Digital Quiet | Nervous System Rest from Online Overload

May 23, 2025 1 min read
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Digital Quiet | Nervous System Rest from Online Overload – The Thought Co.

Digital Quiet

A practice of intentional disconnection to help your nervous system exhale.

Emotional regulation doesn’t just depend on what you feel. It’s shaped by what you consume. Constant alerts, noise, scrolling, notifications — they keep your nervous system in a low-grade state of alarm.

Digital Quiet is a deliberate pause. Not forever. Not dramatic. Just long enough for your body to reset. To be with yourself without 17 tabs open.

Start small:
• Turn your phone face down while you eat
• Mute notifications for 20 minutes
• Step outside without a device
• Let your eyes rest on something real — sky, tree, face

These micro-disconnections restore attention, reduce cortisol, and help your nervous system drop from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.

You don’t need to log off for hours to feel the shift. You just need a few, intentional moments of quiet. Every day.

Want more ways to emotionally regulate through body and mind? Explore the full Emotional Regulation Toolkit.