Teens on average will spend at least 4 hours a day on social media apps and their phones. 

Are you really that happy sitting around for 4 plus hours literally doing nothing?

Getting off your phone is a great step to take to reclaim your life and happiness.  Some people try to combat these wasted hours by doing a social media detox, where they will spend a day or two, or up to an entire year, without social media.

Getting Started on Your Social Media Detox

Before you start a social media detox, choose a time frame that best suits you. I would recommend at least a week; then go on to categorize what apps on your phone you consider to be social media and delete them. 

But what will you do without social media and doom scrolling? Here is a list of alternate activities you can try. 

Alternative Activities 

Doing things that do not involve your phone will be the best course of action. Without your phone, you won’t feel compelled to open up your phone to check your notifications.

Learning a new skill is always a great way to stay off social media and your phone in general. If you don’t already know how, learning to play an instrument could be a great thing to try out.

I learned how to play the stylophone as a way to stay off my phone this summer. It came with a little book, so I didn’t use many video tutorials. While I didn’t learn how to play the stylophone because I have the memory of a goldfish and can’t remember tabs to save my life—it was fun to try!

Picking up an artistic hobby like painting or even going out to buy a coloring book is a great distraction from your phone. Buying cheap watercolor sets from the dollar store along with coloring books, or if you are looking for more complex options Michaels is an option for more detailed coloring books. 

Starting a new book is always a great way to spend your time. You can find some book recommendations here. And if you aren’t one to read a physical book, you can always get an audiobook instead. 

Taking time away from your phone can greatly improve your mental health and is shown to decrease stress, depression and anxiety. But even if you don’t want to throw your phone across the planet for a week, taking an hour to an hour and a half away from your phone can improve your mental health.

Please share with us your favorite things to do away from your phone by commenting!