I don’t know why, but I woke up today feeling… romantic.

Not about anyone in particular—more like a soft ache in the chest, the kind of mood where light seems golden, and small things stir the heart. At the same time, my body isn’t cooperating—headache, itchy skin, a creeping sense that maybe I’m allergic to something I ate. I took the medication. So now, I wait, letting the remedy do its quiet work.

*Get well soon, my dear self.*

I whisper that like a blessing. Not just for the body, but for the mind too. Because today I also noticed how deep I’ve fallen into certain habits—especially the quiet, compulsive pull of social media.

This morning I worked on a piece about our addiction to scrolling. I’ll share it soon when it’s more polished, but the writing process itself felt cleansing. And maybe it helped spark a small breakthrough—because today, I did something different.

I only spent ten minutes on Instagram.

That’s a small miracle, considering how easy it is to lose whole hours inside that vortex. What made the difference? A humble little app called *Screen Zen*. I set it to allow just five minutes each time I check in, and when time’s up, the screen fades to black. Yes, I can still open it again—but that brief blackout is surprisingly powerful.

At 4 p.m., I reached for my phone and instinctively tapped on Instagram. The Screen Zen message popped up: *“Do you really need to check in now?”* And I paused.

*Do I really need to check in?*
…Well, no. Not really.

I put the phone down. That tiny moment felt like gold. A few seconds where my awareness returned to me, gently, like sunlight behind the clouds.

It’s such a quiet kind of victory—to notice the impulse and choose otherwise. And I’m learning that self-love doesn’t always look like candles or long baths. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a pause. A breath. A tiny no to distraction, and a soft yes to clarity.

Maybe that’s what this romantic feeling is about. Not romance in the classic sense—but intimacy with the self. A return to my own presence. A softness in the middle of a restless world.

So yes, I’m still a little itchy and a bit foggy-headed. But something in me is healing.

Cheers,

Karin Sabrina

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