I write a lot about how technology is so often used as a crutch, especially in my own life. TV is such an easy way to pass time, and Twitter and Instagram or whatever your social media of choice is, is another mostly mindless way of spending time that could otherwise be put to good use. There are plenty of good things to be said about social media, but if we’re using them only as a way to make our lives go by faster, what purpose are they really serving?

A lot of people use these services as a way to sell something or help build their careers, but if you’re one of those people who will aimlessly browse and read the same thing five times over because there’s “nothing better to do,” perhaps that’s a sign that you should start focusing on removing yourself from your Tech Rut. Nothing better to do is such a poor excuse for an idle mind when there are so many opportunities to both entertain and better yourself that are absolutely free.

Breaking Free from the Rut

One of my biggest problems in removing myself from a dependence on entertainment technology was just breaking the habit. It’s so easy to go home and do the same thing you do every night, but when that involves a few hours vegging in front of the TV, your body and your mind will begin to suffer. What’s even worse is the dependence you will foster on whatever your drug of choice is. Suddenly, the only things you talk about are TV shows or what Anna Kendrick last tweeted (she’s actually hilarious and worth a follow though).

I’m NOT saying that you should 100% bar entertainment tech from your life, but I do think limiting its influence on your life is a good idea. Too much of a good thing can be bad, and all that.

Listening to Your Body AND Your Mind

I struggled with managing my dependence partially because I didn’t know what else to do. There are so many things I’m interested in, and that I care about, but I never felt the need to do them right now. Part of that was because the need to check out at the end of the day is strong. I didn’t want to force myself to “work” longer than I had to or contribute to something I wasn’t feeling.

And then I had a terrible realization – I’m such a millennial.

I was sitting at my computer trying to learn javascript, and my back started aching. My eyes were a little tired, but I wasn’t. I thought, wow, my body is telling me that it’s really tired right now. Maybe I should take a break.

Then I wondered, what will I do with my free time? I was about to turn on the TV when I realized what I just told myself. I took some cues from my body that I was exhausted, but I didn’t listen to the ones from my own head. My brain was still on fire, ready to go, but because my body felt some discomfort, I wanted to throw all of my progress, not to mention the rest of my night, out the window.

So instead of stopping to give myself a break, I moved from the wooden chair I was sitting in, to a comfier chair, and magically my body worked itself out. My mind was still moving just fine.

I grew up with the notion that I didn’t have to do anything that made me uncomfortable, that trying your best is all that matters, and that if I felt I had a hard day, it was totally fine to check out and let someone else pick up the slack.

I nixed most of that thought process on the spot, and resolved to pay more attention to what my brain was telling me. Depending on your job, you might have different physical and mental demands. My job is mostly mental, so my body is going to give me certain aches and pains through the day that relate to sitting. If I keep sitting, I keep aching. Separating your mental and physical needs can help you determine whether that mental checkout is 100% necessary, or whether you just need to readjust and re-position (either your body or your mind).

Finding Other Hobbies

So you turned off the TV and signed out of Twitter…

Now what?

This is where you have to get creative.

My hobbies include things that I’m “kinda” interested in. There are very few things that I’m gung-ho interested in and passionate about, but there are a couple things that I have always wanted to do, or at least been interested enough in that I would like to learn more about. These are the things I’ll do once in a while, when I feel like it or when I have “nothing better to do.”

They don’t involve long-term goals (nothing to make me feel like I have an obligation to them), but they do engage my brain and make me feel like I am somehow bettering myself.

They can be broken into a few categories, and I do think it’s a good idea to have one hobby for each:

Something to supplement your fitness

If you have a desk job, it should supplement your physical fitness, and vice versa. Some fun examples: runners groups, yoga, pole dancing (don’t knock it), cross fit, sudoku, word searches, riddles, escape the room.

Something that keeps your learning

Learn something unrelated to your job, that will make you feel like you have another independent skill. Learn a language, learn code, learn history, learn art, learn trigonometry. Knowing a little more about the world helps with perspective, and knowledge only derives a need for more knowledge.

Something that makes you feel like a good person

Do something that makes you say, “wow, I did really good today.” Volunteer somewhere, or make a point to help someone on the street a few times a day. Help out someone you know who is disabled once or twice a week. Create a library of knowledge or contribute to one so that others can learn and benefit from your unique skills.

Something that’s just entertaining

It’s important to have a plain and simple TV alternative, like reading a book or listening to music. Pure enjoyment that doesn’t have you wired in. That way, you can still relax and enjoy some mindlessness without it being the same exact medium every time. Just change it up a bit.

Something you have always wanted

Maybe you always wanted to be a rock star, a writer, an entrepreneur, or a famous chef. Work towards that in your free time, because you never know what could happen, and it is better to try and fail than to never try at all.

Pick some hobbies out and start entertaining yourself in other ways. There are so many things to do in life that it’s worth finding new interests and doing something different with your time.