PSA: Scrolling on your phone is not healthy.
Because healthy things are supposed to make you feel good about yourself.
So instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media and comparing yourself to others, do something more worthwhile with your time.
Benefits of digital cleansing
Before I do a deep dive into the 101 things you can do instead of being on your phone, let’s first recap the benefits of doing a digital cleanse.
Disconnecting is one of the greatest acts of self-care that you can give yourself.
Because it allows you to take better care of your mental health and well-being.
Instead of getting distracted by social media, thousands of apps, notifications and Candy Crush, you can figure out your needs and spend this time actually addressing them.
But that’s not all, other reasons why you need to unplug include:
- Improves your overall mood
- Clears your mental space
- Helps you build good digital habits
- Allows you to reconnect with the present
- Improves sleep pattern
- Stops the comparison cycle
- Helps you to feel less anxious and overwhelmed
- Frees up heaps of time
How to stop yourself from scrolling
The reason why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of scrolling or watching TV is because we’re prompted into doing these things.
Our phones are always in our hands, and the TV is right there on the wall staring back at us.
So learn to stand in the way of you and your phone.
Place cues around your house so you can successfully take up a new hobby.
Want to start knitting?
Leave your knitting needles on the coffee table where you can see them.
Want to go on a bike ride?
Set yourself an alarm reminder that triggers you into getting outside on your bicycle.
There are things you can do to make it easier to stop yourself from scrolling and do something else with your time instead.
101 Things You Can Do Instead of Being on Your Phone
From solving a Rubik’s cube to making pasta from scratch, here is an extensive list of worthwhile things you can do instead of scrolling that will nourish your mind, body and soul.
I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.
And to make it even easier for you to find your ideal “phone-free” activity, I’ve split this list up into 4 sections:
- Things you can do without your phone in the morning
- Things you can do without your phone at lunch
- Things you can do without your phone in the afternoon
- Things you can do without your phone in the evening
Things you can do without your phone in the morning
- Practice gratitude
- Listen to an empowering podcast
- DIY your own face mask and skin cream
- Tackle some house chores
- Do 60 squats
- Read a few pages from a self-improvement book
- Or pick up Stay & Slay; How To Beat Burnout Without Quitting Your Job
- Have a 90s dance party
- Sing in the shower
- Stretch your body
- Do breath work
- Give someone a hug
- Listen to a guided meditation whilst on a walk
- Drink your morning coffee while listening to the birds
- Create a list of positive affirmations
- Do a home workout
- Choreograph a dance routine
- Cook a healthy, well-balanced breakfast
- Go for a swim
- Hold the plank for 45-seconds or longer
- Make a fruit smoothie
- Write down your goals for the day
- Write a to-do list
- Complete a task from this list
- Write a letter to a friend and send it in the morning post
- Dye your hair for fun
Things you can do without your phone at lunch
- Go on a long nature walk
- Bake some gooey brownies
- Go on a bike ride
- Make homemade gelato
- Write a short story
- Arrange bunches of flowers
- Water your house plants
- Take your dog out for a walk
- Play with your dog or cat (or other pet)
- Draw what you can see
- Put together your own playlist
- Write a bucket list
- Get started with a productivity tool like Notion
- Climb trees
- Have an actual IRL conversation with someone
- Make homemade lemonade
- Get some fresh air
- Have a good-old belly laugh
- Visit a friend or loved one
- Take time cooking a healthy lunch
- People-watch
- Declutter your desktop
- Tend to your vegetable garden
- Go on a car drive with zero destination
- Read a magazine
Things you can do without your phone in the afternoon
- Solve a Rubik’s cube
- Make a collage out of dried seasonal leaves
- Take a nap
- Write a letter to your future self
- Paint by numbers
- Learn a new hobby like cross-stitch
- Declutter your wardrobe
- Practice a new language
- Dig up some old pictures and make a photo book
- Take yourself out on a date
- Go to an in-person yoga or exercise class
- Scrapbook
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Colour in an adult colouring book
- Lie down in the park and watch the clouds go by (what can you spot?)
- Make friendship bracelets
- Play hide and seek with your friends (or kids) – who says we’re too big to play?
- Read fiction (Harry Potter will keep you busy)
- Tidy up your workspace
- Go on a scavenger hunt
- Learn how to code
- Build a Lego house
- Do some finger painting
- Paint an old piece of furniture
- Knit
Things you can do without your phone in the evening
- Play a game of chess
- Do a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle
- Make your own soy candle
- Write poem
- Plan your day for tomorrow
- Go to a beginner martial arts class
- Make an inside pillow + duvet fort
- Learn something new with Skillshare
- Play a classic board game
- Create a vision board
- Prepare your outfit for tomorrow
- Host a games night
- Make pasta from scratch
- Play a game of Twister with friends
- Cook a new recipe
- Pamper yourself
- Journal your thoughts
- Have a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine
- Build a financial self-care routine
- Watch the sunset (or sunrise)
- Sew your clothes
- Meditate for 15-mins
- Cut and paints your toenails
- Look through an old family album
- Get an early night
And idea 101…
Just sit and do nothing!
Because at the end of the day, you don’t need to be constantly doing something.
And the best thing is you can do this at any time of the day.
Save these activities on Pinterest!
Final notes
Just so we’re clear, I’m not saying you can never scroll on your phone again.
This is about being more mindful of how you spend your time. Because there are loads more activities you can do which aren’t just passively watching TV or mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Worthwhile activities which can leave you feeling good.
You’ve got this.
Thalia xx
