đź’ˇ
We’ve all been there before: I’m in line to renew a car tag, I’m waiting for my to-go order, I’ve sat down in the classroom waiting for the professor to arrive, etc. I’ve noticed all of us (myself included) can tend to reach for our phones, but I’m fighting against that urge!! A few years ago I developed the phrase “practice being bored.” As a true Millennial, I have lost some tolerance for boredom that I used to possess. “Back in my day” (lol) I remember not having the option of looking at a phone (but boy did I play some Snake once I got one!). So when I say “practice being bored,” I mean that literally. I try to just sit, wait, and do nothing. I look around and watch others, observe details in the environment, day dream.
But what do I do if the urge is too strong? I have developed a few ideas for when the boredom is impossible to beat (inspired by my mom’s bag of tricks she would bring around with us as kids to keep us occupied).
- Rubik’s cube: I taught myself how to solve it in high school via YouTube (so many videos available now, but the series I used is by user Dan Brown). Not only is the cube a great party trick, but it acts as the ideal fidget spinner. Even if you want to raw dog trying to figure it out, it’s a good way to pass the time.
- Book: Breaking News, local girl recommends reading to solve all of life’s problems! I get it, yet another person on the Internet telling you to “pick up a book.” But like drinking water and exercise, unfortunately the experts (me) are right about this one!! Once my mom said “I own all of the books in the world, the library just stores them for me,” and I encourage you to check them out (literally).
- Notebook: the MAGIC of a notebook, I am in awe. So many great solo and team activities you can do with some paper and a pen. Make lists (that you can post later here, see what I did!), draw objects or people around you, scribble circles and then fill them in a la Mircrosoft Paint style. There’s also a fun game you can play with another person that I call the “Dot Game” where you draw rows of dots, and you and the other person take turns drawing lines connecting the dots to make square boxes. If the line you draw makes a box, you put your initial in the box. The goal is to make the most boxes.
- Clean out bag/purse/wallet: I like to use “in-between time” to “get my life together” by cleaning out all of the random receipts, lipgloss, detritus of my life from the various bags I carry around with me.
I’d love to know what you may do to fight the Phone Urge as well!
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Forgot to mention: playing cards!!! Learn a magic trick (I only have one but want to learn more), or play a game of IRL solitaire!
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i have been on a journey to untangle my tasks from my iPhone.
i'd be out in the world someplace, pull out my phone for something as menial as checking the time, or as well intentioned as capturing the moment in a pic, and immediately get sucked into texts and instagram™️ and all the virtual things happening in this tiny lil demon light box.
the goal: pull my phone out of my bag ONLY for phone things. that's texting, calling, and apps that can't be replaced
the solutions so far:
🕰️ i started with a watch (shoutout Casio) and i wear it every day. once I broke the habit of checking my phone for the time, I felt legitimately freed from something Major
📷 I bought a small digital camera to leave in my bag. the pics look better and I don’t get distracted by the virtual world when I'm trying to capture something in the now
đź“š I bought a kindle. It fits in my jacket pocket (literally) and gives me something to do when I'm on the train or waiting for an appointment that isn't scrolling
I just realized so much of the time I spent on my phone was not intentional. It was a thing I was doing in between Other intentional moments. my screen time is still several hours a day (don’t get me wrong) but I think my brain has healed at least 3%.
welcoming other ideas as wellđź’ˇ
Sep 24, 2024
📵
recent mental health booster I stumbled onto when my phone ended up dead one morning, so I went to a cafe near me to journal/read for a couple hours without it. there were so many times I phantom reached for my it like the addict I am, very glad I couldn’t that day or else stupid things would have been done. I was forced to sit in the moment and process my thoughts without being able to actively do anything or contact anyone. did it the next day purposely and I had such a good day.
leave your phone at home sometimes when you’re bumming around your area doing small errands! also forces you to learn your surroundings rather than relying on google maps.
Jan 30, 2025
🔌
I recently quit a drug I was addicted to for years, and soon after started quiting major social media platforms using the same lessons I learned from getting sober!
Your brain is great at eventually returning to a natural baseline. But until that happens, You'll need replacement(s) to tide yourself over
Here are some options that have been helpful for me:
1. Coloring books + music. It might seem very childish, but its super fun and relaxing without putting you at the mercy of the algorithm or ads!
2. Frame reading as a scrolling replacement. Find some breezy, fun reads to start out with. Short story collections are good for this because its more digestable to read 15 stories over 400 pages than 1 story.
3. Going on walks *and leaving your phone at home*. It's exercise(always good), it puts you into the real world, and its an activity that can last pretty long.
4. Accountability to others. Tell your supportive loved ones that you're quiting social media. It gives you purpose, you're now doing it for yourself *and* others.
5. Phone calls. Bored but don't want to scroll? Call someone! Just put them on speaker and pretend they're in the room with you, just chat!
6. Last but not least, physically hang out with people *with your phone turned off*.
Jan 19, 2025
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📱
I was inspired by Eddie Burback’s YouTube video and I’ve been only using my phone to call, text, or email for the past week. Not checking it constantly emphasizes that I actually do have free time, and has made me happier. Why do I feel like I’m always the bearer of bad news on here lol!
Apr 12, 2025
My husband writes a note for me in my lunch and I look forward to it every day.
Mar 23, 2025
đźš—
For when the day seizes you instead
Mar 24, 2025