Ever feel like you’re drowning in a sea of notifications, emails, and endless scrolling? Like the world is a roaring firehose of information, and you’re just trying to take a sip without getting swept away? Yeah, me too. It’s hard to find stillness in a world that’s constantly buzzing, beeping, and demanding our attention. We need to discover new words to articulate our feelings and experiences better.
But finding that inner calm is more important than ever. It’s not about shutting out the world entirely (good luck with that!), but about finding an anchor amidst the storm. And sometimes, to understand our experiences, we need the right new words.
The Birth of New Words (with a Little Help from AI)
Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with an AI about how language evolves and how new words emerge. We often combine existing parts of words such as prefixes, roots, and suffixes to express new ideas and experiences. This process of breaking down and recombining language, especially when it comes to new words, is exactly how our vocabulary grows over time.
This got me thinking: What new words do we need for our digital, information saturated age? What vocabulary would help us better navigate and find peace within our chaotic modern lives?
Unusual Words for Uncommon Times
Here are some new words that might help us name (and tame) our digital experiences:
Infoglut (noun)
That overwhelming feeling of having too much information. When you open your browser to find 50 tabs and can’t remember what you were looking for in the first place. “I’m suffering from severe infoglut after falling down that research rabbit hole.”
Joycreep (noun/verb)
The opposite of doomscrolling! The slow, subtle, often unexpected spread of positive feelings. When you’re having a terrible day, then see a cute animal video, and suddenly things don’t seem so bleak. “I was stressed about my deadline, but that video of baby elephants caused some serious joycreep.”
Procrastilearn (verb)
When you avoid doing a task by diving into “research” that’s only vaguely related. “I should be finishing this report, but I’m procrastilearning about the history of fountain pens…”
Algoshift (noun)
When a social media platform changes its algorithm, and suddenly your carefully curated feed is filled with content you don’t care about. “My Instagram feed is a mess after the latest algoshift!”
Connecthargy (noun)
That state of being exhausted by constant online connection, but feeling unable to disconnect. The digital equivalent of “too tired to sleep.” “I need to put my phone down, but I’m stuck in connecthargy again.”
Inburncalm (noun)
Finding internal peace when the outside world is alight with chaos. The still center of your being that remains untouched by external tumult. “Despite the project deadline chaos, I managed to find my inburncalm during morning meditation.”
Iterafine (verb)
To make something better through small, repeated improvements. The opposite of a complete overhaul. “I’ve been iterafining my morning routine for months, and it’s finally perfect.”
Finding Your Inburncalm in a World of Infoglut
These new words get at the heart of what many of us are trying to cultivate: that inner stillness, that quiet center, even when both the physical and digital worlds around us are spinning out of control.
It’s not about ignoring the chaos or pretending it doesn’t exist. It’s about acknowledging it, feeling the anxiety it might trigger, but also finding a space within yourself that remains undisturbed. That space where you can connect with your own wisdom, resilience, and yes, even your capacity for joycreep.
Having the right words to describe these complex feelings can help us recognize and navigate them more skillfully. Language shapes our thoughts, and our thoughts shape our reality.
Mindfulness in the Age of Infoglut
Here are three simple practices to help you find inburncalm amid digital chaos:
- The Notification Pause: Before checking that notification, take three deep breaths. This creates a mindful buffer between stimulus and response.
- Digital Sunrises and Sunsets: Begin and end your day with 30 minutes of screen free time. Let your mind ease into and out of the day on its own terms.
- Joycreep Collection: Keep a folder of images, quotes, or videos that reliably spark joy. When you feel overwhelmed by infoglut, take a mindful moment with your collection.
Your Turn: Create Your Own Unusual Words
The beauty of language is that it’s always evolving, always making room for new experiences. What words would you create to describe your digital life? What experiences are you having that don’t yet have a name?
Share your own word creations in the comments, or tell me which of these new words resonates most with your experience. Together, we can build a vocabulary that helps us navigate and find peace within our beautiful, chaotic, information rich world.
Remember: even in the depths of infoglut, moments of joycreep and spaces of inburncalm are always possible.
