10 Things to Do Instead of Scrolling: Ideas to Have a Productive, Healthy Summer

Hey Friend!

Summer is a great opportunity for families to travel, go to kids camps, and vacation. Because of all the unstructured fun, schedules are often totally thrown out of the window. Sometimes when people are off schedule they revert to old habits such as scrolling to take a break from all the busyness. Maybe your family has been on their phones quite a bit this summer as everyone has more free time than normal. It’s understandable. Instead of scrolling, there is a way for you to have a productive and even healthy summer. 

There is so much opportunity to connect with God and for family connection when you have pattern interruptions like summer vacation. There is also room for a lot of personal and business growth. Stef has come up with ten things that you can do instead of scrolling. This will help you have a healthy, productive, and more connected summer. These tips can be a game changer for you just like they have for Stef. Keep reading to find out how you can stop scrolling.

10 Things to do Instead of Scrolling

To do Right Now: Create Boundaries with Your Phone

Before going over the 10 things to do instead of scrolling, it’s important to create boundaries with your phone. 

Step # 1 – Turn off all notifications on your phone. Stef has been doing this for three years and has still been able to run her business and answer the phone for important calls, so it is possible for you too. You got this!

Step #2 – Give yourself a mental break and get rid of social apps. Delete them. You can reinstall them if you need to in the future. 

Step #3 – Take a daily break from your phone. Put your phone somewhere you will remember. Stef has a phone shelf where she leaves her phone while eating dinner with family, or while connecting with her kids to make sure she is fully present.

Phones steal attention and steal joy from the beautiful moments that God has for us. Now that you’ve got a plan in place to have healthy boundaries around your phone this summer, let’s look over the ten things you can do instead of scrolling.

1 – Pray and Get in the Word

In the morning it can be really easy to scroll, check your email, or send someone a message through communication apps. Make a conscious decision to read the Word. Choose to put down your phone, pray, and open your Bible. If you were to do just one thing instead of scrolling, this would be the most important alternative choice.

2 – Take a Walk

Go on a twenty-minute walk without distractions. A walk can always be dual purpose. Take a walk on your own, and spend some time praying and talking with God. Use this time as a mental reset. 

Or, go on a walk with one of your kids or your spouse and take the time to have meaningful discussions. Any of these options are such beautiful and peaceful ways to form deep connections.

3- Connect with Your Kids, Distraction Free

Life as a mama can be busy, and sometimes you reach the end of the day without having had a chance to connect with your kids. Put all devices away and take ten minutes to connect with your children. Have a conversation with them about their day. 

You can ask them questions such as: 

• How was your day?

• What did you do? 

• Did anything crazy or great happen?

• Were there any lows to your day?

• Did you go through anything hard that you want to talk about? 

By putting your phone away you can have meaningful connections with your children every day, distraction-free.

If You Scroll Do Something Productive at the Same Time

4 – Meal Prep

If you are going to scroll mindlessly while watching a YouTube video, you might as well do something beneficial for your life at the same time. Meal prep. Cook your protein, cut your fruits and vegetables. Think of this as a free pass to scroll as long as you are doing something productive.

5- Declutter

If you are going to scroll, you can use that valuable time to declutter one tiny space in your home. Find your junk drawer and organize for ten minutes. Clean it out. Instead of wasting time just scrolling, you can reorganize your tupperware cabinet, or your beauty drawer while you scroll and finish in just ten minutes.

6 – Workout

Get creative with your workouts. You can do a quick exercise video on YouTube or take a walk around your yard. Do push ups or planks. Move your body in some way with the resources you have around you. This is something productive and healthy that you can do for yourself.

7- Do Your Laundry

If there is a chore that you hate to do (like laundry) reward yourself by watching your favorite tv show or a podcast episode while being productive. Stef listens to podcasts or watches short videos while doing her laundry.

8 – Tidy Your House

Do a full house reset to have a clean and tidy home. The state of your home is the state of your mind. Take the ten minutes that you’d waste scrolling to tidy up your house. Do this in the evening too.

9 – Do Quick Work Tasks

Knock out your easy work tasks that take less than five minutes. All the mindless little tasks in your work are things that you can knock out instead of scrolling. Stef often messages her team on Voxer while doing the dishwasher or while commuting in the car. This is an easy way to complete work tasks quickly.

10 – Do a Calming Activity

Take some time to reset and relax by doing a calming activity. It is so much healthier for you than scrolling. Don’t bring your phone with you, just be alone for a moment.

Some ideas are: 

• Lay in bed and listen to calm worship music 

• Take a hot bath

• Take a hot shower

Calming activities are peaceful ways to have silence and disconnect from mental stimulation.

BONUS: How to Teach Your Kids to Have Healthy Boundaries with Technology and Screen Time

Let’s talk about kids and technology. What should you do if your kids are also mindlessly scrolling on their devices? First, before offering them screen time have them play outside, get dirty, do household chores, and make dinner with you. This glorifies God as these are times of connection and bonding. 

After a full day of connection and activity, then you can offer a structured, short time of technology use. Stef has found out that this is what works best for her family. During screen time, everyone is seated together in the room and everyone knows what the kids are doing on their iPads. The world of technology can be so dangerous for children as it is so easy for an ad to pop up that can lead your kid to a deep part of the web.

How do you protect your kids with technology? First, you can put safeguards around their technology. Second, you can teach your kids how to have self-control around technology from a very young age. Lead by example and have conversations with your children about tech and have them often. The younger you do it the better.

If you are looking for more ways to connect with your kids daily or to learn more about safe technology use, Stef has more episodes on these topics. Go to stefgasscommunity.com, click on the guides and you will find the podcast catalog.

10 Things to Do Instead of Scrolling

Scrolling for too long wastes our time, is overstimulating for the brain, and steals from the beautiful moments of connection that God has for us. The ten things you can do right now instead of scrolling will help you connect with God, connect with your family, be productive, and stay healthy. Don’t forget this is only possible when you set more boundaries around your phone.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

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