The 10-Minute Black Hole

They say time flies when you’re having fun. But in my case, time vanishes like socks in a washing machine—mysteriously and without warning. Every day, I promise myself just 10 minutes on the phone. You know, a quick scroll, one reel, one article, one meme. Just one. And then—POOF!—40 minutes gone, like I fell into a time-travel wormhole made by Instagram and powered by Wi-Fi.

“Let me just reply to this message,” I say. Then WhatsApp, Instagram, Pinterest, and a surprise news headline hijack my intentions. I hop from app to app like a squirrel with caffeine. Before I know it, my tea is cold, the laundry’s still sulking in the machine, and I’ve learned how to make 3-ingredient pancakes in theory, but still don’t know what’s for dinner.

A wise quote I read (probably during one of these scroll-fests) said, “We are not short on time; we are short on direction.” I laughed, scrolled on, and ironically, forgot it in 5 seconds.

It’s funny how I plan every minute of my day—work, kids, meals, even when to breathe. But this sneaky 10-minute digital detour comes dressed as a break and leaves like a thief.

The guilt post-scroll is heavier than a double cheese pizza after a diet day.🤭😟

Thought to ponder:
What if we guarded our time like we guard our phone batteries—turning on “low power mode” when it starts to drain, instead of waiting till it’s 1% and panicking?