While on my maternity leave, I felt like all I did was spend time on a screen. I would scroll mindlessly while nursing/feeding, contact napping, and even while watching TV. And yes, it was wintertime while I was on maternity leave, so I spent much of the day inside. The day would go by and the kids would go to bed, and then I would realize just how bored I felt because I had already spent all day on my phone. I needed to find ways to help cut down on screen time.
So I decided that I would try and read more. My husband reads a lot, but I’ve never been an avid reader. I started by setting a timer for 20-30 minutes, and then when the timer went off, I would put down my phone and pick up a book. I started to enjoy a lot of new genres I didn’t think I would like. It turned into a great habit for me to pick out a book for myself when I’m at the library weekly with my son.
Another way I changed my screen time was by making time to learn a new language. I downloaded Duolingo to learn Spanish. My cousins and uncle are Cuban and speak Spanish fluently. I know some basic words, but I never learned much more than that. I’ve been practicing a few minutes a day, and I feel much more productive by the end of the day.
After going back to work after maternity leave, I noticed that I have gone back to some of my mindless scrolling habits. I think I just needed to disconnect from the day-to-day. So I decided to set alarms and notifications to stop scrolling. It reminded me to cut back on my screen time. Instead I went back to picking up a book to read or practice my Spanish. I even joined my work’s Book Club to help me keep up with reading.
While I know I won’t be deleting social media or completely quitting my phone anytime soon, it is nice to feel a little more productive without getting up from the couch. Do you have any tips or tricks to limit your screen time?
