This week’s self-care is a “Choose-your-own-adventure”. You can pick one or a bunch of things to do but all of these can be done without a screen, making them a perfect way to wind down and give yourself a break.
Some days it feels like I switch from my phone to my laptop and back, sometimes using both at the same time. Not only can constant staring at a screen cause eyestrain, but if you are looking at a screen for an extended period of time there is a good chance you are working too long without a break or have fallen into the black hole of social media.
I know how easy it is to start by watching a tutorial for a dessert and all of the sudden be watching a video of the craziest 911 calls and baby giraffes. Don’t get me wrong, there can be a time for randomly scrolling through the virtual world. However, chances are, most times we find ourselves there, we could be doing something better with our time.
When you are feeling drained or bored and reaching for your phone, try one of these activities instead.
- Journaling (Check out my other post on starting journaling)
- Listen To A Podcast
- Read A Book
- Draw Some Doodles (Turn them into stickers here)
- Paint. That’s right. Find your old watercolors or acrylics. See what ideas come to mind.
- Go For A Walk
- Pray/Meditate
- Find A Pinterest Craft Or DIY Décor (This is only screenless after you find it)
- Organize Your Room Or A Room In Your House
- Sort Out Your Closest And Donate Some Clothes
- Write Letters To Family or Friends
- Bake A Dessert (from a cookbook or a recipe printout)
- Meal Prep Healthy Meals For The Week
- Stargaze
- Plant A Plant Or Tend to Existing Plants
- Go To A Local Café, Restaurant, Or Library And People Watch Or Read A Book. Bring A Friend!
- Workout (This could mean going to the gym, using whatever equipment you have, seeing how long you can hold a plank, etc. Whatever you want to do without a screen. Check out my post on how to develop a fitness routine you will actually stick to if you are serious about this one)
- Crochet/ Knit
- Play An Instrument Or Find A Playlist to Listen To And Let It Run
- Plan And Commit 1+ Day A Month To Have A Screenless Day. (I realize an entire day may be unreasonable but you can start with a smaller part of a day and work your way up to a larger chunk of time, checking for emergencies periodically)
I hope you enjoyed these ideas on what to do for a screenless afternoon or unplugged evening. After you tried your first one or first few try incorporating these on a regular basis. Let me know how it goes!
Have a restful week!
Take care,
Rachel
