10 Productive Things To Do (instead of scrolling)

Do you ever find that you’re sometimes mindlessly scrolling through your phone or hopping between social media apps hoping to find something new to look at?

I do. All the bloody time. It’s a habit that isn’t necessarily harmful in short doses, but do it more often than not and it eats into your time and could potentially shift your focus from something you could be doing instead that’s more beneficial.

I thought of 10 things you could do, either big or small, that could make a difference instead of scrolling.

Delete your social media

Not forever, just for a little while. I do this sometimes, and it does help me to focus on what I should be doing. It ties in with being one of the only downsides to working at home; having your phone next to you with no restrictions as to when you can and can’t use it. I’m often really busy but when I’m in between calls, it’s all too easy to scroll through Pinterest (never thought I’d say that) or get caught up watching YouTube. No one’s there to tell you to put it away. I often delete my social media apps just until my lunch time so I can know that I’m not getting distracted for no real reason.

Not forever, but how about deleting some social media apps for a little while? SOURCE: Canva Pro stock image

Cleanse your apps

Sounds the same, but it’s actually a different concept. A little while ago I wrote a post about how I use my phone and how I’ve separated all my apps into categories. It provoked some interesting comments, with lots of people saying that they’ve got hundreds of apps they don’t touch or barely use and it made me wonder why? Taking a little bit of time to remove these un-used apps and clean your phone up a little will surely make more sense and be a very good use of your time!

Manage your subscriptions

Yes, this involves you still being on your phone, but it’s one of my favourite things to do simply because it feels good to do it. We’ve all probably received emails from companies because we’ve bought stuff from them before and possibly blindly accepted that we’ll be on their mailing lists forever, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I personally really enjoy going through and unsubscribing from mailing lists and knowing that I won’t be in that position again.

Colour

A couple of Christmases ago, I was bought a Disney adult colouring book because my wife noticed I quite enjoyed colouring with the kids. Fast forward to now and the only time I appear to use it is when the kids ask me to colour with them, but quickly get annoyed when they keep asking to colour in the same book I’m using. I really should take the time out to do it by myself because it does help calm me down and it stops me looking aimlessly through my phone as I want to concentrate.

Create a Spotify/Apple playlist

I love doing this, as it serves to the little wannabe DJ in me. I’m creating an ongoing Northern and Rare Soul playlist which is currently over 300 songs long and it’s my absolutely happy place for when I’m out for a walk (see below), cleaning the kitchen or working. There are hundreds of thousands of playlists being created all the time on various platforms so why not add yours to the mix and make something that’s just for you?

Getting out for a little while could really help you break up the time at home. SOURCE: Canva Pro stock image

Get out for a walk

Simple, but effective. If you’re feeling a little demotivated and spending your time just sitting on your phone, why not jack that in and get out for a little bit? It really doesn’t have to be long, but it could really be the difference between feeling slightly more motivated and feeling completely unproductive.

Watch a movie from your list

If you’re like me, there’s always movies that you say you’ll watch some day (because you’ve been told you absolutely HAVE to watch) but you never do. Why not make this the time? Not only that, but put your phone completely away or on charge and fully focus on the film. You might find that once you cross one “classic” off your list that you find yourself geared up to do it again sometime.

Look at your C.V

I’m very guilty of not doing this. I last needed my C.V approximately 5 years ago and I can guarantee I’ve not looked at it since. Hey, I don’t even think I’ve still got it saved anymore. Your C.V should always be updated with your latest activities, whether they’re work or career-related or whether you feel there’s something else important to add. Why not have it ready to go for when you might need it most? It would be a massive de-motivator to find a job that’s posted and perfect for you but have to start again with your C.V and potentially miss out.

Squeeze in a workout

Once you’ve done it, you’ll feel better and you’ll probably feel like you’ve earned the time to sit there and have a rest. Sometimes, the thing that stops us getting up and being active is the feeling of being relaxed, and more often that not that ends up with us scrolling through our phone. It doesn’t have to be anything over-intense, just something that keeps your body moving; this will mean you will have given your body something positive and a little time away from your phone.

Have a de-clutter

The first post I wrote this year was about the benefits of a de-clutter, primarily after receiving new stuff for Christmas. However, this neat little way to avoid aimless scrolling can be done any time of the year, as there’s always stuff we could probably get rid of and/or tidy up. Once you’ve kicked off this idea, you might be surprised at how much you get done. This will also result in a sense of achievement getting your house in order (literally) so you can spend time relaxing later.

Why not take some time to get rid of some stuff you just don’t need? SOURCE: Canva Pro stock image

Well there you go. It’s not an exhaustive list but hopefully a couple of things on there might be something helpful that you hadn’t considered before.

Do you do any of these? Or are there other tricks you think of to stop you from the sitting and scrolling?

Let me know in the comments!