or nothing thinking like now you can never use your phone
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when you're cooking something let's say
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so basically you can never have it stuck that's not what
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i'm trying to communicate what i'm trying to say is sometimes
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it's nice to just be focused on one thing like cooking
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or cleaning or taking a shower
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and of course sometimes you can still you know go outside
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and take a walk while listening to music that's still totally okay The point is,
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create more moments during the day when you can feel bored because that is when your mind can actually wander
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and create all of those beautiful original thoughts.
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Alright and finally habit number five that I started doing is I'm slowly replacing my phone with single-use objects.
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Our phones feel impossible to put down not just because the apps are so addictive,
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it's also because our phones literally do everything.
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Your phone is your alarm clock,
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your camera, your journal, your book,
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your map, your music, your workout videos,
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the way you talk to your mom,
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your grocery list, your calculator,
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your calendar, your watch, you get the point.
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And yes, it's really great
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that all of this human progress has allowed us to have all of those things in just one device.
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Like, I'm really grateful for that.
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But at the same time,
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we have to recognize that sometimes when all you want to do is set an alarm,
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the next moment you realize that you're on TikTok scrolling because your phone literally has all of these apps.
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And so that's why now I'm slowly trying to add those single-use objects back into my life,
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like having a physical alarm clock next to my bed.
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Because now I don't really have an excuse, right?
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Like why do I need to have my phone next to me when I sleep?
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Okay, for an alarm, but I have a physical alarm clock.
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So now I can just leave my phone in here.
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Done.
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I have a real journal that I use and I write by hand.
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So I don't need my phone.
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And what I've been noticing for myself is
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that the more single-use objects I have in my home that can actually replace my phone,
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that makes my phone less magnetic.
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Like I'm starting to use it less and less and I'm actually starting to lose the habit of,
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you know, reaching for my phone every single time to set an alarm
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or to journal or to read a book because I don't really use my phone for that anymore.
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Alright, and finally in part 4,
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I actually want to talk about what you get back.
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What actually comes back when you start to put your phone down?
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The obvious thing is, yes,
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you get your attention back.
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You start to feel more regulated.
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You're more patient.
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You're more present in conversations.
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You can finish a book.
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You can sit through a movie.
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All of that is true.
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and it's so amazing.
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But the thing that I'm also noticing right now that's been happening to me is sensory awakening.
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What I mean by that is,
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for example, when I buy flowers for my house,
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now every time I pass by the flowers,
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I want to smell them.
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I want to touch them.
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If I see like a very interesting looking fabric,
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I immediately want to touch it.
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Like I feel like now I want to touch absolutely everything.
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The leaves of the trees outside,
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the texture of a stone.
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And this is honestly pretty new to me.
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And I think the reason why it's happening is because when you're scrolling,
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you're not really noticing anything in your physical environment,
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let alone you don't really get the thoughts of,
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hmm, I wonder what it feels like if I touch it.
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And also in the past,
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my brain didn't have any of the space to actually register it
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because it was full of all of that input that I was getting from somewhere else,
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from my phone, from social media.
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And the second thing is that your hands were busy because you were always holding your phone,
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you were always touching it,
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it was always right here.
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And your hands kind of forget what other things even feel like.
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Your sense of touch, which is one of the most regulating senses we have, just goes dormant.
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So when you put your phone down,
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your hands go looking for things to feel.
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They're waking up again.
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And it's honestly not just touch, it's everything.
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The sky looks more beautiful.
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The light in your kitchen at 4pm looks absolutely amazing,
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the way it never did before.
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The smell of your coffee hits differently.
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You can hear birds you never noticed lived in your neighborhood.
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Music sounds richer because now you're actually listening instead of just using it as background sound.
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So all of those things just feel amazing and they happen when you finally put your phone down.
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Alright guys, I think it's going to be it for today's video.
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If you liked it, please don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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Also, just a reminder, if you want to check it out,
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you can get my free nervous system guide.
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The link is going to be in the description.
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If you want to continue watching something,
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you can click right here.
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Otherwise, thank you so much for being here and I'll see you in my next video.
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Bye!
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel C1 se basa en el vídeo “Scrolling Is Ruining Your Ability to Think”. Este vídeo tiene 303 frases y 3087 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 18:05. El hablante habla a un ritmo natural de unas 171 palabras por minuto, cercano a una conversación cotidiana. El 86 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| scroll sustantivo | /skɹoʊl/ | rollo, pergamino |
| dopamine sustantivo | /ˈdoʊ.pəˌmin/ | dopamina |
| audiobook sustantivo | /ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/ | audiolibro |
| notebook sustantivo | /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ | cuaderno, libreta |
| bore verbo | /boɹ/ | aburrir |
| optimize verbo | /ˈɑptɪmaɪz/ | optimizar |
| numb adjetivo | /nʌm/ | entumecido, entumido |
| baseline sustantivo | /ˈbeɪslaɪn/ | línea basal |
| friction sustantivo | /ˈfɹɪkʃən/ | fricción |
| distract verbo | /dɪˈstɹækt/ | distraer, despistar |
| offline adjetivo | /ɔfˈlaɪn/ | offline, fuera de línea |
| reset verbo | /ɹiːˈsɛt/ | restablecer, resetear |
| regulate verbo | /ˈɹɛɡ.jə.leɪt/ | reglamentar |
| awaken verbo | /əˈweɪkən/ | despertar |
| decompress verbo | /diːkəmˈpɹɛs/ | descomprimir |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| pick up verbo | coger, asir | |
| check out verbo | investigar, chequear | |
| get back verbo | regresar | |
| get through verbo | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | aguantar, salir adelante |
| get up verbo | levantarse | |
| pop up verbo | aparecerse | |
| put down verbo | menospreciar | |
| shut down verbo | apagar |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- If you're new here, welcome.
- I'll leave the link in the description.
- It's actually keeping you in freeze.
- Obviously not when you're in freeze.
- I'm not gonna hold anything in my hands.
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verbo — un hábito o estado pasado que ya no es cierto | used to be · used to have · used to feel |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | has been recalibrated · was developed · be surrounded |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | has been recalibrated · have implemented · has allowed |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | people who try · people who are · touch, which is |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 67 contracciones y formas reducidas, como you're, I'm, don't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: friction /ˈfɹɪkʃən/, perfectionist /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: audiobook /ˈɔdi.oʊbʊk/, recalibrate /ˌɹiˈkæl.ə.bɹeɪt/, perfectionist /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/, calculator /kæl.kjə.leɪ.tɚ/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: scroll /skɹoʊl/, stare /stɛɚ/, stack /stæk/
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: overwhelm /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwɛlm/, addictive /əˈdɪktɪv/, activate /ˈæktɪˌveɪt/, passive /ˈpæs.ɪv/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: optimize /ˈɑptɪmaɪz/, propose /pɹəˈpəʊz/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como scroll, dopamine, audiobook.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.