I’m Doomed To Doomscroll
I’m going to be real with you here: instead of doing something productive this summer, I’m doomscrolling reels in every format. From YouTube Shorts to TikToks and very well-timed Instagram Reels, I start with one video. Long story short, four hours later, I have a crick in my neck, and it’s 3:00 p.m.
Longer forms of media like podcasts, audiobooks, and especially my favorite drama channels can not, and I mean CAN NOT keep me focused. I rewatched my old die hard movies such as Sense and Sensibility (1995) and from the same world, the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice Mini series. Yet when it was already on the screen, and I picked up my phone, that’s how I knew my willpower to stay focused, and my attention span, was really bad.
You don’t need to guess what happened after that. The credits rolled on screen, then I checked my watch. Desperate times call for desperate measures, at least in my world!
Here is my personal list of five things to do that can occupy your time in much better ways:
Counting till I Crashed out
1. Painting
I’m a very artistic person; I love creating things with my hands, whether it’s sewing or painting! I’m definitely not like Bob Ross, and I can’t paint something as realistic as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. You don’t need crazy amounts of money for this activity! Make a trip to your local dollar store, and you’ll find the holy grail in the arts and crafts section. I chose a few canvases from what they had to offer, accompanied by the most basic primary and secondary color paints.
Pinterest was very helpful on how to mix paints from red to brown, or blue to cyan. I definitely did not dabble in color theory because that’s way above my expertise, but if that’s your cup of tea, I definitely recommend this one! If you’re like me and don’t have the patience to wait for things to dry, a blow dryer speeds up the process.
2. MakeUp Tutorials
2016 had some of the best eye makeup looks and palettes that I have ever seen. It doesn’t help that Y2K is resurfacing— and Zara Larson’s eyeshadow combos are giving Bratz Dolls. My makeup routine is very minimal: blush, concealer, eyeliner, done.
I haven’t ventured out since my freshman year of high school, and it didn’t hurt to try and do some bold makeup looks without a full face of glam. Rewatching some of the old beauty gurus like James Charles and Jeffree Star was nostalgic and challenging. I was barely getting the exact level of blend, but hey, it’s a start!
3. Thrift Flips
I thrift a lot, like a lot. We all know the saying: “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” but we’re hardly collecting trash here. Goodwill tends to be hit or a miss, but everything I see has potential. For instance you can turn a baggy t-shirt into an off-shoulder icon, an old purse into chunky keychains, or shoes from simple to bedazzled. YouTube tutorials give me the ‘how-to,’ but it’s really Instagram that inspires me! I see you, fashion girlies!
4. Jewelry Making
Maybe this one doesn’t count because I already do this, but this definitely occupies my time in both a mechanical and fun way! With a pair of pliers I stole from my dad’s garage—my bad, Pops—I reworked old jewelry and made it into something more me! Earrings are the easiest, bracelets next, depending on whether you like charms, and necklaces are my vice. It’s really rewarding to see what you made—and even more rewarding when complimented in public via strangers asking “Where did you get those?” and my proud “I made it myself” response.
5. Crazing For Crocheting…
The final one is my least favorite. I’m biased; I have all the yarn and hooks, but my toxic trait is thinking I can make something pretty in five minutes. Time-consuming? Yes! Professional ragebait? OH ABSOLUTELY! On a positive note, what could have been three hours wasted on doomscrolling was better spent on crocheting a baby beanie. The thin yarn is tricky, so I recommend the much thicker one until you get the hang of it.
Word of warning: if you have carpal tunnel syndrome… don’t do it for more than five hours; you will cramp. If you want to know how I know? Let’s just say I learned the hard way.
Let’s get Reel… I mean Real
Will any of these magically cure your doomscrolling addiction overnight? Probably not. I still catch myself opening Instagram for absolutely no reason—chalk it up to muscle memory. But every hour I spend painting, thrifting, flipping, making jewelry, or even rage-crocheting is an hour I’m creating something instead of watching someone else’s creation.
You don’t have to be productive every second of the day, and it’s ok to spend time relaxing online. But if you ever look up from your phone, wondering where the last four hours went, maybe it’s time to try something different.
Who knows, you might discover a new hobby, make something you’re proud of, or, at the very least, save yourself from another sore neck and the realization that somehow it’s already 3 P.M.
Now excuse me, I’m going to put my phone down…right after I watch one more reel. Or seven of them.