Alternatively, here are some things you can do instead of wasting the day away by doom scrolling.
With finals coming up and summer creeping around the corner, we are going to find ourselves with more free time than we’ve had in months. This prospect is both exhilarating and daunting; how will we spend our days now that we don’t have class or papers and assignments to work on?
Going from such a rigid, structured schedule to days without as many obligations can be an overwhelming shock, and it is easy to find instant gratification from the boredom by doomscrolling Instagram reels and TikTok. But this is both counterproductive to all of the intelligence just garnered and harmful to our brains. Instead of filling the void with mindless, attention-span-reducing content, this free time can be better spent cultivating our interests and bettering ourselves. So if you find yourself in a rut this summer, with each day looking identical to the last, remember that the only thing stopping you from utilizing your free will and switching up your routine is yourself. Here are some of my ideas:
- Sleep from the foot of your bed. See what your room looks like from this angle.
- Walk in one direction for as long as you can go.
- Cartwheel in the grass; move your body as much as possible.
- Jump into a body of water.
- Write a handwritten letter to a loved one.
- Volunteer your time (My personal preference is my local animal shelter, but any community-focused organization can suffice).
- Make a bouquet of wildflowers.
- Sleep on the floor (it’s very grounding).
- Learn a new instrument or language.
- Bake something completely from scratch. Try new recipes and experiment with new flavors.
- Take a painting/ pottery class, make more art.
- Take a long walk, find a big field of grass. Sit. Pay attention to what you hear.
- Take a train to a city you’ve never been to before.
- Jump in puddles and dance in the rain.
- Watch a documentary; educate yourself.
- Spend a full 24 hours without your phone or other forms of technology.
- Visit your local library, maybe even check out a book.
- Have more conversations with strangers.
- Check in on old friends, make new ones.
- Practice journaling. Check in with yourself.
Just get out of bed. Just get out of the house, even if it is only to your front or back yard. Do something that challenges you and excites you, and offers you a new way of thinking. Train your brain to rely on its own knowledge and experiences instead of resorting to artificial intelligence.
Remember that you can, and should, be thinking for yourself. When we spend each day engaging in the same mindless activities, we give up control over our own lives. This is a dangerous game to play, especially now, with computerized replacements for seemingly every facet of human activity. In an age that is becoming more digitized by the day, we need to start prioritizing our humanity.