There are common patterns that lead us into situations where our minds become numb and less resistant to consuming harmful, sexual, violent,

unkind, or untrue content. Being tired, stressed, bored, lonely, hungry, frustrated, anxious, angry, or times of avoidance are major factors in causing overuse.

Our daily routines, locations, the time of day, and even who we are around can trigger addictive behavior. And it's mostly triggered when we're in moments of an emotionally piqued or vulnerable state of mind.

It's important to have self-awareness so we can recognize when we're not at our best and do what we need to protect ourselves from a weakened state of mind.

If you're tired, then take a nap or practice improving your sleeping habits.

You can try not to use technology 30 minutes before going to bed.

That feeling of being unable to fall asleep at night may be because your brain is over stimulated.

If you ran a marathon, you wouldn't be expected to cross the finish line and go nighty-night. Same thing goes for our brains. It needs to settle down from a full day of running before going to sleep.

Something else to try is develop a regular sleep schedule.

If you can sleep at a regular time, you'll be less likely to feel bored and go back to the very thing that's keeping you from fully resting.

Leave your phone outside your room when sleeping and shut off all notifications.

If you are stressed, try to identify what is causing the stress and make adjustments. To relax you can slow down your breathing by reading a tangible book, meditating, stretching, or writing in your journal.

Exercise or move your body to help throw off unneeded energy. When you’re bored, instead of passing the time scrolling for entertainment.

Set some time aside to engage in something that is positive and uplifting. As we practice identifying when our spirit and body are in a vulnerable place earlier on, we'll be able to better control our habits later in the day.

Identifying early triggers will help us avoid tricky situations and keep us feeling hopeful about life and our future.

And because the Lord loves us, the Holy Ghost can help us as we strive for that assistance. As we use technology, the Spirit will send us a message. There will be a thought or a little bump in our current thinking pattern. That is the Lord working to help us make the best choices.

It will always be there as long as we are willing to follow His guidance.

When the bump comes, do what feels right and see how the Lord is helping.

President Russell M. Nelson has said, “Disengage from a constant reliance on social media by holding a seven day fast from social media.” Sign out and see what happens.

Pay attention to how you feel, what you think, and even how you think.

What differences do you notice when you're done?

Think about the things that you want to stop doing and the things you want to start doing.

The Lord is asking us to learn how to live with technology in a healthy, balanced way and learn to identify how the Spirit is trying to help us.

Responsibly using technology can increase our capacity to help others and will bring us joy and confidence as we become more like Jesus Christ. Move forward with technology. Feel confident that the Lord can help us as we practice making technology

a positive influence in our lives to do his work.