You're Too Smart for Scrolling
You heard me. Digital diet edits, architect energy, beauty recs & brain food.
Hi angels! Before we dive in, I just wanted to say thank you for all the messages lately and all the love on my latest posts!!!! Couldn’t be happier that you’re loving the newsletter, but I’ve gotten so many inquiries (and not-so-subtle pressure, lol) about bringing the Too Smart For This podcast back. And you know what? You’re right. I miss it too. Look out for something new this week 👀 a new plan for how to get you the content you want is in the works!
Now let’s get into this week’s Smart(er?) Sundays.
💭 A NOTE TO START 💭
I’ve had a lot of time alone post-Wharton to get back to my own rhythm, which I’m recognizing has completely transformed since I last lived in New York. Sitting with yourself can be very overwhelming, and I am the type who wishes I had already processed this transitional time. But we have to let the process unfold. Yawn.
I was coping by filling out the early prompts of the Too Smart For This journal (yes, I actually use it), and one thing hit me hard: I can still be so mean to myself. Even now. Even during times that are supposed to be celebratory. The voice in my head is still programmed for pressure, not peace.
And with the nature of my job, social media can be a major trigger that makes me even more (!!!) hard on myself. This week, I’m sharing with you a tactic I revisited that has transformed my relationship with the internet.
We don’t talk enough about how much your inputs shape your self-concept. Everyone knows that social media can be “bad for your mental health,” but what if you did everything in your power to make it an abundant place for yourself? What if you were more intentional about your digital diet?
P.S., the science supports that doomscrolling leads to “headaches, anxiety, neck and shoulder tension, disrupted sleep, elevated blood pressure, and even reduced life satisfaction when done for hours at a time.” So it’s not just abstractly “unhealthy,” it’s legit not healthy!!!
This week’s Smart Girl Summer focus is:
🪞Clean up your inputs🪞
How to Feel Smarter This Week:
Take it from someone who worked at a social media platform: algorithms are mirrors. What you consume and interact with comes straight back to you because it tells the machine that you like it. Bad news: anything that makes you feel bad, you allowed on your screen, and anything you love, you have the potential to see more of.
How can you use this to your advantage? By shifting how you consume. Here’s what I’ve done:
I made a burner TikTok or Instagram where I only engage with uplifting or calming content. Choose 5-10 accounts that post content that you genuinely love, and follow them on the new account. The algorithm will continue to send you more related content and you’ll have a new digital space that nourishes your interests.
And click “not interested” if you’re served something that doesn’t sit right with you. It’s not hard! Block people if you want! It’s fun!
Replaced the random IG scroll with Pinterest + Substack. A little hack: I just reconfigured my home screen to put Pinterest where the IG app was and Substack where the Twitter app was. Still pretty pictures and stimulating content, just not things that trigger me before I even brush my teet!
I unfollowed anyone who pissed me off or I didn’t care about. How many people are you following just because you always have? Or they’re a random reality TV star from a season of a show you liked 7 years ago? If you don’t resonate anymore, free your mind!!!!
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay informed; it is simply encouraging you to be more intentional about when you consume certain types of content so you can stay more in control and stable. Try it out and lmk your thoughts!!!
⚡️How to Look Smarter This Week⚡️
☁️ Lululemon Align “No Line” Leggings: I live in lulu, but the no-line Align leggings are a welcome addition to my collection. It gets rid of the seam in the crotch and damn!!! I didn’t realize how much I needed that. I wore these to Solidcore all week (my 14-day unlimited challenge is still going strong, updates next week!!)
🐝 Gisou Hydrating Hair Mask: It’s Natural Girl Summer: This mask hydrates, softens, and makes my hair smell like I’m on vacation. The brand is so girly and cute and adds some whimsy to the everything shower.
📐 Gap “The Big One” Shirt: I wear this button-down to meetings and over my workout set for a walk in the park. It’s timeless, versatile, and always adds structure without effort.
🌞 Vacation Whip Sunscreen: I was skeptical, but I tried this out during one of NYC’s 80 degree days this week and DAMN. The glow was REAL. I feel like I can safely say the product works beyond the popular nostalgic branding, so maybe grab it for the beach trip you’re manifesting this summer.
🔍 Smart Things I Saw This Week 🔍
Honestly? I didn’t read a ton this week. Hold me to it next week. But I found myself going back to what grounds me, and that’s fun too!!!
📺 Colin & Samir: Creator Economy Trends Shaping the Future
If you’re at all interested in the Creator Economy, Colin and Samir are THOSE DUDES. I was lucky to hang with them a few times when I worked at YouTube so I know they’re the real deal, and I’m obsessed with their predictions on the Creator Economy. YouTube’s literally got just as many viewers as television now, so the future of longform creation is at an interesting inflection point. It got my wheels turning - will the next great YouTube shows be livestreaming or high-production shows?
🧘🏽♀️ The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
After hearing Michelle Pellizzon reference this on The Twelfth House (My FAVORITE podcast btw) while discussing the energetics of selling, I had to re-ground in this book. It reminded me that the work we do is only powerful when it’s aligned with who we really are. Reading a spiritual book in the morning to ground me is a new habit I’m adding this week.
💡This Week’s Smart Girl Tip:
Your digital diet is part of your self-concept.
You’re not “lazy,” you’re just mindlessly absorbing the chaotic energy of Instagram Reels at rapid rates. Change your inputs, change your life!!!
If this hit a nerve, sparking that feeling of knowing you’re meant for more, but being unsure how to start, the Too Smart For This journal is your blueprint!!!!
I use my own journal to re-center, which should be a reminder that we all go through phases where checking in with ourselves is the best thing we can do. I wrote it for moments exactly like this: when you’re in transition, seeking clarity, or just craving better thoughts. This week, try using it first thing in the morning before you even open your phone. Let it reprogram you.
→ Get The Journal Here and start designing your next chapter <3
You are the architect of your world.
You don’t need to do anything perfectly, you just need to do it intentionally.
See you next Sunday!
xx
Alexis
That digital detox is very necessary. My personal Instagram doesn't get bogged down with what content from people i don't know, because i did a massive purge years ago, and even my bookstagram account is really focused on local content and book stuff. you really teach your devices what you like and when you intentionally avoid stuff it never enters your digital atmosphere!