You know when the holiday season comes and there happens to be a get-together, we used to gather in our village like many of us do. We could enjoy farms or stay close to nature instead; we were all busy consuming stuff online. But you see, there is no such thing as drawing boundaries because if we knew, we wouldn’t exploit ourselves. We have learned to draw boundaries with people; it’s time to draw a line with ourselves now. People at home also seem to be busy consuming content and not spending time with each other. Some interesting ways I have learned personally, and it worked tremendously in shifting lives.
- Acknowledging first that your schedule needs a change.
- Adding breaks before starting a new subject of interest to create happy memories.
- Indulge in hobbies to exhaust the frustrations of day-to-day life.
- Morning routine to split day into two.
- Weekend afternoon free time to indulge in reading to recharge.
- Journaling is self-validating to know where you stand today with a view of goals in your mind.
- Find closure to your past memories.
- Jog, walking, nature, yoga
- 10 minutes of deep breathing and relaxing
We might think we do so much hard work in our day job, so it’s fine to settle down. But these are the belief systems that many people hang on to. It is crucial to keep evolving from a linear way of living life to an exponential way of living; sometimes living in extreme ways, like cramming up before the night of the exams might work, but in the long term in life it won’t. It becomes a habit then, also thinking in just one way and expecting change to happen—that’s not going to work. Now that life has become easy, so should your schedule be easy, flexible, and lively, isn’t it?
1) Your schedule needs a makeover, just like you. It could be taxing working the entire day; when you return home, you just want to relax, lie down, and rest. But with screen time either on TV or mobile, it is not resting. It’s essential to consume some essential vitamins through natural sun and fresh garden air, either from your balcony or garden, and then for 20 minutes just cleaning your home, like with a wet cloth or mopping the floor. So, before you think anything, you command yourself with statements like I love cleaning, I enjoy cleaning.
2) Then taking a shower and sitting on the ground against a cot or wall, then doing some hobbies for one hour. Hobbies could be anything but heavy on the body; those should be avoided; it could be even cooking, again without using any cellphones to indulge on. So, before starting this task, you remind yourself with thoughts like I love cooking, I enjoy cooking, or I love painting, I enjoy painting. Every day, keep it a mandate to create happy memories with your hobbies.
3) Then after dinner, one hour for studying, then journaling. Randomly writing just recalling your day and rating it on the basis of a movie score, counting your days as movies, and always remember if the day seemed too low, then call it a showtime; if good, then hit; if your day surpassed your expectations, then call it a superhit. It’s important to call your days a journey with a conclusion where you promise yourself to never lose hope.
4) Waking up early is like having two days in one day. It is always refreshing when everyone is sleeping but you are awake to start your day ahead of your schedule. Whatever subject of interest or skill you want to learn, you can do it for two hours. I have personally enjoyed this time so much that it doesn’t feel like taking breaks from your productive shifts. But here comes the next stage.
5) Go for a jog, walk, sit in nature, and do some yoga. Anything new you can add, like taking care of plants or feeding street dogs. Statements here you can affirm, like I love yoga, I enjoy yoga. I love nature; I love to take care of nature.
6) Finding closure to your past memories if that trouble while studying, especially adults coming out of troubled childhood or adults who were exposed to situations that caused faulty belief systems or any memories that still carry the power to hurt, it needs a closure. Some problems can never go away, nor can you run away, so statements like Universe, you take care of all my troubles and problems. I surrender to you and I trust you. It will be good to follow your schedule because, likewise, you will build trust in yourself. If health is a problem, then affirm, “Everything is recoverable; my health is recoverable.” “I am safe and protected.”
7) 10 minutes early morning sitting for gratitude and protection prayers for your and your family’s well-being is crucial, then thanking for being able to pay the gratitude. Start your day with this statement: “I am living my dream life.” It’s essential to take 10-10 minute breaks throughout the day simply sitting, breathing deeply, and reminding yourself that it’s okay and safe to stay in the present moment with a statement, I am aligned with my purpose in life or goal in life, or simply I am aligned with my life; I am living my dream life.
8) Weekends should be exciting; they need not be boring or lazy. You can spend time reading books, listening to podcasts, and, okay, watching movies or series, but make sure you watch them in the morning, and the rest of the day spend silent and cozy either reading or spending quality time with family. Evenings and nights shouldn’t be spent less on screen time since it can make you spend time on it more, eventually making your day lazy.
At the end of the day, how you feel about yourself is what really matters—now by following and experimenting with these 9 effective ways to reduce screentime and to live an active life, you can feel the change in yourself, and at the end of the day you will really feel fulfilled.