Things to do instead of scrolling

Are you looking for help to break your scrolling habit? I know I am!

Our craving for stimulation and connection drives us to pick up our phones, to feel productive or ‘in touch’ with people.

Why do we so often feel flat afterwards? Because it isn’t really as satisfying as we might first imagine.

 

Our brain isn’t wired to seek pleasure alone.

In fact, much of our motivation comes from alleviating the pain of desire.

Dopamine levels spike when we’re just about to find reward and plummet after we receive it.

         Nir Eyal

 

Rather than getting sucked into seeking the dopamine hit and drop, how about creating a more sustainable environment for our mind?

Is it possible to improve the relationship we have with ourselves through being able to just ‘be’ with ourself? The list that follows has some ‘doing’ suggestions, next to ideas of how to ‘be’ with our thoughts more.

If we are able to be present with our thoughts and feelings, to listen to the drive behind our impulses and cravings we can understand how to deeply nourish ourselves.

The healthier and more responsible we can be about how to provide ourselves with what we need, then the less likely we are to project upset at others, or believe we need others to fulfil us. Authentic communication begins at home, inside ourselves. Is our belief that we can only be happy if another person ‘is’ or ‘does’ something that we want them to?

 

Do something fulfilling for yourself today, instead of scrolling.

 

1. Watch the world go by
2. Unsubscribe from promotional emails
3. Feed the birds
4. Go to bed early
5. Go for a a walk
6. Write a thank-you note
7. Read a book
8. Drink a large glass of water
9. Clear out a drawer/cupboard
10. Call a relative/friend
11. Sit, be still, breathe
12. Learn a new language
13. Call your best friend
14. Move £10 into your savings account
15. Go to the library
16. Play patience/cards/boardgame
17. Invite people over
18. Exercise
19. Doodle
20. Watch a TED talk
21. Organize your desk
22. Do a crossword/sudoku
23. Stroke your pet
24. Write
25. Take a bath
26. Do some gardening
27. Draw something
28. Tidy up the house or wash up
29. Stretch
30. Do one thing at a time
31. Listen to music
32. Play an instrument
33. Do something nice for someone else
34. Listen to the weather

What are your tips for bringing yourself into the moment to feel more present, fulfilled and less distracted?