007. stop scrolling!!

how to be a mysterious recluse

hi guys!!!

happy…. almost Thanksgiving? not really sure what to call this blur before the semester ends. everything is so busy all of the time this week, and i feel often feel like i find myself being pushed and pulled between wanting to spend these last couple weeks before break with my friends, while simultaneously juggling between the demands of academic life.

but i digress.

i’ve been trying to stay off my phone a bit more, because i find recently all the scrolling has kind of made me feel gross (looking at you, YouTube shorts).

it’s actually really scary how exactly the information being shown is targeted directly at me. the other day, i got an ad with my last name in it, even though i use a private browser. anyways, i’m not really one to be super big on data privacy (sorry dad), but getting weird ads like that on top of everything else made me decide it was time for a change.

with that, i’ve stolen inspiration from allyson and decided it’s time that i share with all of you how exactly i combat my scrolling issue. some of my ideas are similar, but i tried to add in a few that i use in addition to the ones she talked about. like always, read her article first. she’s the best.

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1. find a new album and listen to the whole thing

okay this sounds nuts. but i actually love finding a new album and listening to it while i clean, make dinner, or even go for a walk!!! some of my recent favorites are:

i really love Ani DiFranco. i discovered her in Portugal somewhere between Lisbon and Óbidos in an Uber and have been hooked ever since. my two favs off this specific album are Falling Is Like This and You Had Time. the album as a whole gives off the whole 90’s mom vibes, and i’m here for it.

i think She Hangs Brightly is one of my favorites out of the whole Mazzy Star discography. Be My Angel and Halah are my mom and i’s go-to’s, but recently i’ve also been loving Ride It On. this release is a lot more upbeat than Among My Swan or So Tonight That I Might See and i like to think of it as my main character music, especially when i’m out and about.

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2. stretch!

confession time: i’m not a gym girl, at all. now that all the gasps have subsided, just because i don’t like lifting weights doesn’t mean i don’t move my body. i love hiking, but you can’t always get on the trail whenever you feel the urge to wiggle. that’s why for the day-to-day, i like doing small yoga or stretching routines that i can do on my bedroom floor, or in public so i embarrass all of my friends. i really like Yoga with Adriene and the Bend app if i want a nice full body stretch.

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3. READ or watch a documentary

i think i’ve been pretty honest about the fact that i don’t alway have the energy to read. as a matter of fact, i had to stop looking at good reads because seeing my friends read 100s of books a year was just too difficult for me to bear. BUT! just because i don’t read as much as they do doesn’t mean i don’t read at all. allyson made a really good point in her article about starting small. i may like books that aren’t necessarily your style, and that’s great! there’s tons to choose from. as a matter of fact, i’m working on a list of all my friends favorites as we speak, so hopefully once that’s out you’ll get more reading inspiration. but like allyson said, you don’t even have to start with a book. magazines like NatGeo or Architectural Digest or Cosmo or whatever you’re into have great articles. there’s also awesome short stories out there. you don’t have to start with Les Mis or Moby Dick.

i also really adore different documentaries, a trait inherited from both of my parents. it’s a good way to consume media that is also educational, but doesn’t feel like it. plus, there’s literally hundreds of topics out there. i must admit, i love really depressing documentaries that are mainly about war and whatnot, so lately i haven’t indulged in this activity as much. there’s literally hundreds of thousands of other documentaries out there though, and one of my new years resolutions (sorry to mention the r word so soon) is to shift into happier media when i do choose to consume it.

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4. hang out with your friends!

recently, the girlies and i (and the occasional boyfriend) have been LOVING the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. and before you come at me for watching shitty reality tv- save your breath. i study biology and chemistry every day, my brain needs a break. another favorite of ours has been going thrifting, especially since it just started getting actually cold in my city. maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll find a friend that is an amazing cook and will make you something in exchange for money or baked goods. it doesn’t always have to be a party with your friends, although that’s always a good time:

halloweekend with the girls (it’s gatorade promise)

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5. make din

i’m not really a baker, so making pastries is not going to be something you’ll find me doing, ever. i just lack the patience for it, especially on weekdays when i’m already so exhausted and i just want to sit and scroll on my phone. however, dinner is usually extremely low effort and pretty hard to screw up (take it from me). here are some dinners i’ve been loving lately:

• SOUP!!!! literally any soup. you can’t go wrong. it cleans out your fridge too, so if there’s any produce you need to get rid of, that’s the best way to do it.

• a good hearty salad. i used to hate salad as a kid. and if that’s still something you struggle with, i don’t blame you. one thing i do is dress my salad up to the nines: falafel, crispy tofu, chickpeas, pomegranate, it’s all delicious. and as a college student i need veggies always, so the greens are a bonus.

• anything my boyfriend makes me. last night actually, i texted him asking if we could have Japanese food for dinner (because he’s Japanese) and so we had oyakodon and miso soup, both of which are super easy and cheap to make. he’s also a soup master, so i usually bother him for something along those lines as well.

• Mexican food. okay i’m from California, so Mexican food is literally in my veins. i was really surprised at how shitty the Mexican food is here in my (southwestern) college town, and so usually i end up making it myself. good new though! it’s super cheap, hearty, and you can make a lot of different dishes with similar ingredients. you can never go wrong with a quesadilla or breakfast burrito to hold you over.

  

  

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that’s pretty much all the ideas i have for you. i think it would also be good to do some kind of art if you’re bored. it’s always nice to get your creative juices flowing. i actually lack artistic talent completely though, so i usually opt for a pinterest board or a substack post when i need to get creative.

i hope you liked these ideas!! being on your phone is really addicting, so if you’re even here right now reading this, just trying to decrease that screen time, i’m proud of you.

let me know how you like to entertain yourself phone-free in the comments!!

love,

-katie