New Year’s resolution are the fresh starts everyone needs to kick off the new year.
The New Year's resolution I decide to take on for a week was limiting my phone usage to a maximum of three hours a day. Before starting the challenge, I would on average spend roughly about five to six hours a day on my phone.
Although two hours may not seem like a significant adjustment, I quickly began to learn that that was definitely not the case. I genuinely took this resolution seriously and was excited to actually spend more time being productive rather than wasting time staring at a screen.
Starting the challenge right before the weekend was definitely extremely difficult being that I didn’t really have much to distract me throughout the day. I found
myself searching for any excuse to leave my house because I was literally dying of boredom. Not having any form of entertainment was really starting to make me question why I accepted the challenge. Although all the spare time I now had allowed me to complete my homework and chores, it took so much mental strength to not pick up my phone and watch Netflix.
As the weekend passed I have never been more thrilled to go back to school and keep my mind entertained. Not only was it easier managing my phone usage during the week, but it also helped my sleep schedule tremendously. Who knew a full eight hours of sleep could actually have its benefits?
This whole experience has genuinely made me take a step back and realize that I need to reevaluate my priorities. Limiting myself access to my phone opened my eyes to the number of times I casually open my phone when I could be socializing with the people around me. This challenge really forced me to break out of my comfort zone and actually start conversations with people I wouldn’t normally think I had anything in common with.
Although it would make sense to continue with the resolution, I don’t see myself realistically continuing the challenge now that the week has come to an end. I do, however, recommend everyone try limiting their screen time because I believe it can be good for your mental health.
