5 Creative Ways to Reduce Screen Time

Since screens emerged as a new technology so many years ago, to their dramatic rise in quality, ease, and variety in the 2000s, they have dominated and directed the attention of millions. The average American spends about 7 hours looking at their screens, over 1/4 of their day gone and spent engaging in/with the virtual world (1). While there are many remedies to reducing screen time, such as setting time limits, and creating screen free zones, many of them do not seem to substitute screen time with anything else.

Replace screen time with an ongoing project.

The easiest way to defeat your screen is to get something else in your hands. I bought an adult coloring book, which exist in massive variety (both content and price range!) Putting the screen down to zone out and color in page by page is a great way to turn down and reduce anxiety, especially when you are getting ready for bed. While coloring books are easy to find and clean up, there are many other ventures you can pursue to get farther away from immense screen time. From finding a good book to building DIY furniture, or even creating your own garden, giving yourself the space away from technology to pursue a project can help build your time away from a screen. If just the project itself not enough to keep yourself busy, put on a podcast or play some background music to occupy the distraction your mind may crave.

Build cleaning into your daily routine.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge and sympathize those who may have trouble with their mental health in regard to keeping their space clean and tidy. Often, a screen can act as an escape from real life or physical space, leading to long-term self-abuse via an unhealthy disregard for ones living situation. Putting down or turning off your screen for even 15–20 minutes a day and taking time to clean your space can make a huge difference in your life. Even if you start by making little dents in a big mess, day by day, you can slowly work through mess that may have built up in you space. Maintaining a daily screen break to keep your space clean can have great long-term effects, both on your mental health, and your overall screen time.

Get creative in the kitchen.

Health is wealth, and cooking is one way to mix up your screen time. While this redirection may not cut down screen time as much as other methods (in case you need a recipe video/article to make your meal), it reinvents the way you use your screen. Instead of an entertainment/distraction station, your screen can become a reference or tool to assist in real life. Cooking is a great example of this! The spread of food cultures through the internet has created such an amazing platform for chefs and home cook alike to share their favorite recipes and cooking methods. The next time you see something that looks super tasty, don’t just send a like, but actually attempt the dish and allow yourself to be creative.

Turn off notifications for unnecessary apps.

If you are like me, the badge app icon looks like a giant beacon to open the app, even if it is just to clear the red icon from your screen. For apps that I do not really care about/do not have time sensitive information, it can feel liberating to turn off the notifications. You can ask yourself, “would someone use this method to contact me in an emergency?” to determine which notifications you choose to leave on versus which are unnecessary. As long as you are not required to respond to notifications, it is worth it to limit how much your apps can reach you. Especially for social media apps, which can create a constant pull to your screen, turning off notifications can be a happy medium between deleting the app/your account and being enslaved by your screen.

Get yourself a pet.

While this is definitely one of the more extreme methods to bring yourself more into the real world and away from screen time, as pet is a commitment and should not be taken lightly, it is one of the most effective methods. Getting my dog was one of the major turning points in my life and has undeniably changed me for the better. Having a pet is a great way to get away from screens, as they require your attention to thrive, and developing love for your pet makes you want to give them all the attention they need and deserve. Not only can pets help bring your focus to the real world and away from screens, but pets can also give you a strong sense of fulfillment and help improve mental health. If you are considering getting a pet, I highly recommend doing your research about what kind of care different pets require, as well as trying your best to source your future best friend as responsibly as possible (rescue and rehome are excellent options!). If you want a pet but are not sure if you are ready, fostering animals is a great way to test yourself while also helping animals in need (and overcrowded shelters).

The Takeaway?

Screen time not only takes us so much of your day, but it can also be an emotionally and mentally draining, leaving you deflated for real life events. Cutting out screen time and replacing it with activities that force you to focus on what is in front of you is the most effective way of creating lasting change when it comes to your screen time habits.