A friend recently told me a fact in casual conversation that caused me a full-blown existential crisis: Spending just 2.5 hours a day on my phone adds up to 38 full days a year. That’s over a month gone—a month I could’ve spent traveling, learning a new skill, or doing anything other than mindlessly scrolling.
Thirty-eight days—vanished. And that’s not even factoring in sleep, school, or the endless to-do list of adulthood. So, after a brief (okay, borderline existential) meltdown, I did something drastic: I wiped my phone clean. Every social media app? Gone. Anything I didn’t truly need? Deleted. I stripped it down to the bare essentials—texts, calls, and maps. That’s it.
And suddenly, I had a lot of free time.
So, here’s what I’ve been doing instead of mindlessly doomscrolling and pretending to check my emails.
Wellness
I decided to use all this newfound free time wisely. At first, I kept instinctively reaching for my phone, like my brain refused to accept that I didn’t need to check my notifications every five minutes. But once I got past the initial withdrawal, I realized something: life actually feels better when I’m not glued to a screen.
With fewer hours lost to my phone, I finally committed to a gym routine—and I’ve been able to stick with it thanks to all this new free time. While I still use my phone to play my favorite podcasts and songs during workouts, silencing those constant notifications has made a world of difference. I highly recommend using the Do Not Disturb feature; it’s allowed me to focus on my movements and truly enjoy the experience without distractions. Plus, with all the extra hours I’ve gained by stepping away from my phone, I’ve started cooking more meals at home, transforming the process into something I genuinely look forward to, rather than just another chore.
And since I’m apparently in my wellness era, I took things a step further—every weekend, my friends and I braved the new sauna and cold plunge at East Sands. If you’ve never sprinted into freezing cold water only to immediately regret all your life choices, I highly recommend it!
Entertainment
I even tried embroidery—emphasis on tried. My first attempt is best described as “abstract,” but hey, it’s a start. At the very least, it was nice to do something with my hands that didn’t involve typing or scrolling.
I have also become a member of the St Andrews Public Library and have started reading before bed instead of scrolling through my phone. (I highly recommend it to fellow internationals who want to avoid buying books they can’t take home at the end of the year). Plus, there’s something so satisfying about holding a real book again instead of swiping through an e-reader.
Relationships
With all this extra free time, I’ve been putting more energy into actually being with my friends—whether it’s over dinner, long coffee dates, or those spontaneous “let’s just sit and talk” moments.
You know when you’re at a restaurant and see two people sitting across from each other, both glued to their phones instead of talking? I never wanted to be that person, but I think, without realizing it, I was sometimes half-distracted—replying to a message here, checking an email there. Now, without my phone constantly pulling my attention away, I feel a lot more present, and it’s made those moments so much more meaningful.
School
And, of course, all this newfound time means I’ve been way more focused on school. No more scrolling during lectures (well, mostly). I’m actually getting stuff done, and it feels great. It’s given me space to think about my assignments with more clarity – and, dare I say it—left me feeling less stressed.
Phones are undeniably a part of our lives, and I don’t think they’re inherently bad. However, being intentional about my phone usage has helped me realize just how much time I was spending on mine each day. Now, I’m exploring new hobbies and enjoying the moments that make up my day-to-day life. It’s wild how much extra time I have now that I’m not glued to my phone. So, the next time you feel too busy for something, check your screen time—you might be surprised! This isn’t about guilt-tripping anyone (we all love a good scroll now and then), but breaking the habit has been so worth it for me. It turns out that life gets a lot more enjoyable when you’re actively living it, rather than just watching it unfold through a screen.