How many hours a day do you think you spend on your phone? Aside from work, that is. You might not think it’s a lot, but those ten minutes here and there soon add up. If you are one of the thousands of us who reach for our phones in any moments of downtime, whilst queuing, waiting, waking up, eating lunch and more, than you will probably find that you actually spend a little over three hours a day on your phone. It is quite shocking when you look at it like that, isn’t it? That is a lot of time spent looking at screens, in our own worlds. It is over twenty hours a week, and yet we often feel that we have no spare time. Well, maybe we can do something about that and turn that time into something more productive, which is why today we are sharing 7 fun to do instead of looking at your phone. A little inspiration for you to step away from it every once in a while.
How can we stop grabbing our phones?
How many of us find ourselves getting drawn into Googling absolutely everything? You are watching television and you know you have seen that actor in something else, you reach for your phone and Google it. You want to know the best way to look after your new hydrangea, so naturally you reach for your phone and Google it. And do not even get us started on all of the medical searches that we carry out, from checking symptoms to inhaler comparisons to the best ways to alleviate our discomforts. It does beg the question, whatever did we do in the days before we had the internet and all of its knowledge, advice and speculation at our fingertips? And we know the answer, we managed perfectly well without needing to find instant answers to all of these questions!
We know we do not need to be searching the internet, scrolling through social media and looking at our photos several times a day. We know this, but it is just there so it tempts us and distracts us. If you know that you will find yourself reaching for it all of the time, then the simplest thing to do is to move your phone out of your reach. Better still, turn it off. Get into the habit of doing this regularly, especially in those times that you know you really do not need it and yet will lose half an hour catching up with Facebook.
Now that you have freed up your time, what could you do to ensure that you enjoy it and are productive?
Take a trip to the big city
You might also want to take a trip to the big city and enjoy the unique experience. There are plenty of options, no matter where you are in the world, including London, Paris, New York, Madrid, Venice, and Los Angeles.
Some cities, like London, are well-equipped for day tourists. Easy public transport and luggage storage make it easy to get around and enjoy all the attractions. Others, like Los Angeles, are a little trickier, but you can solve most problems by hiring a private cab for the day.
Spend time with your family
This one has to be top of the list, doesn’t it? Spending time with your children, where you are fully present with them without an eye on your phone, is sure to make you feel happy.
You could play a few board games, take each other on playing video games, read a few stories together or watch a film. These are just the short and simple activities that you can fit in every evening, as you know you could do so much more at the weekends when you have plenty of time to get out on adventures together.
Read a book
Reading a book is not only enjoyable and educational, it is actually good for our health. Many of us do not feel that we have the time to pick up a book, but if we put down our phones we just might make a little reading time.
You can start making inroads into that pile of books that you keep meaning to get around to reading, or pop to the library or borrow from a friend if you have nothing to read.
Reading is proven to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and help us to get a good night’s sleep so there are plenty of good reasons to substitute your phone for a book.
Get some exercise
We do not need those three hours a day to exercise, just half an hour a day will make a real difference to our health and wellbeing and yet so many of us struggle to find the time for it. Here is your time, it is phone time!
Spend some time each day, or even every other day, enjoying some exercise. You might choose to go for a run, enjoy a yoga session or attend a fitness class. Make sure that it is something that you like to do and look forward to and you are much more likely to stick with it.
Get outdoors
Getting outdoors is good for us on so many levels and it is sure to give you an energy boost.
Spending time outside, surrounded by nature, increases our vitamin D intake, is great for our mental health and gets us moving and exercising.
You need not plan in full day hikes for this one, but just a half an hour walk with the dog each day or a wander around the park with the kids over the weekend and after school every now and then will be sure to work wonders.
Catch up with friends
When was the last time you caught up with your friends? Life can be busy with work, home and family and these things often take precedence over everything else. If you can’t quite remember when you last saw someone and caught up on their news, then the chances are that it was too long ago.
Spending time with friends is an opportunity for you to relax and be yourself. You can do something that you really enjoy together and talk about anything and everything that is on your mind.
Make a few calls or send a few messages today to arrange a coffee together or a night out. And then put your phone away again!
Learn something new
We all benefit from learning something new from time to time. It boosts our confidence and can bring a lot of enjoyment into our lives. Why not turn those extra hours each week into a brand new journey of discovery?
You need not throw yourself into formal education for this one, though if that is something that you are tempted by, then go for it. You might choose to attend an evening class, follow a few YouTube tutorials or ask a friend to show you how to do something that you have always wanted to learn.
You will feel like you are spending your time productively by learning new things and you will have a new hobby or passion to indulge in.
Pamper yourself
With all of the balls that you need to juggle, making time to pamper yourself tends to fall to the very bottom of the to-do list. Instead of using your free moments to look at your phone, you could treat yourself.
We are not talking about a full spa day here, just a few of the little things that are sure to perk you up. Take the time for a long soak in a bubble bath or apply a face mask. It is often these little things that can feel like real indulgences as we so rarely make any time for them.
Along with these, book yourself in for a haircut and colour, refresh your makeup look and give yourself a wardrobe a shake up. You will feel reinvigorated!
Are there enough suggestions here to tempt you away from reaching for your phone?
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© Copyright 2019 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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