10 Signs You’re Stuck In The Matrix And How To Unplug

In our last editorial, we called out how we’re all living as material girls in a digital simulation world. Unlike The Matrix, which required physical connections, ours doesn’t plug into our bodies, it plugs into our attention. It shapes what we see, how we feel, and the choices we make every day. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, distracted, or stuck in a digital loop, it’s because you’re trapped in an invisible web designed to keep you engaged and unaware.

Recognizing this gives you the power to reclaim your time, energy, and focus. Once you understand its influence, you can cut through distractions, prioritize what actually matters, and take intentional steps toward your real goals. With this clarity, you can create a life that aligns with your true vision, not the one that was engineered for you.

To get you started, here are 10 signs you're in the matrix and tips to reclaim your power.

Endless Scrolling & Mindless Consumption

You find yourself scrolling for an hour, yet can't remember anything you just saw. This mindless scrolling keeps you hooked and distracts you from real life.

Tip: Implement a "digital detox" schedule, limit your social media time to 30 minutes a day, using apps like Forest or Freedom to block distractions.

Feeling Like You're Stuck in a Loop
You watch the same type of content over and over (like motivational videos or memes), or feel like you’re trapped in the same daily routine, with no sense of progress.

Tip: Disrupt your routine. Commit to a micro-shift each week, try a new hobby, change your work environment, or take a fun class.

Constant Comparison to Others
Every time you check social media, you feel like everyone else is living a more successful or exciting life, leading to dissatisfaction with your own. This is a deliberate strategy by platforms to keep you scrolling and feeling inadequate. When we feel inadequate or compare ourselves to others, it triggers an emotional reaction that makes us want to keep checking our feeds hoping for a change in mood or validation. These platforms thrive on emotional highs and lows, using them to keep you scrolling because engagement is their currency.

Tip: Unfollow, mute, or restrict access to social media accounts that trigger comparison. Use a journal to reflect on what’s actually important to you, start setting goals aligned with your values, not someone else's highlight reel.

Notifications and Alerts Constantly Pulling You In
Your phone buzzes constantly, every app sends a notification, creating an endless cycle of distraction. The more you respond to notifications, the more apps push for your attention.

Tip: Go into your phone's settings and disable unnecessary notifications. Prioritize only essential ones (texts, calls, etc). Use "Do Not Disturb" mode for designated hours of focused work.

Pressure to Keep Up or Be "Productive" All the Time
You feel pressure to be constantly productive, whether it's answering emails or catching up on work, but you're left feeling overwhelmed and mentally drained. Hustle culture is engineered to make you feel like you’re always behind, pushing you further into the digital ecosystem.

Tip: Set clear boundaries around work and personal time. Use tools like Time Blocking to protect downtime. Schedule one full day off each week, or practice “Slow Productivity” where you do less but with more intention.

Struggling to Focus or Prioritize Tasks
You try to focus on one task but are constantly interrupted by new emails, texts, or social media notifications. This keeps you in a perpetual state of mental fragmentation, a key trait of the simulation.

Tip: Use The Pomodoro Technique, work in 25 minute increments followed by 5 minute breaks. This improves focus and combats the brain fog caused by endless digital stimulation.

Emotions Are Often Reacting to External Content
You feel anxious, sad, or angry after watching something on the news or scrolling through social media. These emotional reactions are influenced by algorithms that prioritize content that gets emotional responses, keeping you trapped in a cycle of negative emotions.

Tip: Before reacting to something that triggers an emotion, pause and breathe for 5 seconds. Ask yourself "Is this my feeling or has this been planted by something I just saw”?  Practice mental reframing to reshape negative emotional responses.

Feeling Drained After Hours of Digital Interaction
You spend an entire day replying to emails or scrolling through your phone and feel exhausted, even though you haven’t physically done anything taxing. The energy drain from endless digital interaction is designed to keep you engaged and reliant on your device.

Tip: After every 60-90 minutes of screen time, take a 10-15 minute break to do something physical, stretch, walk, or breathe. Integrate “screen-free” zones in your home (no phones at dinner).

Disconnection from the Real World
You find it hard to focus on face-to-face interactions or enjoy moments of real connection because you’re constantly checking your phone or thinking about what's going on online. The digital world becomes your default, pushing out real-life connections.

Tip: Start a “Real Connection Challenge” for one week, replace digital communication with face-to-face or phone conversations. Reconnect with nature by taking walks in parks or hiking.

Chasing an Elusive Sense of Happiness or Fulfillment
Does happiness feel like one new purchase, viral post, or achievement away? The simulation creates an endless loop of wanting more, more likes, more followers, more stuff, pulling you further from true fulfillment, which can’t be bought or measured.

Tip: Begin a practice of intentional goal-setting. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set personal milestones that actually matter to you. Focus on progress, not perfection.

Living in the simulation, awareness becomes your greatest tool. Once you recognize the system at play, you gain the power to take control and navigate on your own terms. Understanding the digital landscape as it continues to evolve, allows you to reclaim your freedom and shape your own experience. Cheers to stepping into your power and playing by your own rules!