Today’s world is stressful, and unfortunately, our devices tend to remind us more of the negative things happening than the positive. The news is constantly weighing us down, with harmful ads and the negative (but addictive) effects of doomscrolling. Our personal relationships and mental health may begin to decline over time, as our energy is sucked into our screens. In today’s digital world, bad news and bright screens are nearly impossible to avoid.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to fight back: Protect your peace.
You may have heard this term circulating on social media before. It’s been part of the vocabulary of many wellness influencers for the last few years, encouraging people to take care of themselves to avoid burnout. In 2024, Courtney Carver’s essay in TIME Magazine discussed the art behind protecting your peace in all realms of life. There, she emphasized…
“Simply becoming aware of how vital our peace is to feeling good makes it easier to prioritize it… When we aren’t aware, it’s harder to be gentle: We spend all our energy trying to change others or being unwilling to accept something that is happening (even though it’s happening whether we overreact or not).”
While there isn’t much we can do to stop the news from being bad, or get rid of our phones completely, there is a lot we can do to choose happiness in our lives. And that’s done by protecting your peace.
Say YES to yourself.
Protecting your peace means prioritizing your own well-being. Unmanaged stress is a problem that nearly everyone faces. Rather than learning to say “no” to others or to potential additional burdens in your life because you’re overwhelmed, instead, try saying yes… to yourself. Whether that means taking a few hours after work to have a hot bath rather than going out to the city, or cancelling plans because you’re lacking energy, it’s important to treat yourself as kindly as you treat others. Often, we believe that prioritizing ourselves is selfish or wrong. But you can only show up for loved ones in your life, or take on additional projects at work, if you’re mentally strong enough to do it. Investing in yourself brings rewards in all aspects of your life. Saying “no” to additional plans or workloads isn’t productive unless you’re also saying yes to yourself.
Prioritize your sleep.
There are lots of small changes in your life that can make a positive difference in your health: drinking more water, moving your body more, and eating better food. But one important tip that may get overlooked is to make sure to get enough sleep. Everyone has probably heard this bit of advice at some point in their life already. A coworker may have said, “Oh, you look tired today,” or your doctor may have asked, “Are you getting enough sleep?” We are always reminded to get enough sleep, but do we really implement that advice?
Often, sleep is the first thing we sacrifice when we want to make more time for ourselves or others. But sleep is crucial for your mental well-being, as well as your physical health, and it certainly helps you protect your own peace. The hours you spend sleeping are when you spend the most time recovering from the previous day and preparing for the next.
Create a positive space online.
Protecting your peace has a lot to do with using your technology in healthy, intentional ways. We can’t always escape our phones, and sometimes the urge to scroll is just too strong—we understand. But you can control your algorithm to minimize any negative effect on your mental well-being. Try following influencers that bring you joy or educate you in some way. If you see something upsetting, move on. You don’t need to watch a distressing reel over and over. Even better: find apps that make you feel safe and appreciated.
LifeBonder is a platform that provides a positive, safe online space for you, where you can be yourself and find like-minded people without negativity or pressure. It’s different from other social media that can become addictive or triggering.
Replace your phone with better alternatives.
Of course, at the end of the day, the simplest thing you can do to protect your peace is to limit the time you spend on your phone. Try to find alternatives for that time you’d normally spend scrolling. Call a friend or family member instead, because talking to someone you love and who brings you joy is one of the fastest and easiest ways to improve your mood and protect you from the harmful effects of too much time spent on your phone.
Carver’s essay in TIME recommends incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your daily routine through journaling, breathing exercises, or simply taking a peaceful walk. These activities also help to distract you from reacting badly—or even overreacting—to what’s on your phone.
Take steps to avoid burnout in all aspects of life.
Protecting your peace goes beyond social media; you must prioritize yourself in all aspects of life, especially your work life. A paper by Evangelia Demerouti discusses various recovery methods for those seeking to prevent burnout. Originally introduced by Freudenberger in the 1970s, burnout is the “gradual emotional depletion and loss of motivation he observed among individuals.” It’s the consequence of failing to protect your peace. She lists the best three recovery experiences:
“Of all recovery experiences, detachment from work (i.e. stop thinking about work and disengaging oneself mentally from work), relaxation (i.e. low-effort activities that require hardly any effort and therefore pose no demands on the psychobiological system), and social activities (i.e. time that individuals spend with other people when they have finished work)”.
These methods are found to be the most beneficial for reducing daily burnout experiences and the risk of future burnout. While Demerouti’s research focuses specifically on recovery from work, the same recovery methods can be used to prevent burnout from social media or anything else that disrupts your peace.
How LifeBonder can help
Remember that learning to protect your peace is a personal journey, and we’re here to guide you. Being able to “protect your peace” is directly connected to LifeBonder’s goals: maintaining a balance between virtual and real life, and staying mindful of our time online. It’s social media without the endless doomscrolling or negative news feed. Instead, the platform prioritizes your positive energy and functions as a tool to help you build peaceful relationships with others.
If you’re looking for more steps you can take to protect your peace and prevent burnout, check out these other LifeBonder blog posts:
Sources
Carver, Courtney. “The Art of Protecting Your Peace.” TIME, Time Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024, time.com/7177835/the-art-of-protecting-your-peace-essay/. Accessed 07 May 2026.
Demerouti, Evangelia. “Strategies Used by Individuals to Prevent Burnout.” European Journal of Clinical Investigation [England], vol. 45, no. 10, October 2015, pp. 1106–12, https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.12494.
Featured photo taken by Priscilla Du Preez | Photo 2 taken by Kate Stone Matheson | Photo 3 taken by Chelsea Gates
Kelsey Gatis
Kelsey is a writer and aspiring journalist with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. She is currently studying for her MA in English, with courses focusing on culture, society, and history.
