No to Doomscroll; Yes to Reboot

Elyse O'Kane discusses our need to disconnect from electronic devices so we can focus on the Lord — and on each other.

Navigating all our electronic devices can be so challenging! I know I’m getting older, but I think it can be crazy for the younger generation, too. Computers can freeze, emails can be delayed in reaching the intended person, batteries run low, calls can be dropped on our phone for absolutely no reason and messages left on voice mail sometimes don't show up until much later.

All of this can cause tempers to flare and leave us feeling terribly frustrated. Many times, the fix for these malfunctions is to turn off the computer or phone and wait a bit before turning the devices back on to allow time for things to reboot or refresh.

Needing a Time-Out to Recharge

Reboot. Refresh. What great words for this new year for me! After another bout of Covid, I could feel my brain and my body needing a break. I was feeling exhausted, foggy, a little sad and a bit lost My battery was running low. I was feeling so frustrated because I had not given myself any time to reflect on the things I needed and longed to do to make improvements for 2026. Spiritually, I felt dry and small things were beginning to get the best of me. I needed to “turn off” and reboot.

Making time for prayer plus talking to a dear friend and sharing what was happening made me realize that my "system" needed to be recharged. I desperately needed a time-out. Do you feel that way sometimes?

Our lives are consumed with so many things, concerns about our family, our children, grandchildren, the well-being and health of our friends, concerns about our own health, our jobs, finances, the condition of our world, and more. Maybe you could mention your own worries here, too. We all have them.

So how do we, as humans, "reboot"? I suppose there are many ways to do this; vacations, listening to our favorite music, having a glass of wine (or two), and getting a good night’s sleep are all helpful. But these are temporary fixes. Lent is that opportunity to schedule what is really refreshing.

For me, I need daily prayer, Scripture reading and quiet time with the Lord. Being still is such a gift! Silence is a rare commodity these days, but it is so healing. I don't think we are meant to always be "on." At some point we will malfunction. When we begin to become impatient, when our nerves are easily frayed, when we feel agitated, when we just want to scroll through our social media, perhaps that's a sign that we need to press that inner button and turn off for a while.

Take a Break

Our brains and our bodies need a break to get realigned, relaxed, renewed, revived. Then we are recharged and able to function properly. And everyone around us benefits.

There are a lot of “re” words in this writing; reboot, refreshed, recharged, realigned, relaxed, renewed, revived. That all sounds good to me! And maybe I can add another word to that list; rejoice! We are blessed in many ways and sometimes we can forget that.

Let's take care of our spiritual selves for the rest of this Lent so that we can extend our battery life and fulfill whatever God has planned for us.

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 Elyse O’Kane 
Images: Canva

About the author:

Elyse O’Kane is a wife, a mother and a grandmother. She is also a Catholic songwriter. Elyse recorded two albums, With All My Heart and A Time to Heal with all original compositions. She also enjoys writing spiritual reflections. Elyse is involved in her parish, St. Stephen the Martyr, in Lilburn, Georgia and relishes her time in Eucharistic adoration. You are invited to visit her website, ElyseOKaneMusic.com.