your phone is making you uninteresting 🎀
the only thing that is able to get me to put my phone down is remembering that my phone is making me boring. spending time scrolling isn’t a hobby and by spending hours and hours on my phone there’s little to no time left for actual activities. all my leisure time is used up by my phone.
and the scary part is that if you don’t watch yourself, your screen time can completely take over your leisure time. you’ll look back and realize you haven’t spent any time doing hobbies, you’ve just been on your phone. you’ll catch yourself saying you “used to do” whatever hobbies you have or you “used to be into” whatever interests you have, because the truth is you haven’t touched them in months. or worse, a year. phone addiction can rob you of your hobbies and interests. without even realizing it, your phone can become your only pass time.
if you feel like this is you or if you want to prevent this, here are some of my tips and things you can fill your time with instead of your phone.
1. use your screen time for good
it’s gonna be hard to immediately make a habit of staying off your phone and having a lower screen time. so, start out by using some of the time you spend on your phone to benefit you. learn something. don’t just associate learning with school. this is your opportunity to chase knowledge out of passion and curiosity the way we’re meant to, not because we’re being forced to by a curriculum we didn’t choose nor have any interest in. whatever you’re interested in, however niche the topic, there are free resources out there. learn more about the thing you’ve wanted to be smarter about, learn more about your personal interests. and if you wanna take it a step further, there a free online courses and certifications you can get as well.
2. don’t have your phone be your only/main coping mechanism
don’t let your phone be your go to coping mechanism, that’s what makes the addiction extra hard to break. the constant stimulation makes for good escapism but it rarely makes anyone genuinely feel better. my suggestions are painting, reading, going for a walk, and journaling but everyone’s different so find out what actually works for you so you can have your own effective strategies ready to go instead of reaching for your phone.
3. find something you actually want to do
often times, when we brainstorm new hobbies and habits, it can be hard to ease into them because we’re simply not as interested in them as we thought. take reading as an example. most people want to want to read, their desire to become a reader and be a person who reads a lot is bigger than their desire to actually read. sometimes that’s just the reality. I’m not saying this to encourage you to just drop every new thing you try that you don’t immediately love, I’m saying that when you make a list of things you want to do to replace your phone, add one thing you know for certain you will enjoy. because the truth is, sometimes we’re on our phone because we genuinely want to be on our phone. we’re entertained by tiktok, we enjoy pinterest, we laugh at instagram. so yes, take the opportunity to find new and productive hobbies that will challenge and better you but also include things you know you already enjoy. don’t forget about the things you love, make room for them, because those’ll be the biggest things to help your screen time get lower. you’ll have a hard time if you replace entertainment with something that bores you, that’s just gonna lead to you going back to your phone.
4. watch films/documentaries
my favorite alternative to using my phone for leisure time is watching films or documentaries. it’s just as relaxing but there’s so much you can gain from it. watch movies from different countries, from different decades. learn about culture, gain a new perspective, be inspired. this is also a good way to slowly improve your attention span.
super fun and can be a bit time consuming so it’ll be a great distraction from your phone
if reading novels doesn’t hold your interest and you want a chill activity to do to replace scrolling, than try reading comics or mangas, any and every form of storytelling is important.
idc if you’re not “talented”, idc if it looks bad, make art. draw your favorite things, draw things you see in real life, draw from your imagination. use paint, use charcoal, use pastels, use markers. art is so versatile and will always be what I recommend for screen less hobbies. so many free tutorials and resources online as well. you can find and purchase art kits as well.
8. make collages out of pictures and magazine cutouts
9. find free events in your area to attend
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