Before scrolling social media, I’m doing some of the following 27 things. I used to think scrolling social media inspired creativity but lately, it’s only been numbing my creativity.
I get it. Scrolling social media feels good (for a minute). It makes you laugh, teaches you how to cook and sometimes it enrages you, scares you and makes you feel anxious or depressed. So you look for more … to feel better. Except it’s designed to keep you in this endless cycle of highs and lows. Life delivers highs and lows all on it’s own. We don’t have to subject ourselves to more of at by staring at our little screens.
27 Things That Feel Better Than Scrolling Social Media
Turn to these healthier alternatives to social media. These daily habits for less screen time can help you resist doomscrolling the news too. Some of these suggestions may become little rituals to boost your mood or help with digital detox challenges.
1. Play sports. I started playing tennis again this year and for several hours a week I’m on the court with no phone in sight. My brain is so engaged in trying to hit a little ball that I have no mind for anything else.
2. Read the beautiful poems in the comment section here.
3. Put your phone in jail. Ironically, I discovered this tip on social media. Create a space in your home where you can throw your phone on a charger out of sight. My phone jail is on top of the water heater in my laundry room. It is so out of sight that I completely forget it exists.
4. Take a walk. Carry as little as possible and walk around with no place to go.
5. Start a Thank You Year. My friend Gina wrote a beautiful book called, I Want to Thank You, How a Year of Gratitude can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World about the year she sent out 365 gratitude notes to strangers, neighbors, family and friends. She details a beautiful plan for anyone to have their own Thank You Year. What a way to practice gratitude!
6. Call someone who makes you laugh. You know your people. Who can you call right now and laugh about something? Call them before your next scroll.
7. Meditate. Or be mindful or just sit still for five minutes or twenty.
8. Host a Nancy Meyers Day. I try to celebrate Nancy Meyers Day seasonally. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy and romanticize your day. Simply fill your day with all your favorite simple pleasures and finish it off with any Nancy Meyers movie. Yes, you can watch The Holiday any time of year! My recent NMD (IG) included coffee outside, a trip to the farmer’s market, baking a sweet treat and watching Something’s Gotta Give for the eleventy-millionth time. It was the most relaxing, lovely day.
9. Write about how it feels. Write down your heart. Don’t correct your grammar, just get it out.
10. Make Wednesdays special and create a Little Saturday Ritual.
11. Grow something. Take care of a plant or start a blog or nurture a community. Consider other ways to grow something that matter to you.
12. Take some tiny steps. Big change is the result of hundreds of tiny steps and they all count. These 10 tiny steps will help you ease stress and simplify your life.
13. Sell or donate your clutter. Here’s a great guide of places that want your stuff.
14. Make a difference in your community.
15. Play a game. Gather friends and family and pull out the cards and board games. Scrabble? Uno? Backgammon?
16. Make a sauce or soup. Try Dan’s marinara (omg, so good) or something else that invites you to chop things and stir stuff and taste test with a loaf of bread. Get lost in how it all smells and tastes and feels to make something delicious.
17. Carry a notebook. Instead of searching the internet all day long, carry a notebook. Anytime you get the urge to search, write it down. Tomorrow, if you still care, search around for what you wrote down.
18. Listen to an audio book. A few of my 2025 favorites: What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown, Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith (narrated by Lauren Graham) and All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert. Oh! And I narrated my own audiobook too if you are interested in resting more and stressing less.
19. Schedule medical appointments. Get your check-ups, vaccines and real science and medical based care.
20. Try therapy. If you aren’t sure if therapy is for you, read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb.
21. Romanticize analog living. Find more ways to enjoy your life sans digital devices. Use this guide or this one as inspiration.
22. Simplify your closet. Your wardrobe is calling. Use these 10 gentle steps to create a capsule collection.
23. Give someone a genuine compliment. Make it about who they are and how they make your life better.
24. Save for your emergency fund. Outline how to save for your emergency fund with these creative ideas.
25. Prioritize your simple pleasures. Need an example? See these 37 simple pleasures that deliver joy without draining your bank account.
26. Ask yourself what you really want. Before scrolling social media, ask yourself what you really want. What are you looking for? What’s pulling on your heart? How do you want to feel?
27. Trust yourself. When you ask yourself the important questions, listen to the answers and trust what you hear.
These 27 uplifting, mindful, and simple activities feel better than scrolling social media. Reclaim your time, focus, and peace of mind. Scrolling social media is always an option but see who you are without it for a little while each day and for longer periods each week. You might discover you are happier without it.