15 Productive Things To Do Instead of Social Media

This post is all about Productive Social Media Alternatives.

Have you ever looked at how much time you spend on Social Media? It’s shocking, isn’t it?

You think you’re only scrolling for two minutes, but it adds up! One study found that people spend 5 years and 4 months of their lifetime on social media platforms.

Social media sites are designed to be addictive and pull us down that rabbit hole.

The best thing we can do is being mindful of how we engage with these apps. Not scrolling mindlessly every free moment we have.

Also, when we are trying to figure out how to stay off social media, it’s smart to have alternate plans.

Finding more useful and productive ways to fill our day.

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Productive Things To Do Instead Of Scrolling

Remember, creating new habits takes time and effort. We all want instant results, but it’s best to be patient with ourselves.

Simply being knowledgable that you want to be more mindful with your media consumption is a step in the right direction.

Have a list of things you want to do instead of scrolling. When I have a list such as ‘do laundry,’ ‘finish blog post,’ ‘read,’ etc. it’s a lot harder for me to be distracted by my phone.

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1. Read A Book

The first thing on this list and quite possibly my favorite past-time. Reading.

In grade school, I would devour books! I used to love reading, I was the classic 90’s millennial obsessed with Harry Potter novels! And then Facebook arrived and so did iPhones.

I don’t know when the switch exactly happened, but throughout the years my free time went from reading to scrolling.

I have since made it a habit to read more. At night, I put my phone on Airplane mode and just read.

My reading habit has a much greater effect on my wellbeing, mind, and business than pretty pictures ever could.

Start off with just 30 minutes a day. Find a cozy spot in your home, set a timer, and read a couple of pages of that books that’s been on your shelf for years.

Did you know that 88% of wealthy people read for self-improvement vs. just 2% of the poor? I know what side of that statistic I want to be on.

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2. Listen to a Podcast

There are SO many great podcasts available nowadays.

I love podcasts because I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation between two incredibly intellectual people.

Whoever resonates, inspires, or motivates you is sure to have been featured on a podcast and it’s always a great idea to hear a different perspective on things.

Or perhaps, you can just find a comedy show to listen in on! Laughter reduces the stress hormone and stress is one of the main causes of many diseases. So I guess you could in fact say, laughter is the best medicine.

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3. Meditate

Ah, meditation. Love by many and hated by others.

Alright, let’s be real. Meditation is hard. It seems easy, doesn’t it? Just sit still with your own thoughts for ten minutes. Easy-peasy, right?

WRONG.

Meditation is how we train our minds. If you thought getting your *ss to the gym and squatting was difficult, training your mind is a whole new ball game.

Experts believe we have between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day. A lot of the time, we are on autopilot and responding to triggers in our environment due to our subconscious.

Meditation is how we get back control. When we meditate we create space between ourselves and our thoughts. With regular practice, we are able to calm the internal noise within and be less reactive to our external world.

We are better able to identify our thoughts and feelings without attaching to them and having them control us. Try the Headspace app if you don’t know how to get started.

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4. Tidy Up

Marie Kondo-inspired, but tidying up is so important!

A tidy, clean home reduces stress and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.

I know I can’t function properly when my room is a mess. Nor can I get work done if I have a million papers on my desk.

Spend the ten minutes you would have spent scrolling, organizing your files, desk, or folding your clothes (that you left in the dryer two days ago. No judgment!).

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5. Go For A Walk

Weather permitting, a walk is such a great way to destress and spend some time in nature.

If you have a dog, take them with you. Or perhaps mix a couple of the suggestions on this list and listen to a podcast as you stroll through the park.

Besides being great exercise and burning calories, a walk can boost your energy, improve your mood, and even improve your creativity.

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6. Learn A New Language

I have been telling myself for years I want to learn German!

I fell in love with Germany and would love to be able to speak at least a little bit the next time I visit.

Problem is, I always tell myself I ‘don’t have time’ to learn German (or any other language).

But the reality is, I do. If I put my phone down and focus on learning the language for just 20 minutes a day, I will be a lot farther along.

There are a lot of books and audios you can listen to if you’re trying to learn a new language!

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7. Write

There are a lot of mental benefits to writing, ranging from making you more focused to even helping eliminate stress.

Journaling specifically helps clear all the noise we have in our head and allows us to better understand our thoughts and feelings. It is often referred to as ‘clearing out your mental tabs.”

We have so many things going on in our heads at any given time, writing it down on paper takes it out of our mind and into the tangible world, thus creating more ‘brain space’ for what matters.

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8. Do Yoga

You don’t need to buy an expensive studio membership to improve your flexibility and posture!

There are SO many yoga videos online, some even 10 minutes short.

Or download a free app! My favorite is DownDog, it has a free and paid version. Both are awesome, but even the free version is ad-free! Winning

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9. Or Workout

If you don’t mind getting sweaty, instead of scrolling while on the couch, head to YouTube and do a quick workout!

Fitness Blender and MadFit are my favorite at-home workout Youtube channels! I’m always following along with a routine.

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10. Meal Prep

I used to always have to go out for lunch or throw together some weird concoction in the early morning.

Nowadays, instead of scrolling through Instagram, I make sure to meal-prep my food for the following day. And if I’m super ambitious, I’ll meal-prep the entire week

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11. Go Through Your Mail

Both physical and digital!

I have a bad habit of having my inbox stack up until it’s overwhelmingly huge and I get paralyzed.

Take the couple of minutes you would have spent scrolling and go through your mail. Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer wish to receive. And trash anything that isn’t useful or necessary anymore.

Email is such a source of stress for many, don’t let it stock up on you!

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12. Call a Friend

No, don’t go to their Instagram and ‘like’ their latest pic.

Actually pick up the phone and call to catch up, say hi, or make plans! Some of us spend so much time paying attention to our ‘online’ relationships that we neglect the real ones that truly matter.

Call me crazy, but I’d rather have 5 good, real friends that talk, support and hang out with me on a regular basis that 1,000 ‘online’ friends who like my pictures and don’t care to get to know me.

Social media is a great way to connect, yes. But it should only be a tool and shouldn’t replace an actual human connection. If you’re spending more time texting and dm’ing than talking and brunching, somethings off.

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13. Create A New Playlist

I can’t be the only one who listens to the same playlist for months on end because I’m too lazy to sit down and make a new one.

Curate your new workout playlist or car jam! Music is one of those things that has the power to lift my mood immensely, so creating a playlist is basically a form of self-care.

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14. Doodle

Doodling is another fun way to let your creativity run wild. The best thing about doodling is you don’t need any fancy equipment! Just a pen and paper to get you started.

If you want some inspiration, I have a post with over 200 doodle ideas to get you started!

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15. Start A Blog

Inevitably, this will take you a lot more time than just a scroll session through IG, but starting a blog was one of the best decisions I made.

And I couldn’t have done it if I didn’t focus 100% and limit my distractions as much as possible. Check out my income reports to see just how much you can make from a blog! Talk about a productive hobby.

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Overall, when you’re trying to figure out how to stay off social media, it’s best to fill that time with productive habits that will leave you feeling good.

There are a lot of benefits of taking a break from Instagram (less anxiety, FOMO, and comparisons to name a few), but overall these tools aren’t the enemy. How we use and relate to them determines whether they have a positive or negative impact on our wellbeing.

I’ve learned to be more mindful when scrolling through social media sites and not using it as a ‘filler’ but more as a source of inspiration and connection.

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What’s your relationship with social media? Is there anything you want to do but feel you ‘don’t have the time?’ Would you benefit from limiting your social media use? Let us know in the comments or send us an email at [email protected] 🙂

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