No More Doom Scrolling - 5 Ways To Use Your Phone More Constructively

Do you find yourself spending your evening watching TV with one eye, with the other tracking the endless scrolling of news on your phone? Well, if you do, you are certainly not alone. Indeed, ‘doom scrolling’ as it has been nicknamed is a habit that many of us have picked up, and experts are suggesting that it's not at all good for our mental health. The good news is that there are some much more constructive alternatives. Check them out in my post below.

Find awesome crochet patterns online

First of all, one of the best ways of not doom scrolling on your phone is to use it to find new crochet patterns online. The good news is that plenty are out there, including simple-to-make wearables like hats, gloves and scarfs and more complicated projects like Tunisian blankets. There's also a big Amiguri community online with talented makers coming up with new patterns and characters all the time that you can learn from.

Some of the most popular sites for online crochet patterns are Ravelry and Etsy and many makers that have their sites will also offer their patterns for sale on these platforms. Indeed, it can make it easier for their customers, as it means their payment info is already entered, and in the case of Ravelry, they have somewhere to stall all their designs and monitor the progress of their projects.

Another great place to find crochet patterns and ideas is Pinterest. I recommend making boards specifically for different types of patterns like granny squares, amigurumi, and shawls. Then whenever you finish a project and are ready for the next one, you will have wealth to choose from instantly!

Play challenge puzzles and games

Another great way to avoid doom scrolling and use your phone more positively is to play games and puzzles. There are a wide variety of games and puzzles that you can play on your phone for free too including app games which can be something as simple as Angry Birds, Candy Crush, or something more complicated like a full video game such as Call Of Duty and Minecraft. Then there are the ones you can play in your browser like sudoku, crosswords and word searches.

There are even ones that will help train your logic skills and keep your mind sharp and active like chess. Indeed, playing chess online on your phone is a great way to spend your free time. You can even play against the computer or invite specific friends, allowing you to play chess with people you care about all over the world!

Connect with others

To avoid doom-scrolling you can also use your phone to connect with others including friends, and loved ones, as well as to meet new people.

When it comes to connecting with loved ones and people you already know you have the choice of making voice calls, video calls or using a messaging app like WhatsApp, Discord, or Telegram or using messaging features of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

For meeting new people there is even more choice. Indeed, the internet is very much set up around communities which can make connecting with people who share the same interests as you online simple and easy.

One of the best places to find like-minded people online is on social media platforms like Facebook, or Reddit as there are groups open to all. Although forums, blogs, and YouTube can be helpful as well.

Bitesize Learning

If you are looking to use your phone in an engaging way that is not doom scrolling then learning can be the perfect option. Of course, it's perfectly possible to learn by asking specific questions on Google and searching out content that will provide you with the answers. However, there are in many cases, some much more effective and fun ways of learning that can be done on your phone.

A great example is the app Duolingo which allows users to learn a large selection of languages from French, German, and Spanish to Japanese, and even High Valerian for the GOT fans! The great thing about Duolingo is that it's interactive and presented in a very fun and user-friendly way. This makes it enjoyable to use and helps users come back over and over again staying committed to their learning goals and making good progress.

Another similar app is UXcel Go which was created to help UX designers, and writers learn the skills they need to thrive in their field. It too features interactive quizzes that allow the user to both assess the level of their learning and progress in a logical way through the material they offer.

Meditate

Perhaps the opposite of doom scrolling which is often done mindlessly, meditating is another great way you can utilize your phone. Meditation is an activity that is designed to help you watch your mind and body from a more objective standpoint. The goal of meditation is not to achieve a peaceful state but to better learn how our focus and attention work and develop the ability to direct it more easily.

For example, when meditating many people find themselves distracted by mundane thoughts such as what to make for dinner, the TV program they will watch later, and even what their partner meant by a comment made earlier in the day. If the goal was a peaceful mind then it would make sense to shut such thoughts out or chase them away. Yet instead when meditating you only have to acknowledge that they are there and bring your attention back to your anchor which is usually the breath. In this way, you can build your ability to not be dragged off by a train of thought, which can give us more choices in the way we act and interact in the world.

Believe it or not, your smartphone can help you develop this skill! For example, you can use an app like Headspace which offers guided meditations which help you develop a habit when you are first starting. There are even simple meditation timers you can get for your phone, which means you can meditate silently for a duration that you set for yourself.