How Digital Overload Drains Us — and What Faith Can Do to Restore Us
Always on, rarely at peace.
We live in a time when screens are never off. Notifications ding. Messages pile up. The feed refreshes before we’ve even caught our breath. In all this connection, our souls grow weary.
We’re not just tired — we’re spiritually drained.
Anxious. Distracted. Spiritually thin.
The truth is, the more connected we become digitally, the easier it is to become disconnected emotionally and spiritually — from ourselves, from others, and from God.
What Does It Do to the Soul?
We don’t often stop to ask this. But we should.
What is all this scrolling doing to your heart?
What are the constant pings doing to your peace?
Studies show that constant digital exposure can increase anxiety, reduce focus, and fragment our emotions. But Scripture speaks deeper:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
This isn’t just physical rest — it’s emotional and spiritual rest, too.
And that’s something no screen can give.
How to Know Your Soul Is Overloaded
Here are a few signs your digital life might be suffocating your spiritual one:
- You feel restless when you’re not holding your phone
- You scroll to numb, not to engage
- You’re easily irritated, overwhelmed, or unfocused
- You’ve replaced prayer time with screen time
- You haven’t felt truly “still” in a while
These aren’t just habits — they’re signals.
Your soul is trying to breathe.
From Overload to Overflow
The goal isn’t guilt — it’s grace.
God isn’t calling you to toss your phone — He’s calling you to tune your heart.
Here are small but powerful ways to renew your soul in a digital world:
- Digital Silence: Begin and end your day without screens. Choose Scripture over swipes.
- Soul Check-ins: Ask yourself daily: “How’s my heart? How’s my connection with God?”
- One-App Sabbath: Choose one day a week to log off from a major app and replace it with quiet or Scripture.
- Curate Peace: Follow people who speak life. Mute those who stir anxiety or noise.
- Talk to God About Your Feed: Yes, pray over what you scroll. God cares about your digital life, too.
Your Soul Still Matters
We often protect our data more than we protect our peace.
But your soul is more precious than any profile.“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
— Proverbs 4:23
So pause.
Breathe.
Let Christ tend to your inner world, even while the outer world keeps refreshing.
A Prayer for the Tired Soul
“Lord, I’ve been overwhelmed by what I see and consume each day.
Quiet the noise around me.
Heal the distraction within me.
And help me rest — in You, not in my screen.”
Amen.
About the Author
Bryan K. Senfuma is a Digital Advocate and Writer at Najjanankumbi Seventh-day Adventist Church, and a columnist for Learning Curves Newspaper, where he shares insights on faith, technology, and purposeful living.