We all get sucked into the abyss that is the Internet. Heck, I make a living online! But sometimes, it’s best to just unplug and unwind. Here are 75 things to do instead of social media that will fill your day and your soul whole.
75 Daily Things To Do Instead Of Social Media
Do you have an iPhone? Does it judge you once a week and let you know how much time you’ve spent looking at your screen?
When I see that total sum looking back at me … I am always so disappointed! But here’s the truth – it’s not even the most accurate number because I watch a lot of YouTube on my main TV. I’m old school like that. I like the big screen!
That’s why I thought it was important for me to write this list up. I love to come up with ways to either connect with other humans or to tune into my inner passions.
This summer, I posted an article highlighting hobbies couples can do as a team – which I am working through as we speak. Have you checked that out yet?
How about my guilty pleasures list? That’s a good one if you are looking to indulge just a bit.
If you have kids, my summer bucket list for teens is a fun one for them! Make sure you head over to give it a read. But for now, let’s talk about why it’s important to unplug from the internet – even if it’s just for a third of our day.
Is it good to take a break from social media?
It is very healthy to take a break from social media – especially nowadays. When everyone initially claimed their Facebook accounts, people were just posting photos of their children and their pets. Today, it looks and feels very different.
There is the concept of FOMO – the fear of missing out. You open up your feed and are hit with a big party in town that you weren’t invited to!
Well, why weren’t you invited to that social gathering? It never feels good to see a group of friends together that you know. After a while, it starts to feel unhealthy to watch these events happening from afar. Because of this, I’ve actually stopped posting whenever I meet up with friends. If I don’t like the way it feels, it must not be nice to see my pictures either, right?
There’s constant tension on all platforms. The country is at the peek of unrest. People are constantly fighting online with no hopes of meeting in the middle. If you are someone who can’t handle that sort of energy, it might be too much for you to absorb for 15 hours a day.
And then, there is the perfection filter that everyone likes to wear. How exhausting to see everyone pretend that their lives are one big “Leave it to Beaver” sitcom. After a while, it just wears on you! Ask me how I KNOWWWWWW. That’s why I constantly seek out different things to do instead of social media.
What can I do instead of mindless scrolling?
There are so many different things you can do instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. In fact, here are 75 different ideas to help get you started. If you are in need of suggestions, here are my top things to do instead of social media:
- Go for a walk
- Cook a new recipe
- Clean out your refrigerator
- Listen to a new podcast
- Call a friend
- Visit grandma
- Take up painting
- Head to the mall and window shop
- Go for a hike
- Go fishing
- Join a book club
- Start a book club
- Write a book
- Do laundry
- Garden
- Visit a local farmer’s market
- Do the crossword puzzle
- Go on a rainbow scavenger hunt
- Clean out your junk drawer
- Write in your journal
- Meal plan
- Set your daily intentions
- Make a to-do list
- Work on a DIY project
- Go on a photography walk
- Start to check off your to-do list
- What’s something you’ve never had time for? Do that.
- Head to the beach
- Create a gratitude list
- Go the park and just people watch
- Go to a cafe and eat alone
- List several items on eBay
- Meditate
- Go through your mail
- Attempt to learn a new language
- Learn sign language – even just the alphabet
- Learn to draw something that you love
- Play an instrument that you’ve always wanted to try
- Sudoku
- Try origami – how about origami butterflies
- Set your monthly goals for the upcoming month
- Go on a nature walk
- Design a t-shirt
- Give yourself a nice stretch
- Take a bubble bath
- Create a new playlist
- Start a YouTube channel – here’s my latest
- Take a nap
- Take your pet for a walk
- Play with your pet
- Sign up for a gym class
- Indulge in your favorite treat
- Do a face mask
- Get a manicure / pedicure
- Reorganize your makeup
- Check the expirations of your food in your pantry
- Clean out your closet
- Clean under your sink
- Clean your basement
- Clean out your inbox
- Make a cup of tea
- Pray
- Volunteer
- Do yoga
- Start a blog
- Sit in slience
- Reconnect with your husband
- Have sex
- Dance around your house like no one is watching
- Play a board game with the kids
- Play solitaire
- Plan your next day
- Try on your clothes and see what still fits
- Practice self care
- Make a bucket list
This is just a small sample of things to do instead of social media. Believe me, the more you think about it, the more you can personally curate your own personal list of things to help fill your day!
How do you kick a mindless scrolling habit?
If you still find yourself constantly reaching for your phone here are three tips to help you break that habit of mindlessly scrolling:
- Do not automatically reach for your phone first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed. You have to make the decision – it will be hard – to STOP YOURSELF from doing this. Instead, change the habit. Get up, go outside for a bit, and sit on your stoop or porch. Have a cup of coffee first. Do ANYTHING but go on social media. It will be a HARD THING TO DO – but this is how you break habits. You will FEEL it until you don’t.
- Turn off all notifications. There should be NOTHING popping up on your screen. My friends HATE me but I don’t get any notifications and sometimes it takes me a long time to respond to text messages. I am the WORST. But I also don’t feel connected to my phone in that sense. I am not someone who will just text and DM all day. I’m not being rude. I just don’t have the energy for it. So, I don’t allow for those notifications.
- Fill your day with other things. I tell my children this all the time. Stop watching other people live their lives. You are wasting your time watching other people live. That is what is happening while you are scrolling for hours and hours. You are sitting on your couch – literally not moving – while watching other people live these great days. WITNESS AND ACCEPT THAT. Once you do, you will stop it. I can promise you. I love to go online for inspiration – cooking recipes, motivation, tips. YES! But I will never go online to swoon over fancy clothes and big cars. Not my cup of tea.
Things To Do Instead Of Social Media
I hope this post gave you a bit of inspiration today to try something new. It doesn’t have to be about traveling to a new country because that’s not where we are right now as a society. I’m just saying… maybe make some homemade oatmeal today? That’s what I’m doing.
I’m cooking a lot. I’m cleaning a lot. I’m spending a ton of time outside in my backyard. I’m writing. I’m with my kids so much that they are literally sick of me.
But what I am NOT doing is watching other people travel and flaunt an excess life because that is no longer in my hemisphere. That show is canceled. Instead, I spend my days doing things that bring me joy and avoiding what doesn’t … and what doesn’t is NOISE.