I’ve recently been feeling so sick at myself over how much I’m on screens. Whether it’s a laptop, my phone, or watching TV, a lot of my day is spent in front of a screen. I hate this!!! I know sometimes screens can’t be avoided. For example, my entire job is remote, so I work for 8 hours a day on a laptop. But because of this, I am now much more mindful of how often I’m on additional screens throughout the day. I wish it weren’t second nature to pick up my phone when I’m bored or waiting in line. I love when I get so caught up in the moment or an activity that my phone is the last thing on my mind. Today I’m brainstorming a few things that make me forget about my phone. I would love to hear your ideas as well!
Playing games // Growing up, my family loved playing cards and board games around the dinner table. No Thanksgiving was complete without a round of dominoes, and every night of vacation ended with Phase Ten. Now in this phase of post grad, my roommates and I love hosting game nights with our friends! It’s an easy way to have people over and build community. We’ve been loving Codenames, Spades, Hues and Cues, Ransom Notes, and, most recently, Mahjong. It’s such a good way to be focused on the people and activity in front of you and not be checking my phone.
Moving my body // This is a must for me; it’s become a crucial part of my daily routine. I feel so much better when I’m being active. But it’s also been a great way to get off screens and really be present. This weather has been perfect for long runs or trail runs, and I love playing a podcast/music and just focusing on one foot in front of the other. I’ve also been loving workout classes like spin or hot yoga, where I’m really focused on the movement, the cues, and the beat of the music. Lastly, I’ve been obsessed with soccer recently. I played for 14 years growing up, and it is so fun and nostalgic to be back in my cleats! A group of friends usually plays for two hours on Thursdays, and it’s the highlight of my week.
Being creative // This is one I could definitely get better at. I could write a whole Substack about how I haven’t felt creative recently. And I’m sure a large part of that is because I’m on screens too much. I feel like I used to be super creative, always thinking of new ideas, plots for books, doodling, etc. I want to get back to that! Two things I’ve been loving recently are watercoloring and scrapbooking. I am trying to remember to keep receipts and little trinkets/papers from trips and make a scrapbook page after each one. I also got a cheap watercolor set from Amazon a few months ago and have been painting after work! I’m terrible at it, but it’s fun to be creative with color and not think about screens.
I feel like there are many more that I could add to this list: being with friends, being outside, baking… the list goes on. After writing this, I feel inspired to PUT THE SCREENS DOWN!!! Be present! Live the life in front of me!
What makes you forget about your phone? xx