One of the goals I had for 2023 was to spend less time on my phone, something that I really discovered was necessary when it came to studying. For me, it’s a lot easier to get distracted than it was in high school because I have a lot more time to spend outside of the classroom. But I thought that helping to stop my phone addiction would not only improve my focus at school but also my overall mental well-being.
Some of the things I’ve been doing instead have been sketching or doodling. I have a film journal that I like to make collages in for movies that I really enjoyed and that helps me reflect on why I like certain art forms. I have also been reading more, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years. I’m sure many people can agree with me that it used to be so much easier to just pick up a book and read for fun, but high school and college courses took some of the fun out of reading. I’ve been trying to reclaim the joy that reading used to bring me and so far I’ve read 5 books this year (which isn’t many, but I’m a slow reader, and they were kind of long). Part of this is that I’m finally reading the Lord of the Rings series, something I’ve always wanted to read — and then I can watch the movies to take up more of my free time!
Something else I’ve worked on is doing chores that I procrastinate on, like doing my dishes or cleaning up my room. It can be really easy to forget about things like that when I’m distracted with not only school work, but also the apps on my phone. Speaking of, I’ve also been trying to get rid of apps I don’t use as often, so I’m not so tempted to swipe around on my phone looking for something to do. I also try to set time limits on certain apps I use a lot (but it can be hard to resist temptation, especially when I know the password). But this is all part of the process; sometimes you have to push through the difficult parts to be able to fully appreciate the little time you get on certain apps and use it to the fullest for the day. And even then, I’ve noticed that sometimes setting those time limits and just walking away has allowed me to not need to use the apps as much.
Lastly, one of the biggest things that have helped is going outside more often, now that the weather is nice. I always feel an instant mood boost when I go outside, and especially now that the sun is out and flowers are blooming I can enjoy my walks to City Park or hang out with my friends outside of the confines of a lounge. It also motivates me to exercise more, which is something I don’t need my phone for (except for music, but otherwise I don’t run and use TikTok). But either way, going outside has helped me appreciate the world outside of the little box of my phone.
Obviously, I will still use my phone for texting and calls, as well as music. But I’m hoping that when I next upgrade my phone, I might be able to go without a lot of the apps I have now and start fresh. I think that a lot of college students should try this to be able to focus more and live a more fulfilling life while they’re at school.
