Looking for ways to 'Take it Offline'?

So many times I catch myself just scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. You know the feeling, five minutes between meetings turns into a 45-minute TikTok spiral and suddenly you’ve learned five ways to make whipped feta but forgot to send that follow-up email.

I know I’m not alone.
A 2024 survey found that 53% of Gen Zers said scrolling was their go-to downtime activity. And it’s not just Gen Z. Millennials, Gen X. We’re all in this screen-glued state together.

That stat made me pause. I put the phone down and thought: what if I don’t reach for it next time?

What if, instead of thumbing through Instagram, I actually… did something else? Something offline. Something human.

Here’s a list of ways to take a break from your phone, especially when you’re supposed to be relaxing, like on vacation (or during your “lunch break” that you just spent on Slack).

• Take a walk without your phone. Just walk. Like it’s 1992.
• Stare at a tree. No really. Trees are doing amazing things and deserve your respect.
• Try an adult coloring book.
• Talk to a stranger. Or at least make eye contact with a barista.
• Write a postcard. Bonus points if you mail it.
• Take a nap. Phones don’t dream.
• Visit a museum.
• Read a book with actual pages.
• Reorganize your junk drawer. Find old tech you can silently judge.
• Take yourself out to dinner with no screen barrier. Scary? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.

Your phone isn't evil. But it’s greedy with your attention. And you deserve better boundaries. Especially when you’re on vacation, taking a break, or just trying to remember what your own brain feels like.

Unplugging isn’t about being perfect. It’s about giving yourself tiny moments of peace in a world that’s constantly pinging. So maybe the next time you go to scroll, you try something else instead.

And hey, if that “something else” involves a tote bag that says Herding Cats, I know a shop that can help.