Being stuck with just your phone, you might find yourself defaulting to your usual online habits such as browsing social media. While there’s nothing wrong with social media usage, you’ve got to think whether you’re using it because you want to, or because you’ve got nothing better to do.
When you’re limited to just your phone, it can be hard to think of better ways to be spending your time – but there are plenty of things your phone can be used for rather than just social media. When you’re browsing out of habit, it’s not even enjoyable, which almost makes it a waste of time.
Knowing all the new things you can do with your phone, you might want to make sure you’re taking much better care of it, to ensure you can get more from it. Phone maintenance isn’t something that many think about, as many of these products are designed to have a relatively short lifespan, but you can make a difference.
Do something fun
Just because you’re trying to be more productive with your phone, doesn’t mean it can’t be something fun. There’s no reason not to enjoy your downtime, so why not look into the things that you’re actually going to enjoy? There are plenty of games online that offer a quick and easy form of entertainment without taking up too much of your time.
For example, daily word games such as doddle are a fun, but limited way to entertain yourself. You play it, finish one game, and it’s over for the day. You can even compete with friends, making it a good substitute for those looking for something quick and easy.
Start learning
You might not think the small amounts of downtime you have throughout the day are a good time to learn something meaningful, but you would be surprised. Free apps like Duolingo are a good way to spend free time, as they break down learning into small, more digestible lessons.
You could start learning an entire language, all from the free moments that you have to spare each day. For those who find it difficult to maintain motivation for learning, some apps often gamify the learning system, almost making it a competition to learn more – which many find to be much more motivating.
Listen to a podcast
If you spend a lot of time walking or driving, you don’t want to be staring at your phone the whole time, and you don’t have to. You can get as much out of your phone just by listening to it, and podcasts can be a way to go about that. Podcasts can help to learn about new things, like different worldviews, different things going on in the world, or even things that you already have an interest in.
Alternatively, audiobooks can be just as great. If there’s a book that you’ve been meaning to read for a long time, why not listen to it on your way to work or on your flight?
It’s easy to start, requires almost no effort, and all you need is some headphones and your phone. Many even recommend doing this while you’re busy, as it can make work and chores much easier for you. Your long commute home is no longer something you should dread, as you know you’ve got your entertainment covered from your phone.
