Digital wellbeing

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

If you only read a few

  1. Cut back on random phone scrolling.

    It messes with mood and attention.

    one person who lived it

  2. Delay checking your phone after waking up to prevent all-day distraction.

    One person found that the moment they checked their phone in the morning, they ended up checking it repeatedly throughout the rest of the day.

    one person who lived it

  3. Get out of the internet to get a reality check, as online perceptions do not match real life.

    Reality is not like what you see on the internet.

    one person who lived it

  4. Mute group chats that are negative or dramatic and leave online communities that are nasty.

    It honestly helps.

    one person who lived it

  5. Read 'Deep Work' by Cal Newport to help limit social media browsing.

    One person found this book helped them limit social media browsing.

    one person who lived it

  1. Replace phone scrolling with reading books to reduce dependency on the device for filling time.

    To stop using the phone to avoid thinking about necessary tasks.

    one person who lived it

  2. Take a break from social media to discover hobbies that define who you are and to spend more time socializing with loved ones.

    Being off social media helps in learning random things, picking up new hobbies, and socializing with loved ones more.

    one person who lived it

  3. Delete social media apps immediately rather than delaying the detox to a future date.

    One person found that starting immediately made the process easier than expected.

    one person who lived it

  4. Use social media sparingly to maintain mystery and avoid fake validation.

    Posting more won’t make you happy.

    one person who lived it

6 more on this
  1. Disconnect from social media to be more present in the physical world and notice details about people that distractions hide.

    Real-world presence is more rewarding than online interaction and reveals things you otherwise miss.

    one person who lived it

  2. Impose a weekly screen time limit to make phone usage feel optional rather than necessary.

    It changes the perception of phone use from a necessity to an optional activity.

    one person who lived it

  3. Disengage from social media to remove the false feeling that everyone else has a better life.

    Social media is a distorted representation of reality.

    one person who lived it

  4. Stop watching the news because it acts like a negative vacuum.

    one person who lived it

  5. Consume more positive content and filter negative words from your social media feeds to improve how you feel.

    one person who lived it

  6. Carry a sketchbook or Sudoku to occupy boredom instead of resorting to mindless scrolling.

    one person who lived it

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