101 Things You Can Do Instead of Mindlessly Scrolling on Your Phone

Notes by Thalia

7 min readOct 17, 2022

Scrolling on your phone is not healthy.

Because healthy things are supposed to make you feel good about yourself, both inside and out.

So instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone, do something more worthwhile with your time.

Here are 101 things you can do without being on your phone.

I recently hosted an online workshop on healthy habits and building a flexible daily routine.

And one of the things that kept coming up was where we put our energy and what we give our attention to that is not a priority.

Things like scrolling on social media and watching TV over 2-hours of TV a night.

Because in all honesty, these activities do not serve us in any way.

I’m also guilty of turning to the TV or my phone when I’m bored because they are just there.

But I know there is more I can do with my spare time which will probably fill me with a greater sense of self-worth.

I mean how many times have you wasted an entire evening comparing your life to others online and felt like shit afterwards?

Or on a scale of 1 to 10 how lazy do you feel if you scroll for too long or binge-watch an entire series on Netflix?

We seem to feel guilty whenever we emerge from an algorithm-dominated hole we have carved out for ourselves. But if you indulge in more meaningful activities, then you will feel as though you have accomplished something while still relaxing and decompressing.

And the good news is, there are plenty of activities that don’t leave you feeling lazy, guilty, overwhelmed or even shit about yourself.

Benefits of digital cleansing

Before I do a deep dive into the 101 things you can do instead of being on your phone, let’s first recap the benefits of doing a digital cleanse.

Disconnecting is one of the greatest acts of self-care that you can give yourself.

Because it allows you to take better care of your mental health and well-being.

Instead of getting distracted by social media, thousands of apps, notifications and Candy Crush, you can figure out your needs and spend this time actually addressing them.

But that’s not all, other reasons why you need to unplug include:

Improves your overall mood
Clears your mental space
Helps you build good digital habits
Allows you to reconnect with the present
Improves sleep pattern
Stops the comparison cycle
Helps you to feel less anxious and overwhelmed
Frees up heaps of time

How to stop yourself from scrolling

The reason why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of scrolling or watching TV is because we’re prompted into doing these things.

Our phones are always in our hands and the TV is right there on the wall staring back at us.

So learn to stand in the way of you and your phone.

Place cues around your house so you can successfully take up a new hobby.

Want to start knitting?

Leave your knitting needles on the coffee table where you can see them.

Want to go on a bike ride?

Set yourself an alarm reminder which triggers you into getting outside on your bicycle.

There are things you can do to make it easier to stop yourself from scrolling and do something else with your time instead.

101 Things You Can Do Instead of Being on Your Phone

From solving a Rubik’s cube to making pasta from scratch, here is an extensive list of worthwhile things you can do instead of scrolling that will nourish your mind, body and soul.

I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.

And to make it even easier for you to find your ideal “phone-free” activity, I’ve split this list up into 4 sections:

Things you can do without your phone in the morning
Things you can do without your phone at lunch
Things you can do without your phone in the afternoon
Things you can do without your phone in the evening

1 | Things you can do without your phone in the morning

Practice gratitude
Listen to an empowering podcast
DIY your own face mask and skin cream
Tackle some house chores
Do 60 squats
Read a few pages from a self-improvement book
Have a 90s dance party
Sing in the shower
Stretch your body
Do breath work
Give someone a hug
Listen to a guided meditation whilst on a walk
Drink your morning coffee while listening to the birds
Create a list of positive affirmations
Do a home workout
Choreograph a dance routine
Cook a healthy, well-balanced breakfast
Go for a swim
Hold the plank for 45-seconds or longer
Make a fruit smoothie
Write down your goals for the day
Write a to-do list
Complete a task from this list
Write a letter to a friend and send it in the morning post
Dye your hair for fun

2 | Things you can do without your phone at lunch

Go on a long nature walk
Bake some gooey brownies
Go on a bike ride
Make homemade gelato
Write a short story
Arrange bunches of flowers
Water your house plants
Take your dog out for a walk
Play with your dog or cat (or other pet)
Draw what you can see
Put together your own playlist
Write a bucket list
Get started with a productivity tool like Notion
Climb trees
Have an actual IRL conversation with someone
Make homemade lemonade
Get some fresh air
Have a good-old belly laugh
Visit a friend or loved one
Take time cooking a healthy lunch
People-watch
Declutter your desktop
Tend to your vegetable garden
Go on a car drive with zero destination
Read a magazine

3 | Things you can do without your phone in the afternoon

Solve a Rubik’s cube
Make a collage out of dried seasonal leaves
Take a nap
Write a letter to your future self
Paint by numbers
Learn a new hobby like cross-stitch
Declutter your wardrobe
Practice a new language
Dig up some old pictures and make a photo book
Take yourself out on a date
Go to an in-person yoga or exercise class
Scrapbook
Learn to play a musical instrument
Colour in an adult colouring book
Lie down in the park and watch the clouds go by (what can you spot?)
Make friendship bracelets
Play hide and seek with your friends (or kids) — who says we’re too big to play?
Read fiction (Harry Potter will keep you busy)
Tidy up your workspace
Go on a scavenger hunt
Learn how to code
Build a Lego house
Do some finger painting
Paint an old piece of furniture
Knit

4 | Things you can do without your phone in the evening

Play a game of chess
Do a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle
Make your own soy candle
Write poem
Plan your day for tomorrow
Go to a beginner martial arts class
Make an inside pillow + duvet fort
Learn something new with Skillshare
Play a classic board game
Create a vision board
Prepare your outfit for tomorrow
Host a games night
Make pasta from scratch
Play a game of Twister with friends
Cook a new recipe
Pamper yourself
Journal your thoughts
Have a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine
Build a financial self-care routine
Watch the sunset (or sunrise)
Sew your clothes
Meditate for 15-mins
Cut and paints your toenails
Look through an old family album
Get an early night

And idea 101…

Just sit and do nothing.

Because at the end of the day, you don’t need to be constantly doing something.

Final notes

Just so we’re clear, I’m not saying you can never scroll on your phone again.

This is about being more mindful of how you spend your time. Because there are loads more activities you can do which aren’t just passively watching TV or mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Worthwhile activities which can leave you feeling good!

And if you need help getting started, let me introduce you to the 30-Day Social Media Detox Planner.

This planner has everything you need to successfully stop the scroll and limit your screen time on social media in a way that works for you.

Use this planner to be more present, feel less overwhelmed, stop the comparison cycle and improve your overall mood.

13 page undated 30-day social media detox digital planner available on Etsy. Mockup image next to a beige text box and black writing.

This 12-page PDF includes:

Space to plan a 30-day detox
Screen-time tracker
Activity worksheet
Space to reflect
Prompts and examples
A guide to help you get started

Take back control of your digital well-being today.

Buy Now

Until next week,

Thalia xx