Time, time, time.

Everybody wishes they had more time, right? How many times have you caught yourself thinking, “If only there were a few more hours in the day…”

What if I told you that there were some hidden hours (approximately 5 hours and 23 minutes, according to studies) that you don’t use in your 24 hours of life each day?? What would you do with those extra hours?

Would you sleep? (Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest losing out on sleep. I’m a big fan of sleep.) Spend more time working on your goals? Spend more time with your family?

Or, (be honest) would you say “Spend more time on social media,” or “Spend more time watching TV.” 

The truth is, most people wouldn’t say that. 

Why? Well, it’s because if you’re like the majority of people, you probably already spend more time doing those things than you wish you did. 

In fact, that extra 5 hours and 23 minutes that I mentioned earlier? That’s the amount of time the average adult spends on social media and watching TV. (2 hours and 23 minutes on social media and 3 hours on TV, though some estimates are even higher.)

Studies show that spending too much time on these things can be harmful to your mental and physical health.

Besides, be honest with yourself: those things just aren’t as fulfilling as other things. Things that your true self wants to be doing.

If you think about the things that actually make you happy, that genuinely light you up, I bet you’ll realize that those are the things that you would rather fill your life with.

So here’s my challenge to you: TAKE BACK THOSE 5 ½ hours. Those hours are YOURS, and you’ve been spending way too long giving them to a screen.

If you’re serious about taking back control of your time, I highly recommend you check out my course, Take Control of Your Phone. In it, I break down the steps I took to reclaim over 2,190 hours of time that I normally would have wasted scrolling on a tiny screen. 🙂

How can you take back those hours?

Here are 6 secrets to reclaiming the time that social media and TV are trying to steal from you.

Secret #1: Decide on a default replacement activity. 

It’s very hard to completely cut something out without replacing it with something. No one likes to be bored, so when you’re not sure what to do, I’m guessing your hand will automatically find its way to your phone, and you’ll be clicking on that TikTok icon.

So, take a moment now and decide: What are some default replacement activities you’d like to do instead of get on social media or watch TV?

Think about what things make you happiest. 

Think about things that make you feel energized and renewed. 

What would you do if you had no other obligations and had all the energy in the world?

Draw? Paint? Bake? Read? Run? Meditate? Do crafts? Play piano? Learn new hobbies? Make gifts for other people?

Select two or three of these things to be your default replacement activities. (Mine are reading and playing piano.) 

When you’re feeling bored, start doing one of these activities, even if you don’t feel like it at first. 

Remember, these activities should be things that light you up, so before you know it, you’ll be feeling great.

Secret #2: Make a list of things you’d like to get done. 

This list can include both practical and productive items, as well as hobbies you enjoy and things you’ve been putting off. 

When you find yourself about to reach for your phone, refer to your list. Have you been meaning to organize your closet? Send a message to an old friend you haven’t seen in a while? Break out your watercolors and do some painting? I promise you, these things will be so much more fulfilling than social media and TV time.

Secret #3: Take a walk.

I have to include this, because it’s my favorite activity. Exercise + outdoor time = happy brain and body. I promise you, it’s so good for your mental health.

Even a short walk that gives you a change of environment can disrupt the habit loop that caused you to reach for your phone in the first place. It’s a great way to combat phone cravings.

Secret #4: Treat your brain.

Your brain loves to be challenged. It doesn’t like feeling bored, so when that happens, it might tell you, “Hey, I want to look at Instagram!” 

When that happens, just smile and think, “I have an even better idea, brain!”

Here are some ways you can exercise your brain:

• Work on a jigsaw puzzle
• Play some cards
• Learn a new language
• Read a book
• Do a crossword puzzle or sudoku
• Solve math problems

Secret #5: Take a moment to be still.

Like I said, your brain doesn’t like to be bored, so it will try to tell you that you need to be doing something every minute.

However, taking a moment to be calm and present in your surroundings is great for your mental health.

Instead of instinctively getting on Facebook or turning on Netflix, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Pay attention to how your body feels.

Now, open your eyes and notice your surroundings. Observe things carefully while still breathing deeply. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear?

Being grounded in our senses is a great way to feel present, and it can even reduce anxiety and stress.

Secret #6: Only watch one episode of TV at a time.

I love watching a funny sitcom as much as the next person, but let’s be real for a sec: do you need to binge watch 10 episodes at a time? 

Hear me out. Remember in the olden days, before streaming was a thing? Episodes of shows came out week by week. You actually had to wonder what was going to happen next, instead of immediately knowing. 

Oh how things have changed. 

Now, streaming services make it easier than ever to keep watching TV shows – they typically automatically play the next episode without you having to lift a finger.

My challenge to you is to fight back and only watch ONE episode of a TV show a day. Your brain will enjoy it more that way!

Conclusion

My ultimate goal here is to help you do more things that light you up. If you, like most people, feel that social media and binging TV shows has stolen more of your time than you’d like it to, it’s time to RECLAIM those hours!

Think of this as a wakeup call to yourself: picture a genie appearing to you and offering you an extra 5 ½ hours every day. All you have to do is say YES. 

Say YES to reclaiming those hours and doing the things that will actually bring you joy.

Best of luck!

To learn a simple way to stop mindlessly picking up your phone, check out this article!

Before You Go…

If you’ve tried and failed to reduce your screen time, you’re not alone. 40% of adults say they want to reduce their phone use, and 27% don’t think they’ll succeed. That’s why I created the Take Control of Your Phone mini-course. You’ll discover how you can hack your brain, change your mindset, and modify your environment to make reducing your phone time easy (and without missing it). Check it out and give yourself the gift of RECLAIMED TIME. 🙂