Five Things To Do Instead of Scrolling on Your Phone

09 Feb Five Things To Do Instead of Scrolling on Your Phone

A lot of us began the year with good intentions and new resolutions such as: “I am going to spend less time on my phone this year”, “I am going to leave my phone behind when I go for walks” or “I am going to find something to do instead of scrolling” but how many of us have been able to stick to it? Over 25% of Brits in a YouGov poll stated that they wanted to use their phone less in 2021. Over 50% of children also said that they wanted their parents to use their phone less this year, (20% more than those who wanted their parents to quit smoking!) So clearly the success of our digital detoxing is important to all generations!

One of the biggest difficulties we face when we start a digital detox, or make the resolution to log off more, is what to do with all that time. It is hard to put your phone down and find things to do instead of scrolling when that used to take up hours of your day. So, here are five things that you can do to help you stay offline today.

#1 Write a letter

The art of letter-writing is somewhat out of fashion but that doesn’t mean that people don’t want to receive them- most people will be overjoyed to find something other than bills in their post! Why not choose a friend or a family member and write them a letter today? It doesn’t have to be long or about anything important, you could tell them about your walk, say thank you for a gift or remind them of their importance to you. Letter-writing is a lovely way to get offline whilst still connecting with loved ones (especially as they only way to communicate for months has been through screens).

#2 Plan to see a friend

Another thing you could do to connect with your friends instead of scrolling on your phone is to plan to meet up. During lockdown that could be challenging, but the plan doesn’t have to be for next week. You could plan a holiday you want to take together, a trip to a sporting event, your first night out once the clubs open or a pamper session; it is important to have things to look forward to right now. If you are lucky enough to be able to meet up you could plan a walk or bike ride near your home, you will be amazed the difference company makes.

#3 Write down some goals

This year we have already written quite a few pieces about goals, our top tips for resolutions and even more ways to help you put your phone down. In both we talked about the importance of goal setting as a way to frame your resolutions. If you want to log off why not tie that to another goal? Perhaps you want to get fitter this year, learn a language or get back into crafting? Whatever task you choose, tying it to logging off can make it easier to stick to, so write down your goal today and try to carve out time to focus on it, and away from your screen, regularly.

#4 Clear out your ‘junk drawer’

Most of us have a ‘junk drawer’ whether that be a drawer, wardrobe, spare room or attic and a lot of us have had sorting it out on our ‘To-Do’ List for at least a few months. So, why not tackle it today? Put down your phone right now, get some bags ready and clear it out. We can promise you it will be incredibly satisfying. It will also likely take up a significant amount of time offline and give you the chance to get active. What’s not to love?

#5 Go outside

On the theme of getting active, another great way to stop yourself from scrolling on your phone is to get outside. Phones were not designed for the natural world so it is harder to use them outside anyway. The mental health charity Mind says that going outside has innumerable physical and mental health benefits. So, just by going outside you could lower your blood pressure, decrease your stress and even help with moderate depression. Win-win-win!

Just five ideas of alternative ways to spend your time instead of scrolling. Let us know if you have any other favourite ideas so we can share them too.