TLDR;
Lena talks about feeling like your life is boring and how to get out of that slump. She emphasizes that the feeling of boredom often stems from being disconnected from your own life by spending too much time on social media, comparing yourself to others. She gives practical tips to shift your mindset, reconnect with yourself, and find joy in everyday moments.
- Reduce social media consumption.
- Document your own life.
- Romanticize everyday moments.
- Remember you have free will to change your state.
- Go on side quests monthly.
The Problem: Why Your Life Feels Boring [1:27]
Lena starts by acknowledging that many people feel their lives are boring, days blur together, and they lack motivation. She clarifies that this feeling isn't because your life is inherently boring, but because you're not present in it. She shares her personal experience of spending weekends scrolling on social media, making excuses for her lack of engagement. Even after achieving things she thought would make her happy, she still experienced boredom. Social media makes it seem like everyone else is doing something exciting, leading to feeling like an audience member in your own life. Social media apps are designed to be addictive, constantly stimulating your brain and making real life feel less exciting. Studies show social media use triggers dopamine pathways, rewiring your brain to crave constant stimulation and increasing boredom rates.
Shift Your Identity: Become the Main Character [5:00]
To fix the problem of feeling bored, Lena suggests shifting your identity and start treating yourself like the main character of your own life. When you focus on your own world, your life will stop feeling boring because you're shifting your mindset and seeing things differently. She encourages viewers to affirm their commitment to becoming the main character. This starts with scrolling less on social media. Lena admits she used to doom scroll for hours and emphasizes that you can't reconnect with your own life if you're constantly consuming others' lives.
Practical Tips to Scroll Less [6:03]
Lena shares practical tips to help reduce scrolling. First, don't sleep with your phone next to you; charge it outside your bedroom to avoid scrolling before bed and immediately upon waking up. Second, set screen time limits on your phone for social media apps. In addition to setting screen time limits, set a timer for 15-30 minutes when you do scroll, and put your phone away when the timer goes off. She acknowledges that it's unrealistic to expect yourself to never scroll, which leads to her next point.
Document Your Life [7:16]
To stop being a side character in your own life, start documenting it, not for others, but for yourself. When you document your life, you're forced to look at it and pay more attention to yourself. By actively documenting your own life, you shift the attention you give to others back to yourself. Lena shares her experience of documenting her life daily for the past month, which has led to less doom scrolling, feeling more present, noticing little moments, living more intentionally, and feeling more gratitude. She documents her life by saving everything on Cove, including little moments, gratitude notes, music, helpful articles, and journal entries.
Using Cove to Document Your Life [8:02]
Lena describes Cove as a private space to organize and save anything without the pressure of social media. She uses it to post daily for a December lock-in, save healthy recipes, quotes, Bible verses, outfit inspiration, and cafe diaries. She's also created a shared cove with her girlfriends to post photos when they hang out. She loves going back to her coves to feel grateful and focus on her own life without comparing herself to others. She looks forward to capturing moments and uploading them to Cove because it helps her focus on herself. While Cove is her preferred method, she suggests using whatever works for you, whether it's a notes app or a journal, as long as you're documenting your life and focusing on yourself.
Romanticize Your Moments [10:15]
Lena emphasizes the importance of romanticizing every little moment to feel happy. This includes appreciating simple things like sunshine, morning coffee, music, and self-care routines. She connects this to the TikTok sound "I think I like this little life." She writes down three things she's grateful for daily, which helps her realize how blessed she is and notice the little things that make her happy. Studies show that writing down what you're grateful for lowers cortisol levels and makes you happier. The things you're grateful for can be simple, like waking up, nice weather, or quality time with loved ones. Practicing gratitude daily helps your mental health, confidence, and happiness.
Remember That You Have Free Will [11:36]
Lena shares an experience where she woke up in a bad mood and instinctively started scrolling for hours. She had an epiphany that she had free will to choose between rotting in bed or getting up and going outside. She chose to go for a walk and immediately felt better. She reminds viewers that they are the cause of their own pain and have the free will to choose to do something different. You can choose to leave the house, stop scrolling, start a project, work out, or post on social media instead of waiting for motivation. She encourages viewers to "do it scared, do it tired, do it unmotivated. Just do it."
Go on a Side Quest Monthly [13:05]
Lena suggests actively giving yourself little side quests once a month to add color and excitement to your life. Growth comes from discomfort, so try new things, whether it's wearing a different outfit, adding color to your space, picking up a new hobby, learning a language, trying a new restaurant, or reading a different genre of book. Actively seeking these little side quests will give your brain some excitement and create new neural pathways for joy. She shares her experience of doing a puzzle as a side quest, which brought her joy. Your side quest doesn't have to be expensive or take much energy; it's the little things that add up to make you happier.
Final Thoughts [14:34]
Lena concludes by reminding viewers that they're not alone if they're feeling lost, unmotivated, or like their life is boring. She encourages them to give their life the attention it deserves and to stop constantly watching others live their lives and start living their own.
