When your hand reaches for the screen on its own
When your hand reaches for the screen on its own, it’s a little creepy.
You seem to have decided — that’s it, enough. You closed your phone, put it down, and exhaled.
And a couple of minutes later, your fingers are already making that familiar, painful movement.
The feed opens.
And there’s nothing, absolutely nothing new. It’s all the same: someone’s on vacation, someone’s writing that they’re tired, someone’s posted a picture of coffee with cinnamon.
And I’m watching. And for some reason, I can’t stop.
Sometimes it really feels like a dream. You know, like your body is moving, but you’re just watching from the sidelines.
I feel uneasy.
Because I don’t remember the moment when I decided to pick up the phone.
It’s as if it happens for me.
And every time after that, there is such a slight emptiness.
Not pain, not anger, but emptiness.
Like something small but important has been taken out of me.
And the strangest thing is that I know it will happen again.
I’m not even surprised.
I’m just waiting for my hand to jerk forward again.
And that’s a little scarier than I’d like to admit.
Creativity and self-expression
1. Flip an Old Tee
Sometimes I grab an old t-shirt and just cut it up. Crop it, make knots, add little doodles with a marker. It feels good turning something boring into “mine.”
2. Paint Without a Plan
Not for Instagram, not to be “art.” Just grab some paint and mess around. I usually end up with random colors everywhere, but my brain feels lighter.
3. Make a Tiny Zine
I love cutting little pieces from magazines or receipts and gluing them together. Add a couple of doodles, maybe a line of text. It’s like a scrapbook of my mood.
4. Go Photo Wandering
Take your phone, walk outside, and snap things you’d usually ignore. A weird shadow, someone’s sneakers, an old door. Suddenly the street feels like a gallery.
5. Voice Notes to Yourself
I started recording my thoughts as voice memos. It’s chaotic and sometimes embarrassing, but listening back a month later is wild. Like meeting a past version of me.
6. One-Line Drawings
Just draw something without lifting the pen. Mine usually look like little monsters. I don’t know why but it’s addictive.
7. Rewrite a Song for Fun
Pick a song you love and mess with the lyrics. I did it with Taylor once and made it about pizza. Singing it back cracked me up.
8. Dress Up with Whatever’s Around
Blanket as a cape, sunglasses at night, a random scarf tied wrong. It’s ridiculous but somehow lifts my mood instantly.
9. Make Your Wall Yours
I started taping random stuff — notes, pictures, doodles. Now my wall looks like a messy mood board and I love it.
10. Coloring Pages
And honestly? Coloring. I swear it feels like meditation with crayons. I even made a bunch of pages you can download for free here.
Body and energy
11. Dance break
I put on one song and dance like an idiot in my room. Three minutes later I’m sweaty but smiling.
12. Walk without headphones
No music, no podcast. Just me and the sounds around me. Weirdly calming.
13. Try roller skating
I recently borrowed skates and omg, I felt like a kid again. Bruises? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.
14. Bike to nowhere
Sometimes I just ride around the neighborhood without a plan. Way better than scrolling in circles.
15. Yoga on YouTube
Not serious yoga. Just stretching with some girl on YouTube who says “breathe.” And I actually do.
16. Do 10 squats every time you check your phone
Annoying? Yes. Effective? Also yes. Suddenly scrolling feels like leg day.
17. 10-minute walk after eating
Helps digestion, clears your head. Way better than sinking into the couch.
18. Breathing exercises
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Calms nerves and gives energy at the same time.
19. Wall push-ups
Easier than floor ones, but arms still feel it. Perfect if you’re “too tired for the gym.”
20. Jumping on one foot challenge
Set a timer for 30 seconds. Switch legs. Looks silly, works your calves.
The brain and new knowledge
21. Try a puzzle app instead of social media
Crosswords, word games, sudoku — it feels like sneaky brain candy.
22. Listen to a short podcast
Like 10 minutes on some random topic. Perfect for walks.
23. Read two pages of a book
Not the whole book. Just two. Sometimes that’s enough to pull you in.
24. Try drawing from memory
Pick something familiar (like your phone) and sketch it without looking. Hilarious brain workout.
25. Start a “fact journal”
Every day, write one fact you didn’t know before. Feels like building your own encyclopedia.
26. Try tongue twisters
Say them fast, laugh when you fail. Works your speech muscles + brain.
27. Start a “word of the day” notebook
Invent your own words if you want. Define them like a dictionary.
28. Summarize a chapter
After reading, close the book and write what you remember. Great memory workout.
29. Learn basic geography
Draw a blank map and try to fill in countries or states.
30. Learn new vocabulary from a dictionary
Pick 3 random words a day and write them down.
Adventures and new experiences
31. Take a bus without checking the route
Just hop on, ride a few stops, get off and explore. Feels like a mini-trip.
32. Sunrise mission
Wake up early, walk outside, and just watch the sky change. Tiny adventure, big payoff.
33. Eat somewhere random
Go to a restaurant or café you’ve never noticed before. Order the weirdest thing on the menu.
34. Try a new market
Farmers’ market, flea market, thrift shop — wander and see what treasures you find.
35. Go hiking locally
Not a huge mountain, just a small trail or forest nearby. It feels like a reset button.
36. Take a train to the next town
Spend a few hours there, walk the streets, grab coffee. New vibes instantly.
37. Try a workshop
Pottery, dance, cooking — something hands-on where you leave with a new skill.
38. Explore street art
Walk around looking only for graffiti, stickers, murals. Makes the city feel like a gallery.
39. Picnic in an unusual place
Not the park. Maybe on the rooftop, by a fountain, even your balcony.
40. Go camping (or backyard camping)
Tent, blanket, stars. Even in your yard, it feels like another world.
Taste and food
41. Cook one dish from memory
No recipe, no phone. Just you guessing the steps. The chaos is half the fun.
42. Blindfold taste test
Ask someone (or yourself) to mix random snacks. Try to guess what’s what.
43. Try cooking with only 5 ingredients
Forces you to get creative. The result is usually surprisingly good.
44. Eat with chopsticks all day
Even soup. You’ll laugh at yourself, but it changes the whole vibe.
45. Spice experiment
Take your usual dish and add a new spice you never use. Instant new flavor.
46. Make homemade bread
Kneading dough is therapy. The smell? Heaven.
47. DIY smoothie roulette
Throw random fruits (and maybe a veggie) into the blender. See what happens.
48. Cook something from another culture
Pick a country, try a dish. Even if it’s not perfect, it feels like traveling.
49. Eat breakfast at dinner time
Pancakes at 8 PM. Why not?
50. Fancy plating challenge
Take regular food and plate it like you’re in a Michelin-star restaurant.
Small victories are victories too
You know, I don’t think it will ever be perfect. There will always be moments when your hand reaches for the screen without you even noticing.
And yet, sometimes you manage to stop. Even if only for a minute. Even if only for a moment.
I’ve tried different things — drawing, writing, just going outside without headphones. And sometimes it really helps.
But there are days when nothing works. And I’m back there, in the feed.
And yet I believe that every time I choose something else, even the smallest thing, it’s a victory.
