Choosing how to spend my attention

“Spend less time on your phone” is good advice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell you what to do with your time, attention and boredom instead.

We can complain about decreasing attention spans, but honestly, mine was minimal even before I got Wi-Fi. I see nothing wrong with enjoying social media. However, I stare at screens all day for work, and recently I began resenting how much they factor into my leisure, too. I use the online world to dodge boredom, pad moments of waiting or avoid uncomfortable thoughts. This creates vicious cycles: the faster my mind runs, the more I resist slowing down, and the longer I leave negative emotions alone, the more I want to avoid them.

I’ve since found strategies, some from other internet-dwellers, to spend less time online and be a bit more present with myself and the world.

Firstly and most importantly, I carry a miniature notebook everywhere. When I have a few minutes I don’t want to give to the internet, I journal, sketch, make a grocery list, or whatever else strikes me. Bonus: whipping out a notebook makes you look smart.

If I’m at home, I try to draw, read or crochet, usually with music or a podcast in the background. If I’m at work and need a break, I aim to take walks instead of scrolling.

When I can get out of my head I realize how many good things are real and nearby. I can bird-watch, people-watch, dog-watch, tree-watch — just observe and let my mind wander. (Be careful not to stare off into space while people-watching, though, apparently it’s “creepy” and “makes you look like a serial killer, Sam.”)

The internet is described as an attention economy, and it made me realize we truly do pay attention — we only have so much of it to go around, and we choose how we spend it. I hate being bored, but I often feel calmer and more energized when I take a break from things that demand attention without allowing me to recharge. My brain responds to social media as an activity, not as rest, and knowing this helps me choose where to invest my attention instead of blowing my brain’s budget.

Samantha Tucker is the assistant editor of the Daily American Republic.