Jerry Lin explains compulsive texting as a wave of loneliness and panic that hits when things get quiet. He suggests pausing, pressing your thumb, and exhaling slowly to ride it out instead of acting on it. The impulse is bodily, not rational.
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So a guy messaged me, "Jerry, why do I keep texting her when I know I shouldn't?" Well, he said, "I feel fine all day, then it gets dark, the house is quiet, and suddenly I'm typing paragraphs." If that's you, you're not broken. You're like a wave hitting the same spot on the shore over and over again. This wave is that spike of loneliness and panic. Your 5-second reflex says, "If I can just feel them for one moment, I'll be be okay. But your brain doesn't choose it. Your body does. Next time you feel that wave, pause, press your thumb, and breathe out slow. And then tell yourself, "This feeling is just a wave. I don't have to surf it." If you want 7 minutes to practice with other people who get it, drop "wave" in the comments, and I'll invite you to the Saturday Reset.