Everybody tells us to get off our phones. And most of the time, it’s the last thing any of us wants to hear. But, even though it seems daunting, limiting screen time might just be the key to bettering your life.
I recently set a goal for myself to leave doom scrolling in the past. Doom scrolling is one of those activities that you don’t realize is a problem until you stop entirely. I found that my screen was the first thing to greet me in the morning and the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes at night.
It goes without saying that this habit isn’t healthy. But phone dependency is so normalized and so acceptable that people our age become less likely to attempt to fight it.
One of the biggest roadblocks for getting over screen dependency is having to face the time alone that manifests without our trusty entertainment. Ever since quitting TikTok, I’ve found myself with more time on my hands than I ever thought possible.
Reducing screen time means introducing more hours to your day. And for some of us, it is difficult to meet this extra time with intention. But the idea isn’t to replace screens with productivity.
Limiting screens doesn’t have to mean eliminating downtime. Start small and replace one daily pleasure with another.
This January, I decided that 2026 was the year I started reading books for pleasure. Since the start of the new year, I have read five books.
This might not seem impressive or especially accomplished, but for someone who is prone to dropping tasks the moment they get boring, this was a huge step forward.
Now, I’m not here to tell you you have to exchange AI love triangles and vertical acting for books and poetry. I’m simply here to convince you that the satisfaction of finishing a book or baking banana bread is worth so much more than the dopamine hit of lying in bed and scrolling on your phone.
There is nothing on your screen that is more valuable than the pleasures of the outside world. So many of us avoid pleasure projects and hobby-like pastimes because we simply have too much real work to do.
But procrastination is bound to happen regardless of how we spend time procrastinating. Pushing off your English essay is fine; what’s not fine is losing hours of your day to TikTok rabbit holes and multipart video series.
Instead, what if we procrastinate with tasks that make us happy? Next time you find yourself scrolling on TikTok or Instagram reels, take a moment to ask yourself: Is there anything else I’d rather be doing?
It’s not always about doing what you should be doing. It’s about what best serves you.
Who says you can’t watch a movie in the middle of the day, or stop everything you’re doing to start a new book? Waste time making yourself better. And you’ll feel better too.
You’ll find it easier to pick up new tasks and complete them. You’ll notice that you’re less irritable and less anxious at all hours of the day.
If you choose to take any sort of steps in bettering your life, let this be one of them. Saying goodbye to the prison of doomscrolling is the best gift you can offer your life.