Reclaim Your Mind: How to Build a Healthier Relationship with Technology with Jay Vidyarthi

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

Buddhism, Education, Self-improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Jay Vidyarthi discusses how to reclaim your mind and build a healthier relationship with technology. He explores common pitfalls—like avoidance, anxiety, and judgment—and shares practical strategies for using digital tools consciously. Jay emphasizes personal agency, setting boundaries, and the value of both online and offline connections. This conversation challenges the idea that technology is inherently good or bad, instead encouraging listeners to cultivate awareness, compassion, and intentional habits to foster well-being and authentic relationships in a tech-driven world. Exciting News!!!Coming in March 2026, my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life is now available for pre-orders!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Key Takeaways The relationship between technology and mindfulness. The tension between the desire for genuine connection and the allure of digital devices. The concept of technology as neither inherently good nor bad, but shaped by our relationship with it. Strategies for engaging with technology mindfully, as discussed in Jay Viviani's book. The "two wolves" parable and its implications for attention and emotional awareness. The importance of clarity and awareness in managing emotions related to technology use. The role of meditation and mindfulness practices in cultivating a healthier relationship with technology. The impact of societal narratives on perceptions of technology and its users. The significance of personal agency in setting boundaries and making conscious choices regarding technology. The potential for technology to meet emotional and social needs when approached mindfully. For full show notes,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠ Connect with the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheOneYouFeedPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed this conversation with Jay Vidyarthi, please check out these other episodes: The Hidden Costs of Technology and Our Search for Selfhood with Vauhini Vara Distracted or Empowered? Rethinking Our Relationship with Technology with Pete Etchells By purchasing products and/or services from our sponsors, you are helping to support The One You Feed, and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you! This episode is sponsored by: Hungry Root: For a limited time, get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to www.hungryroot.com/feed and use code FEED. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aura Frames⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AuraFrames.com /FEED ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames – named #1 by Wirecutter – by using promo code FEED at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners, and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uncommon Goods ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠has something for everyone – you’ll find thousands of new gift ideas that you won’t find anywhere else, and you’ll be supporting artists and small, independent businesses. To get 15% off your next gift, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UNCOMMONGOODS.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Post your job for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/oneyoufeed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When you start to look at a problematic technology, so in your example, Twitter, you start to look at the way you use it and the line that's being crossed.
0:08.2	And if you start to reflect, I'll invite listeners to even do it now to think of a technology that you have a problematic relationship with and say, okay, what is the deeper, healthy emotional need that is driving this?
0:29.2	Welcome to the one you feed.
0:31.6	Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have.
0:36.2	Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or
0:38.8	you are what you think, ring true. And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or
0:44.8	empower us. We tend toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have
0:52.0	instead of what we do. We think things that hold us back and
0:55.4	dampen our spirit. But it's not just about thinking. Our actions matter. It takes conscious,
1:01.6	consistent, and creative effort to make a life worth living. This podcast is about how other people
1:07.3	keep themselves moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
1:14.0	Most days it feels like the two wolves in that old parable aren't just inside us anymore. They're
1:20.2	also living in our phones. One part of us wants depth and presence and real connection. Another
1:26.4	part just keeps reaching for the little glowing
1:28.8	screen, hoping the next swipe or notification will finally make us feel okay. My guest today, Jay Vivi
1:35.9	Arthy, lives right in the middle of that tension. He's a longtime meditation practitioner
1:41.1	and a designer who works on building technology mindfully. In his new book,
1:46.6	Reclaim Your Minds Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully, he argues that the problem isn't that
1:53.0	tech is evil. It's that our relationship with it is often confused and unconscious. We explore
1:59.6	why some apps feel like emotional junk food, while others
2:02.8	genuinely support beauty and creativity and rest. We talk about family video game nights and how to
2:09.1	meet our real emotional needs, so we're not endlessly snacking on our phones. I'm Eric Zimmer, and this
	...

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