A little break from texting and social media isn’t a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I encourage it, for your health mentally and emotionally! Here are six ways to take your eyes off the screen:
1. Walking
Biggest pet peeve right here: people walking around campus with their eyes down and their phones in hand. I even tweeted about it and got 20-something likes (which is great, in my opinion. Go me). I understand checking the time or telling a friend “omw”, but you should walk in the direction you are headed with your eyes up and open! Otherwise, you may trip or bump into someone else, making you look more foolish.
2. In class
I get it, classes are the last place you want to be. You’d rather be just about anywhere else but that lecture class. However, you pay to go here, you pay to be in class. I understand checking the time or even letting a friend know that lunch at Hoco after the class is good; however, put your phone in your backpack, making it “out of sight, out of mind”. This way, you can retain more information and gain respect from your professor, who I’m sure takes notice.
3.Eating
You don’t need to like that pic on Insta with a forkful in hand and your phone in the other. Rest your brain and enjoy the food in front of you. If you’re having a cute coffee date or out to eat and feel that something is SnapStory worthy, by all means, go for it. After that pic, put your phone face down.
4. Studying/doing homework
You can get more work done when you’re not distracted! Try putting your phone on silent and placing it behind your computer screen, on the desk, or in your backpack. If you don’t see it in front you, you’ll be less tempted to scroll through Insta or answer your friends, whose texts can wait until you’re at a good stopping point.
5.Working Out
Nothing should stand between you and a run or power workout! Hear the music beam through your headphones and get serious! Don’t answer a snap or have your brain dance through Twitter while at the gym or on your run. Put your phone on airplane mode, enabling you from getting distracted! This may be tricky if you need wireless for Pandora or Spotify, so put it on silent and don’t give in to looking at it until you’ve completed your workout.
6.Hanging out with friends
Sad but true: our rendition of hanging out is chillin in the dorm, Mub, or Aromas with a few gals and scrolling through our separate news feeds, sharing a funny video, and texting the other friends you’re not currently with. Be the girl to start a conversation that involves everyone and enjoy the company! You all are in the same space, but not being social! That’s crazy to me! Play the songs that you love in the background (b/c that’s great everyone loves music!) or even watch Netflix together, but give your phone and social media a break!
I’m not telling you to throw your phone out the window! You’re not a bad person for having it on you all the time. But, there are many simple ways where you can break free from social media and constant contact have on us. Hopefully, you read this and further improve on being phone-free (at least for a moment).