It’s a familiar scene. Your alarm sounds, and you roll over in bed to turn it off. Then, almost like magic, you find your fingers clicking on your social media app of choice, and you begin your morning scrolling. Maybe you notice it’s going on for too long, and resolve to put your phone away for the next few hours. Twenty minutes in, though, there’s a nagging sensation in the back of your mind telling you to go glance at it, just to make sure you aren’t missing a pressing piece of information.
So you check it, and go to respond to a single text, only to emerge an hour later from the dark corner of farm animal TikTok. How did you get there? Only the algorithm knows…
According to a 2021 study, the average adult reported spending a whopping five to six hours a day on their phone. That’s a part-time job! And sometimes, mamas, it feels like it. The good news? This is one job you can absolutely quit, no two weeks notice required. All that is required is a mindset to switch!
At The Cool Mom Co., we are here to remind you that your peace is worth creating boundaries for. It can be tricky, at first. Just like when you break any habit, it takes practice. But take it from us: you are worth it! Here are some phone-free activities to incorporate into your daily routine that will help you find those much-needed peace worthy moments.
Phone-Free Kitchen
We’ve all heard about how important having tech-free family meals can be. This is a time for families to come together and create a daily connection.
For many of us, cooking family meals is an excuse to pull up a comfort show on Netflix, listen to a podcast episode, or catch up with our favorite YouTubers.
It can be easy to bribe ourselves into doing things by putting on a background distraction. If that helps you get work done, we definitely feel you! But here’s a challenge for you, Mamas: Next time you go to make a meal, try doing it with no tech. No phones, no laptops, no TVs. Turn meal prep into a group activity! Inviting your children to have a hand in preparing their food teaches them lifelong skills in food preparation and teamwork. Bonus benefit? Allowing your kids to join in on kitchen time can reduce picky eating! Kids are much more inclined to try new foods when it’s something they helped to create.
Want to try it out? Check out our selection of delicious, family-friendly recipes!
Get Outside
We all know the benefits of spending daily time outside – hello vitamin D. We all know we should be doing it. But when there are emails to reply to, the house is in shambles and quiet time is calling our name…well, it can be easy to put off that outdoor time until tomorrow or the next day. Or maybe even the day after that.
Time outdoors can lower your cortisol levels, and subsequently, decrease your stress. And the even better news? It all counts! Sitting in your backyard, a jog around the neighborhood, or a family hike are all ways to soak up that vitamin D and give you back that sense of peace and calm. Leave your phone inside and practice enjoying the beauty around you, without needing to capture it for social media. Don’t worry it still happened even if it’s not on the gram.. Screen-free time outdoors is one of the best ways to practice being present and in the moment.
Exercise
Okay, Mamas. This one is not for the faint of heart. After all, how do we expect you to work out without your favorite online workout subscription service? Or pump-up playlist? If you’re tempted to tell us to ‘talk to the hand’ on this one, hear us out!
For many of us, our workouts are as vital to our mental health as they are to our physical health. It is the time of day that we take just for us, where the outside pressures of the world have to wait until we’ve finished up that last squat or sit up.
But it’s hard to find true inner peace, when you get the ‘ding’ in your headphones, from your spouse texting you to pick up dish soap or your kids are facetiming you nonstop..
Next time you get ready for a sweat session, try it phone-free! Nervous about working out without headphones? Try a group class, like yoga or barre. Disconnecting for an hour can lead to the most peaceful ‘you time’ you’ve experienced in a while! Can’t leave the house? Take some quiet time and do a self-led stretch session instead.
Morning Routine
If you’re someone who checks their phone right when you get up, you aren’t alone. We get it. Scrolling through Insta can be a way to slowly wake up your brain while staying snug under the covers. But did you know that your casual internet browsing in the morning makes you more likely to spend more time on your phone throughout the day? Yes, you read that correctly!
Social media has been proven to trigger our brains to release dopamine. Our brains are hardwired to repeat the behaviors that make us feel good. Starting the day on our phone teaches us to unconsciously open up those apps again and again, throughout the day, to give us that brief feeling of pleasure.
Try finding alternative ways to start your day. Maybe this means not opening social media apps until you’ve had your morning coffee and meditation. Maybe it’s starting your day with a good book or a journaling session. Finding alternative ways to create that joy and inner peace will help you put your best foot forward, towards creating a peaceful and productive day.
How do you cultivate peaceful moments throughout your busy day? Share with us in the comment section, below!