We are all being digitally traumatized

Feb 5
3 min read

Updated: Feb 26

There is a lot going on in this world right now. A lot. But that doesn't mean that we have to take on all of what is going on around us.

Unfortunately, we as empathetic people tend to absorb the trauma and dysfunction going on around us as if it were our own trauma. Kind of like a digitized download.

Digital trauma is the physical wear and tear caused by witnessing violence, constant pings, and high-conflict content through a screen.

Unfortunately, your brain doesn't always know the difference between a tragedy on a screen and a tragedy in real life.

You might think you’re in a safe space while scrolling through vile pictures or reading toxic captions from the comfort of your couch.

But while you’re "safe," your body is acting like it’s living that experience.

When you couple those images with constant notifications and controversial comments, your amygdala (the brain's alarm system) stays hyper-vigilant. It is preparing you for a fight... just in case you have to defend yourself in real life.

ODing on Cortisol

The problem is, we aren't actually fighting.

But because there is no physical outlet for that stress, cortisol floods the body. This stress hormone doesn't just sit there; it goes to work robbing you:

It robs your senses: You lose the ability to be present.
It drains your neurotransmitters: The "feel-good" chemicals like serotonin and dopamine get depleted.
It kills logic: You lose the ability to make sound, calm decisions.

When cortisol stays too high for too long, it keeps your blood sugar and blood pressure elevated. It increases pro-inflammatory insulin and literally damages your blood vessels.

This is why you can’t get rid of the "dis-ease" and why your labs never seem to improve.

Your body never gets a fair chance to restore.

The Defense Mechanism

We often say we want to be "on timing," but without a reset, you’re just a ticking time bomb. The trauma we see, feel, and hear gets embedded in our blueprint.

It isn't just a memory in your mind; it becomes a message in your cells. It alters your DNA expression (epigenetics), telling your body to stay in a permanent state of defense.

You work all day and be stressed, then you come home and hop on these devices and be stressed still. You’re literally trading one fight for another.

Get out the Algorithm Projects

This digital noise is a tool designed to keep you engaged.

Not engaged in your life, but engaged in a constant state of outrage and trauma-seeking. These "Algorithm Projects" are stealing your best energy.

We claim we don't have time to heal, but we find hours for the scroll. It’s time to stop giving our best energy to the machines and start doing the things that feed the soul.

Trauma is not only in the lived experiences; it is in the seen, the felt, and the heard.

If your eyes are seeing chaos, your body is feeling chaos.

Today, I’m asking you to choose Abstention. Take a break from the traumatic content and focus on the things that actually provide Vigor:

Feeling the sun on your skin or going for a walk.
Singing, writing, drawing, painting, or sewing.
Knitting, crocheting, or reading a physical book.
Working on the car, gardening, or yard work.
Moving your body and cooking a real recipe.

I myself have been indulging in just learning new things. I am learning how to draw, how to become a better writer (pen and paper), and even learning how to DJ (yup). lol Why? Because we are becoming way too comfortable with being digitally stimulated and programmed, and it is making us mindless. So to stay mindful, we have to interrupt the regularly scheduled program.