If you’re like me, a typical millennial, wondering what to do with your spare time besides doing the proverbial sin – mindless scrolling, you’ve stopped at the right up-flick.
There are countless blogs on no-surfs, screenless challenges etc. However, no matter how hard I try to go “no screen”, I end up looking at some kind of screen – even if I am just listening to an audiobook or a playlist. Now, I have just given up. Like many minimalists who need to use tech to actually function in society, I admit – I need my screens and unlimited screen time.
Jumping straight to the chase, here is what I do to “unscroll” the internet.
- Download Libby and read long-form books.
- What is Libby? Libby is an e-reader that lets you borrow e-books (audio and otherwise) from libraries you have a registered card in.
- In essence, reading long-form books is a lost art. Many just prefer memes or social media to summarise what to read. Re-training myself to read through a novel is surprisingly hard, and a great way to help my brain stick to 1 task for a long time.
- I make salads
- Man, cooking is hard. Meal planning is hard. I face customers daily, I teach, so my brain is so done by 630pm.
- So, I mid-commit to making a meal by cutting vegetables. Peeling and cutting up carrot, cabbage and sweet pea pods are always so satisfying. It’s like ASMR that you can eat after!
- I clean
- I don’t deep clean, but I do 15-minute vacuums and 15-minute counter wipes. It really helps me to switch modes after so much screen time at work.
- I don’t deep clean, but I do 15-minute vacuums and 15-minute counter wipes. It really helps me to switch modes after so much screen time at work.
- I “read” audio books
- Sometimes, I just don’t want to read. Audiobooks really help me to dig up information on some random repressed desire to learn about history or some strange concept I heard of in passing. Right now, I’m listening to Adolf Hitler: Rise and Downfall.
- Sometimes, I just don’t want to read. Audiobooks really help me to dig up information on some random repressed desire to learn about history or some strange concept I heard of in passing. Right now, I’m listening to Adolf Hitler: Rise and Downfall.
- I write – I hope!
- TBH, I am kinda back because I find that I don’t do enough reflective work. I started some scribbles here and there the past month and honestly, I found scribbling so refreshing that I decided to revive this humble blog.
- TBH, I am kinda back because I find that I don’t do enough reflective work. I started some scribbles here and there the past month and honestly, I found scribbling so refreshing that I decided to revive this humble blog.
So, I decided that the concept of “no-surf” is quite insane, especially in such a connected city like Singapore. Instead, using the internet to create or really hone in on my knowledge is so much more pragmatic.
