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Writer's pictureJeremy Edge, LPC

Spring Break 2020: 5 Ways to Balance Screen Time During Spring Break



Spring break is a great time to sleep in late, relax, and watch every episode of Friends... again. But if we spend all our time online during spring break, we could regret it.


Rather than coming back to school feeling refreshed, we can feel even more tired than before. We can feel like we wasted all of spring break if we spend most of it on our devices.


Rather than spending all of your spring break watching endless YouTube videos, utilize these 5 ideas to make the most of your vacation.


1. Spend Intentional Time Online


Go online. Enjoy it! But spend time doing something that’s actually fun. Go online to do something you enjoy rather than mindlessly scrolling. It’s natural to go online when we are bored and spend more time than we initially wanted to.


Be purposeful with your screen time. Check your Instagram account, respond to your friends’ comment, watch that video that looked funny, or play that game you’ve been wanting to try out. Enjoy those activities, then get offline and do something else.


Spending intentional time online can help prevent from spending countless hours on our devices.


2. Spend Time With Others In Person


We can easily isolate ourselves through social media. When we spend time on social media, we are not spending time with others in real life. Yes, we are communicating with others, but we aren’t really connecting.


Use this spring break to connect with those around you. Connection happens through real life interactions. You can maintain relationships online, but we are really able to connect in person.


We all want to feel close with others. Strengthen relationships with friends and family through more real life interactions this spring break.


3. Exercise. Even Just a Little Bit.


You don’t have to go run a marathon. You can if you want to. Just spend some time each day doing a little exercise.


Spending at least 30 minutes per day doing some exercise can help you make the most of your spring break. Exercise can improve our mood and help reduce stress. If it’s a nice day, we can also get some vitamin D! Which also improves our mood.


Rather than your screens distracting us from exercise, use your screens to enhance your exercise. Track your steps. Set a timer to do an interval workout. Download an app to help you exercise. Some apps to help with your workouts are PEAR Personal Fitness Coach, Map My Fitness, or Nike Training Club.


With the extra time on your hands with spring break, enjoy some exercise.


4. Do Fun Things With Family


Family time can be a drag, but it can be good. Doing fun things with our family can help improve relationships and build trust.


Play board games that are interesting and fun. Cook or bake something together. Explore the city or do something different and relaxing. Rather than spending all our time playing Fortnite, spend some time with the family.


Engage in fun, lighthearted conversations. Ask your parents about one of their spring breaks when they were younger. When we talk with our family, make it a point to not just put our phones down or in our pocket. But put them out of sight. Charge them in another room. Our devices can distract us from conversations.


You don’t have to spend all your spring break with family, however, it could improve your entire family's well-being to put our screens away and spend some time together.


5. Try Something New


You might ask, "Besides being online, what else is there to do?" There are a ton of great activities you can do during spring break. If you’re not traveling, check out these fun things to do in Dallas.


You can also try something new. Read an interesting book or make up your own story. Learn how to do an interesting craft through YouTube then make it. Play an instrument and write a song. Spend time with someone you've been wanting to spend time with. Get creative in your activities and have fun with it.


Doing somethings new can be exciting and fun. It's a great alternative to spending all spring break online.

 

This spring break can be like the last. It can be boring, dumb, and devoted to screens. Or this spring break can be different. You can have a well-balanced, fun spring break with and without screens. Try it and see what happens. You might end up going back to school a little more refreshed and recharged than years before.


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