5 things to do without a screen

No commuting means shorter days and more energy to do everything, right?

Unfortunately, wrong.

I’ve been struggling with exhaustion after spending so long staring intently at my screen lately, without physical meetings to break things up.

Everything has suffered: my blog, my writing, even catching up on T.V. I’ve been tired; my eyes sore; my head pounding. Looking at a screen is the last thing I want.

But that point about shorter days? I need to stay occupied and while I didn’t have the energy to learn a new skill, I have found different things to do.

Here are five activities that keep me out of trouble:

Decluttering

To be fair, I need a digital declutter more than a physical one, but kinda defeats the point. You know all those drawers you shove shut and hope they don’t fall out? That pile under your bed you’ve been putting off for months? The pile of clothes you know you don’t wear? Now’s the time to deal with them!

Rather than trying to face my entire room, I’ve picked a section a day and worked through it that way. Unwanted clutter is waiting to be donated and it’s the one thing I’m feeling in control of while everything else is chaos.

Podcasts

Despite trying to get into audiobooks for ages, I haven’t been able to do it. I’ve recently discovered Empire’s podcast; and now it’s a firm favourite. Admittedly I have to multi-task while listening but doing so helps stop me thinking about everything else that is going on.

Colouring books

I’m late to the trend with this one and I know people are split between love and hate. I started using one at the end of last year and loved it, then received a couple of fantastic ones – along with pencils – for Christmas.

I’ve spent a few Sunday afternoons with aforementioned podcast on while colouring. I’m not artistic or good with crafts. This gives me real satisfaction of seeing something come together and I’m really proud of how it is coming on so far. It’s also taking ages, so I know it will keep me out of trouble for a while yet.

Knitting

Earlier in the year, I mentioned I wanted to learn how to knit. It’s taken four months, but I’ve finally turned a corner with it. I’ve also discovered it’s highly addictive! It’s also therapeutic: whenever I don’t know where to start with my day, I knit a row and let my mind wander, then I’m good to go.

I have no idea what the end result will be, but I’m loving it – the perfect solution to what I need right now.

Backlist of books

While I’m not reading as much, I am making the point of doing some. I often rely on my kindle when commuting but I’m using this as my chance to read the physical books I have sitting around – no weight to carry, no concerns over the book getting damaged, just time to catch up.

What are you doing to keep busy? Have you found any new hobbies?

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