8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone

I’m constantly on a quest to reset the demoralizing relationship I have with my phone. I generally try to swap scrolling with another leisurely activity — like reading, playing with my dog, or baking — but sometimes I’m too drained and, without thinking, reach for my phone.

When I’m that zapped, mindlessly looking at Instagram feels like the only thing I’m capable of doing, even though it inevitably makes me feel like a zombie. As Cassidy Dallas, a psychotherapist in Westford, Massachusetts, told me, scrolling “doesn’t actually feel good, it just doesn’t feel bad, and there are other activities we can do that actually feel good.” The goal is to use your downtime to feel relaxed, they add, not numb or further drained. In our always-on society, it’s easy to forget your brain needs a break from cognitively draining activities, including fun ones. But letting your mind rest is crucial — doing so reduces fatigue, replenishes your energy, and helps you learn and perform more efficiently later on. 

To help with that, I compiled a list of ridiculously simple and mindless things to do that don’t involve your phone. Next time you want to completely veg out — likely 10 minutes from now for me, if I’m being honest — toss your cell to the side and try out one of the below options instead. 

1) Watch a vapid TV show

I am a late adopter of reality TV, but I recently leaned into the genre as I’ve increasingly found it to be pleasantly mind-numbing. Dallas, the psychotherapist, says an overly simple TV show “gives us something to think about that is not the worries and difficult things that we often think about at the end of the day.” It also lets our brains rest, Dallas adds, without requiring high-level cognitive functioning. My picks: Love Island and the survivalist show Alone. Love Overboard is another popular pick (and one Dallas is also into), along with The Traitors. Certainly, anything playing on HGTV will work, too.

2) Stretch out your body

Gentle stretching relaxes your autonomic nervous system, which can calm both your brain and body, Dallas says. It also brings your attention back to the present moment and helps quiet racing thoughts. Best of all, you can do this from bed, and doing it for even just 10 minutes will feel really good.

Not sure where to begin? Focus on parts of your body that feel tight or tired. For me, that’s my hips, neck, and shoulders (from, you guessed it, staring at screens all day), so I’d benefit from chin tucks, shoulder rolls, or a hip opener. There are plenty of options out there that target your whole body. A few ways to upgrade your stretch sesh: wrap yourself in a heated blanket, lather on scented lotion, or take your practice outside, says Dallas.

3) Reach out to a friend

Rather than firing off reels or memes, reach out to your friends in a more intentional, meaningful way. While endless scrolling can leave you feeling lonely and isolated, talking to your friends directly can make you feel grounded and connected, Dallas says.

If you’re a yapper, give a friend a quick call or record a voice memo sharing a funny story or small moment about your day. (Yes, you’re using your phone to do this, but making a call or sending a voice memo is very different from being on TikTok for an hour.) If that feels like a lift, ask them if they’re down to watch a movie or sports game “together” at the same time. Dallas often watches live baseball games with a close pal. “We’ll just know that we’re both watching the same game and we’ll text each other back and forth,” they say. 

4) Get comfy and listen to an audiobook or podcast

I’m a huge reader, but sometimes, I’m too wiped to pick up a book. When that happens, I turn to Spotify or Libby, the free library app, and stream an audiobook. “Listening to an audiobook gives you a chance to enter a different world by just pressing play,” Saba Harouni Lurie, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Take Root Therapy in Los Angeles, tells Vox. A good story can be extremely immersive and distracting — a gift when you’re trying to tune out and pass the time.

If audiobooks aren’t your thing, you can achieve the same effect with a podcast. Research has found that podcast listeners tend to feel productive, more connected, and like they learned something new (all things that scrolling will not provide). An added perk for those strapped for time: “They’re brief, and they’re bite-sized,” Lurie says. Lurie opts for feel-good podcasts that tell a captivating story. Her faves: Heavyweight, The Moth, and This American Life. 

5) Take a shower or bath 

A warm bath or hot shower can quickly settle your nervous system, Lurie says. In fact, research has shown that bathing is linked to improvements in stress, anger, anxiety, and depression. “It calms us down; it slows us down,” Lurie says. 

To enhance your rinse, play some music, dim the lights, or toss a bath bomb into the tub. Or incorporate some of the above activities — like listening to an audiobook, stretching, or, if you can safely set-up an iPad, watching some crappy TV. Another idea: Try out a “mindful shower” — bring your attention to the temperature of the water, the smell of a soap, the sound of music, the lighting in the room, or the feeling of your muscles softening, Lurie suggests. “All of that can help shift you out of scrolling mode and into a more grounded, present state,” she says.

6) Journal with voice notes

Despite being a professional writer, there’s nothing I’d rather do less than scribble my thoughts and feelings in a notebook when I’m feeling sluggish. Dallas can relate, which is why they recommend journaling with voice notes instead of a pen and paper.

To do this, open up your voice notes (or use a voice journaling app) and start talking about your day. If you’re stumped about what to talk about, do a quick search for journal prompts, Dallas recommends. You can relisten in the future if you want to, but you can also trash it later (which is what they do). The mere act of rambling into the abyss helps you rest and process your thoughts and feelings in a raw, open way. As the authors of one study put it, audio journaling is a lightweight, unobtrusive activity — and isn’t that the exact goal here? 

7) Do a simple arts and crafts project

If you have 15 minutes, take part in a light and quick craft project. And before I lose you: You don’t need to be artistically skilled or highly creative to get something out of it, Lurie says. The key is choosing a project with repetitive motions. That way, your hands will start moving almost automatically, Lurie says. In other words: Your art project shouldn’t require all that much brain power.

Try picking up a set of thick felt-tip markers and doodling in a chunky coloring book or working through a paint by numbers kit. Dallas enjoys knitting scarves and shawls. (Opt for an easy pattern that doesn’t require paying close attention.) Recently, I’ve been enjoying bedazzling books. It requires minimal effort and, without fail, I fall into a delightful trance within a few minutes. Highly recommend!

8) Close your eyes and daydream

This is something I do frequently, and is, perhaps, the most low-bar, low-effort way to reset. Simply lie down, close your eyes, and let your mind wander. That’s it. No rules, no pressure, no right-or-wrong way to go about it. You definitely don’t need to make this a productive brainstorming session, and try not to use the time to think about your to-do list. “Follow it instead of trying to guide it,” Lurie says.

Daydreaming allows you to access your hopes, dreams, goals, and to “things you may not otherwise give yourself space and information to explore,” Lurie says. It also promotes creativity and can help improve your mood. It takes zero effort, and I always leave my daydreaming sessions feeling extremely relaxed and refreshed. 

Finally, if you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: You’ll need to experiment with different activities. What captures one person’s attention may not do the trick for another. Your preferences may even change day to day or hour to hour. Start with the items on this list. If you like them — even if that’s only enough to replace a short stretch of swiping — great. If not, keep digging. There are plenty of options, and, at this point, almost anything will feel better than getting sucked into the black hole of an endless scroll.