You’re probably fed up with people telling that phones are bad for you and assuming that all young people are constantly glued to screens. But the reality is that most people check their phones about 80 times a day, and that’s not great. People do exaggerate a lot and phones aren’t as bad as people like to make out, but it can’t hurt if you cut down your usage a little bit.
The problem is, it’s always our go to when we’re bored. If we have a bit of time to kill, we instantly reach for our phones and usually go on social media. But too much time spent on social media has been linked to an increased risk of mental health problems, so sometimes, it’s better to find other ways to keep yourself entertained when you’re bored. These are some of the best ways to kill time without a smartphone.
Daydreaming
You’ve probably been told off for daydreaming in the past, but it can actually be very good for you. The world is a busy place and most of the time, we are exposed to constant stimulation, whether that is from other people, phones or TV or just general background noise from the city.
Sometimes, a bit of nothing is actually good for you, which is why things like meditation are becoming more popular. Taking some time to focus on nothing and let your mind wander helps to recharge your batteries and it can improve creativity and memory as well. So, if you have a spare 5 minutes to kill, there’s nothing wrong with daydreaming.
Card Games
A pack of cards is one of the best things to carry around with you if you want to kill time because there are so many great games that you can play. There are a lot of longer ones if you have a lot of time to spare but there are plenty of games that you can play in 5 minutes or less.
Blackjack is a good one for two or more players because it’s simple to play and anybody can learn the rules. Even if you are on your own and you’re trying to kill time, you can play a game of solitaire. Always try to keep a pack of cards in your bag and you’ll never get bored again.
Read A Book
When you’re scrolling through social media, you’re reading anyway, so why not read something a bit more interesting? You probably don’t really care about most of the stuff that people post anyway, and it’s far more rewarding to get into a good book. It’s better for your eyes than looking at a screen as well. Alternatively, you could buy yourself an old fashioned newspaper and read that instead. It’s important that you stay up to date with current events, so if you have a bit of time to kill, you can spend it reading the paper.
Do A Short Workout
A lot of people avoid working out because they think that they don’t have the time but that isn’t true. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get some exercise in. There are plenty of great workouts that you can do in 10-15 minutes, and you don’t need an expensive gym membership or any equipment. Just go on Youtube and you can find so many great fitness channels with workout videos. There are longer ones if you have the time but there are some brilliant short ones as well. If you do one of these videos whenever you have a bit of time to kill, you can get a good amount of exercise into your routine.
If you are not the kind of person that likes doing intense exercise, you might hate the thought of a 15 minute workout video. If that is the case, you should still try to do something active that gets you moving. There are plenty of great yoga videos online which you can do in 5 to 10 minutes. They’re great for keeping you flexible and they’re a good way to relax as well.
Using a phone is a normal part of life, and there are a lot of great benefits to technology, so people that are completely against using smartphones are taking things too far. However, it’s not great for your health to use them constantly, so next time you are bored and you reach for your phone, why not try one of these alternatives instead?
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