Why does December, of all months, make us feel behind, overwhelmed, and weirdly glued to our phones? You weren’t made to scroll your way through Advent.

It’s supposed to be a season of joy and peace, but instead, we’re juggling gift lists, family expectations, stretched budgets, and late-night scroll sessions that leave us more anxious than rested.

This week we’re talking about why doomscrolling hits harder in December and how you can reclaim peace, presence, and attention with one simple routine: protecting the bookends of your day.

We’re talking about why our screens are so hard to put down in December and how Advent invites us into something deeper than curated joy and Pinterest tablescapes.

Here’s what’s inside the episode:

• Why doomscrolling feels worse during the holidays
• 4 hidden reasons your brain craves your phone at night (and what to do instead)
• How social media distorts your perception of Christmas without you even realizing it
• The truth about Advent waiting, and why your soul actually needs it
• A powerful morning + evening “bookend” practice to reset your attention this month

Let this December be different.

Resources & Next Steps:

🔲 Get Brick: A Digital Wellness Device to Help You Overcome Digital Distraction. You just tap your iPhone to it, and it activates a custom focus mode you’ve already designed. Tempting apps? Blocked. Helpful ones? Still accessible. Want to learn more or try Brick yourself? Get 10% off with my link here:👉https://julianneaugust.com/brick

Take the Screen Time Personality Quiz and get your 3-Day Digital Peace Plan - a free guide to help you reset your screen habits and reclaim your focus. 👉Screen Time Personality Quiz

📲 Grab Your Free Wallpapers Get your free gallery of truth-filled phone and desktop wallpapers, designed to help you pause, reset, and refocus every time you reach for your device. 👉Digital Wallpaper

Let’s Connect! Share your experiences by leaving me a voice message through Speakpipe on my website!

📩 Email: hello@julianneaugust.com

🌐 Website: julianneaugust.com

🎙️I would be so grateful if you followed the podcast and took a minute to leave a written review, it helps this message reach more listeners who need it!

Black Friday wants your money. Your phone makes it almost effortless to give it away. But what if the real cost isn’t your bank account but your peace?

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the psychology behind holiday marketing, especially the kind that targets you right on your phone. We’ll talk about why your screen is your biggest vulnerability this season, how shopping “deals” are engineered to hijack your attention, and how to stay grounded when the pressure to buy feels nonstop.

Whether you love Black Friday or dread it, you need a strategy to shop with intention and protect your peace. I’ll give you four simple practices you can use right now to stop impulse buying, keep your focus anchored in Christ and your phone from ruling your holiday mindset.

So, before you hit “add to cart” for the fifth time today… take a pause with me here first.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why your phone is the most powerful shopping tool retailers use (and how they target you)
• How to spot emotional marketing and avoid it
• The spiritual connection between Black Friday and Advent you might be missing
• What Hebrews 13:5 and Psalm 23:1 reveal about contentment in a culture of consumption
• 4 simple, biblical practices to shop with intention, not impulse
• One screen-free habit that can anchor your whole holiday season

Resources & Next Steps:

Take the Screen Time Personality Quiz and get your 3-Day Digital Peace Plan - a free guide to help you reset your screen habits and reclaim your focus. 👉Screen Time Personality Quiz

📲 Grab Your Free Wallpapers Get your free gallery of truth-filled phone and desktop wallpapers, designed to help you pause, reset, and refocus every time you reach for your device. 👉Digital Wallpaper

Let’s Connect! Share your experiences by leaving me a voice message through Speakpipe on my website!

📩 Email: hello@julianneaugust.com

🌐 Website: julianneaugust.com

🎙️Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave a written review, it helps this message reach more listeners who need it!

You open your phone to check one news headline… and before you know it, you're three disasters deep, your chest is tight, your mood’s wrecked, and you’re wondering why you feel so heavy and anxious all the time.

That’s doomscrolling. And it’s not just a bad habit, it’s a brain trap.

In this episode, we’re breaking down why you keep reaching for bad news even when it leaves you drained, how it affects your mental and physical health, and what to do about it. You’ll get real, science-backed tools (no fluff) to shift your habits and start living from a place of peace - not panic.

What you’ll learn:

• The scary reason your brain loves bad news (and how to interrupt the cycle)
• What the “quicksand effect” is and why it explains your screen-time spiral
• Signs that doomscrolling is wrecking your sleep, mood, and even your body
• 3 powerful strategies to break free without needing more willpower
• How to gently help someone you love who’s caught in the scroll
• A better way to stay informed without losing your peace

🎧 This isn’t about ignoring the world’s problems. It’s about refusing to be consumed by them. Choose one strategy, try it this week, and notice the shift. You don’t have to stay stuck in the scroll.

Resources & Next Steps:

Check out Episode 5 and download your FREE Guide to Grayscale with step-by-step screenshots to turn your phone into a calm, less-distracting space. 👉Guide to Grayscale

📲 Grab Your Free Wallpapers Get your free gallery of truth-filled phone and desktop wallpapers, designed to help you pause, reset, and refocus every time you reach for your device. 👉Digital Wallpaper

Take the Screen Time Personality Quiz and get your 3-Day Digital Peace Plan - a free guide to help you reset your screen habits and reclaim your focus. 👉Screen Time Personality Quiz

Let’s Connect! Share your experiences by leaving me a voice message through Speakpipe on my website!

📩 Email: hello@julianneaugust.com 📱 Instagram: @julianne.august 📘 Facebook: Julianne August

🌐 Website: julianneaugust.com

🎙️Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave a written review, it helps this message reach more listeners who need it!