Ways to wind down without a phone

As a generation that is in the know 24/7 and glued to our devices all day every day, it’s common to have feelings of anxiousness when separated from your device. But understanding why we feel that way, and how to condition ourselves to take a break once in a while is a freeing feeling that we as students should experience. 

First, we should ask ourselves why we feel the way we do when we are separated from our phones. Is it because we need to know what other are doing 24/7? Is it a safety issue where we feel without our phones, there is no way to seek emergency help? Or is it because we need to be entertained and stimulated 24/7? The answer could be all of the above and then some. 

However, for whatever reason, going device free for just 30 minutes a day can boost your mental health and relieve the stress that our phones tend to cause on the daily. Shifting your attention to something other than mindlessly scrolling through social media, can actually help your brain wind down and decompress before falling asleep. 

Reading a book, meditating and even drawing are a few ways you can wind down before you go to bed that do not require a phone. These calming exercises can relax the body in ways that can benefit your sleep cycle as well.

Our human bodies have a circadian rhythm which is a natural internal process that tells us when to sleep and when to wake up. Sometimes when we go on our phones at night before bed, the light from our phone screens is actually telling our body it is light out, therefore can make it more difficult to fall asleep as opposed to doing something without direct light shining at our faces.

We as students should start prioritizing our sleep since we all know being a student isn’t our only role. Juggling jobs, family and friends is something most of us experience throughout our time in school. Learning ways to protect your mental health and sleep are crucial, even if it’s just reading a book for 15 minutes before bed.