Less Scrolling, More Painting

What 5 to 6 hours a day is actually costing me, and what I’m trying to change.

I remember I used to get those weekly updates on my phone every Sunday with my average daily screen time. I don’t seem to get them anymore. Maybe I turned them off. I don’t know.

What I do know is that I’ve been spending way too much time on my phone this year.

So, begrudgingly, I went to check.

5 to 6 hours a day. Sometimes more.

Instant gut punch. Shit.

I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve known it’s been bad. But what really gets me is that I usually have nothing to show for that time. Most of it is just mindless scrolling, looking for joy or motivation that I never really find.

And more often than not, I feel worse afterward. Awful news, comparison, noise. It’s become a habit, and it’s one I know needs to change.

More than anything, it feels like time I could be using to actually live my own life.

I wish I could remember the quote exactly or where I heard it, but it was something along the lines of this: we may be remembering other people’s memories more vividly than our own.

I think about that a lot.

Because even if I cut that time in half, that’s 2.5 to 3 hours back in my day. Time to paint. To garden. To go for a walk. To cook. To actually rest without a phone in my hand.

So, what do I do about it?

Next month I’m doing the PleinAirpril challenge. Basically, painting outside every day. I wrote more about it here. I also roped in my local plein air group, because it’s always more fun to do a challenge with others, and it helps keep me accountable.

I’m planning to take some time off from blog work as well. I’ve been working ahead this month to make that possible. I won’t be able to step away completely, but I’m hoping to limit it to about an hour a day.

It feels like the right time to pair all of this with a phone and social media reset.

And honestly, I know this is going to be difficult. Which feels a little ridiculous to admit. But I also think that if I can do it for a month, make some progress, and then look back and see how much more I created… or notice if I feel different, think differently, sleep better… that could be really meaningful.

Maybe I’ll even enjoy my own work more when I’m not constantly looking at what everyone else is doing. The comparison trap is real.

And this goes for computer time too, which isn’t even included in that daily screen time. All of it needs to be more intentional.

So what’s the plan?

I haven’t fully figured it out yet, but here are a few starting points:

• No phone from 9pm to 9am.

• Limit social media time. I don’t think I’ll set a strict limit right away. Maybe I’ll use the first week to cut back as much as possible, see what that actually looks like, and go from there.

• Computer use needs to be intentional. No random scrolling or searching for the next dopamine hit.

• Limit how often I check the news. Ideally not at all, but I haven’t quite figured out what that looks like yet.

• Set up some small systems for success. Sketchbooks and materials around the house, a book to read before bed, maybe starting a journaling practice.

It’s a little embarrassing to share all of this out loud. But I’m hoping that saying it here will give me some accountability.

And even if I don’t manage to do all of it, even doing half, or even just one of these things, would be a step in the right direction.

So that’s where I’m at. And yes, I will absolutely report back and let you know how it goes.

If you’re in a similar place and trying to shift things, I hope this is helpful. And if you’ve gone through something like this and found what works for you, I’d really love to hear about it. Tips, ideas, anything. Feel free to share in the comments.