Recognize that fun is a trainable skill, not just a passive experience, and make a conscious effort to cultivate it in your life to increase joy and meaning. This approach allows you to be systematic about bringing more fun into your daily existence.
Employ mindfulness to regularly check in with yourself about how technology use makes you feel in the present moment. Use this awareness to gently guide your choices towards activities that feel better, without self-judgment.
Actively create opportunities for true fun by applying the SPARK principles: Make Space, Pursue Passions, Attract Fun, Rebel and Spark, and Keep At It. These actions collectively foster playfulness, connection, and flow in your life.
Actively look for and label small moments of ‘delight’ throughout your day, such as a pretty tree or a bird. This practice fosters a positive mindset, opens you to playfulness, and acts as a self-protective measure against negative media algorithms.
Do not begin or end your day by checking your phone, as apps are deliberately designed to capture your attention. This practice allows you to regain control of your time instead of letting algorithms dictate your first and last moments.
Charge your phone outside your bedroom and out of arm’s reach to create a physical barrier. This discourages late-night and early-morning phone use, which improves sleep quality and enhances personal control over your device interactions.
Sort your screen time into necessary and voluntary categories, then evaluate the actual purpose of each interaction. This helps you determine the best way to achieve your goals and identify areas where you can creatively seek non-screen alternatives.
For voluntary leisure time, actively seek creative alternatives that don’t involve screens. These activities often lead to feeling more refreshed and better than passive screen consumption, even when in-person interactions are limited.
Assign specific roles to different devices, such as using one device for work calls and another for checking the news. This creates clear boundaries, preventing various life aspects from blending together and making it easier to manage your time.
Install and uninstall problematic apps as needed to create ‘speed bumps’ in your phone usage. The brief effort required to reinstall an app can be enough to prompt awareness and allow you to choose a different, more intentional activity.
When you catch yourself stress scrolling, have a pre-planned alternative activity ready to engage in. Relying solely on willpower to stop is an ineffective habit-changing strategy; an alternative provides a positive redirection.
When you find yourself stress scrolling, acknowledge that your brain’s rational decision-making is impaired under stress, and practice self-compassion. After this awareness, gently redirect your attention to a more beneficial activity.
Stop using your phone as an alarm clock to prevent immediate engagement with a device designed to steal your attention the moment you wake up. A dedicated alarm clock helps you start your day with more control.
Consciously remember and engage your physical body through movement, walking, dancing, or play. Sitting is detrimental to health and well-being, and physical activity is crucial for pleasure, learning, and overall vitality.
When you reduce screen time and gain extra time, proactively fill it with activities that align with your personal interests and passions. This prevents algorithms or passive consumption from dictating your leisure.
Make a conscious effort as an adult to carve out time and space for playfulness, as responsibilities can easily diminish it. Replenishing your ‘play gauge’ fills your personal reserves, allowing you to give more to others.
Before bed, maintain a ‘fun times journal’ to reflect on your day’s activities and note which ones brought a sense of playfulness, connection, or flow. Use this insight to guide future choices and build more positive experiences into your life.
For work calls, consider using audio-only options to mitigate Zoom fatigue. The cognitive effort of reading 2D cues and emoting more than usual can be exhausting, making audio-only a less draining alternative.
For children’s remote learning, question the traditional school replication on screens and explore alternative ways to achieve learning and social development. This approach avoids requiring constant screen time, which may not be ideal for young children.
If children are required to have extensive screen time for remote learning, ensure they take frequent breaks and consciously manage their other recreational screen time. This helps maintain balance and prevents them from spending their entire waking life staring at a screen.
Engage with Screen Life Balance social media feeds, which are designed to provide ‘cold shower’ messages that encourage you to disengage from social media. These prompts help you be more present in your life rather than endlessly scrolling.