I am guilty of spending to much time procrastinating, especially scrolling through social media. One search leads to another and before you know it an hour has passed by and you have realised you’ve barely said two words to those around you.

Recently I have found ways to switch off my phone, get away from social media and be more present, more in the moment with those around me.

So if like me your guilty of this and need to find something else to do and switch off for a while, here are 5 things you can do instead of scrolling through social media feeds.

1. Talking

Reconnect with those around you, your partner, your children, even spend some time with your pets! Talk about your day, plan some family time together, you could even set one afternoon or evening aside where yo say no to phones and other technology and play a game or go for a walk, or even cook a meal together.

2. Reading

Since making a more conscious effort to ‘switch off’ I have found that I have time to read all of those books I’ve been meaning to read for the last 6 months. I am gradually getting through the pile of books that have been stacked up on my bedside tale. Not into books? What about a magazine, or even the newspaper?

3. Getting out for a walk

It’s amazing how much time we can spend on social media, but recently I’ve been thinking about the things I’m missing out on. So at least 3 times a week I go out for a walk. I take my children with me, and we just walk. We go wherever our feet take us and see what we can find along the way. The other day we came across an arts and crafts workshop, we went in and spent a god 2 hours having fun and making memories!

Walking can also have a positive effect on your mental health and even just a 30 minute walk counts as physical exercise. Give it a go and see how refreshed you feel!

4. Create a Play list

I Love listening to music, I often get lost in the songs, and it’s a way for me to relax. So turn up the volume and listen to your favourite albums. Dance, get some housework done or just simply chill and relax!

5. Find a hobby

Another way to get off social media for an hour to two is to find a hobby. It needs to be something you that you really want to do and enjoy. It couple be anything from playing a sport, sewing, knitting to making model boats or figures.

These are just a few ways you can ‘switch off’ from social media for a while and I am sure there are lots more things to do instead, these are just some of my favourites.

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