With winter comes cold weather and with plunging temperatures outdoors, it is only natural to seek refuge indoors. However, while one is enjoying the warmth of staying inside, one might find a small glowing device that can be intriguing to pick up.
There are innumerable ways to entertain oneself at home, but the phone’s addictive qualities seem to get the best of us. In this age of technology, our eyes are constantly looking at a device, whether it is a phone in our free time, a laptop when doing school work or a television when binging shows.
Being cornered indoors, the time should be used as a break from screens, giving one’s eyes and mind a break from high levels of stimulation. Rather than opting for a phone, switch it out for a new hobby. There are many screenless options bound to suit any interest.
Baking is a great time consuming hobby that can hold one’s attention for long periods of time. Finding a cookbook in your house can open the door to many recipes that can be cooked one or many at a time. Regardless if there are periods of time waiting for the oven to warm up or butter to melt, baking always presents another step to complete. Even when the steps have all been completed, cleaning is a side task of baking and can keep one occupied.
Like baking, there are other hobbies that present a product in return for the time and effort spent. Crocheting, knitting and sewing are activities which easily suck one into its practice. All they need is the suitable needles, thread or yarn, a pattern book and somewhere comfy to settle into. Easy projects, like a hat or scarf, are simple to learn and are perfect additions to the closet this winter. These projects can also be utilized as holiday gifts, giving a purpose to the hobby and making the dedication worthwhile.
Time indoors presents the possibility of another activity that enriches the brain and is just entertaining: reading. To enjoy it, one must find a book that will hold their interest, a task that is achievable by phones, but seemingly not so much in books. With a variety of genres at one’s disposal, there is no shortage of titles. Discovering a book which holds your attention can be seemingly addicting and can allow time to pass by quickly.
Another activity that passes the time, so much so that it is dreaded, is cleaning. Clearing out unwanted clothes or decluttering a messy room may be time consuming, but it can successfully take away time spent on devices. Cleaning gives the ultimate result: it leaves your room collected and reflects onto your mentality. A clean room makes way for creativity as well as lower levels of stress.
Staying off devices allows for good habits to form. Beginning a workout routine in place of scrolling or journaling instead of watching a movie marathon are only the beginning of improving unhealthy screen habits during this winter season.
