Screen Time

With our campaign this month being ‘Active April’, I decided it was time for me to have a closer look at how active I am (or am not!). One of the things that I need to get a handle on is my screen time, which I know sucks up so much of my down time, especially during the work week, with very little reward and no movement opportunities (unless you count my thumbs!)

To kickstart the process I downloaded an app onto my phone to track my screen time. I know that I use my phone for many things, mostly keeping me entertained if I’m waiting for something like an appointment (when did we forget how to just wait without having to be constantly occupied?), and especially unwinding after a long day. Sadly, like many of us I suspect, browsing social media and playing mindless games have become my way of ‘relaxing’ at the end of the day.

It was pretty confronting to look at the stats on my screen time. I’ve put a screen shot up here to out myself and to keep me accountable for the changes I want to make.

For me, most of my screen time comes at the end of the day, which is the same as what I hear from clients as well. So I’ve come up with a list of things that I can do instead of sitting on the couch, glued to my phone screen. Here goes –

-          Go for a 20-minute walk after work

-          Do the ironing

-          Ask each family member about their day

-          Get school lunches ready for the next day

-          Call a friend for a chat (or better still, see one in person!)

-          Listen to music

-          Get some housework done whilst listening to above music

-          Read a book (turns out just buying them isn’t the same as reading them)

-          Play a board game

-          Do some baking/cooking for nights that I know are going to be busy

-          Do that yoga DVD that’s been on the shelf forever (take the plastic wrap off first)

-          Give 100% of my attention to my family, and not my phone!

I could keep going – writing this list has made me realise so much - what I’m missing out on, how much I could actually get, how much easier it would make my life in general and probably most importantly how my devotion to my phone takes me away from the people I love the most. The benefit that I get from Candy Crush pales in comparison.

So feel free to join me in putting the phone down and moving through the real world instead!

Karen