Living in a world where everything is right in our faces can be indescribably overwhelming. At our fingertips we get worldwide news 24/7, tips and tricks on how we’re living wrong, and mindless entertainment. Now don’t get me wrong, it can be relaxing to just stop thinking and scroll. But at what point are we scrolling our lives away? Lately, I’ve been facing this dilemma of staring at a screen all day either for school work or fun. My eyes get tired and I get a headache almost everyday. So I started to think, is this really worth it?
Deciding to reduce my media consumption feels like a big deal considering that nearly everyone lives in it. Spending all of my free time scrolling was relaxing my body but doing the opposite for my mind. I decided to stop waiting for those bad feelings to go away and blaming college. I knew the biggest change would be to spend more time living instead of existing. Here are 3 of the most impactful changes I’ve made towards being more positive.
Outdoor walks
With warmer weather coming, this one I am most excited about. Living in Pennsylvania, we can go multiple days without seeing the sun, especially in the winter. This can be so depleting of our moods and energy. So every chance I get now I go outside and take as long of a walk as I can. Being outside and getting vitamin D feels so healing, even when it’s cold out. Once you get going you won’t want to stop! You’ll feel such a boost of energy, positivity, and health benefits.
Delete tiktok
I actually did this months ago, but I continue to hear other people talk about it. I’ve experienced numerous people sharing or discussing conspiracy theories, exaggerated news stories, and “expert” advice. Many times my friends and family have been scared by what they see on TikTok. To me, it seems to stir up a lot of anxiety in people because of rumors started by other users. It’s like one big game of telephone where words get twisted and no one fact checks because people believe what’s right in front of them.
Now I’m not totally hating on TikTok. I think it can be a good place for fun and positivity. But since I’ve deleted it, I’m not experiencing that mass hysteria, constant self comparing, and feeling inadequate because I don’t grow all of my own food or whatever. I would rather live my life than watch someone else documenting theirs.
Respecting my limits
Whenever I decide I want to get super fit, I always go in expecting my body to do more than it can. So, when things get too hard I tend to give up, then some time passes and I go through the cycle again. I finally had a talk with myself- I can’t do it all. We all have to start somewhere, no matter how big or small. My new goal is to do just a little bit each day so I can say I worked out, that I did something. It takes time to build up to harder workouts, even if others would consider you to already be in shape. If you aren’t used to moving around like that, it can be very hard. By doing what is within my limits has already shown me better results than going all in too fast. This has given me a much more positive outlook and better motivation to stick to my goals.