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8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone

It is possible to shut your brain off without falling into the mindless scrolling trap.

I’m constantly on a quest to reset the demoralizing relationship I have with my phone. I generally try to swap scrolling with another leisurely activity — like reading, playing with my dog, or baking — but sometimes I’m too drained and, without thinking, reach for my phone.

When I’m that zapped, mindlessly looking at Instagram feels like the only thing I’m capable of doing, even though it inevitably makes me feel like a zombie. As Cassidy Dallas, a psychotherapist in Westford, Massachusetts, told me, scrolling “doesn’t actually feel good, it just doesn’t feel bad, and there are other activities we can do that actually feel good.” The goal is to use your downtime to feel relaxed, they add, not numb or further drained. In our always-on society, it’s easy to forget your brain needs a break from cognitively draining activities, including fun ones. But letting your mind rest is crucial — doing so reduces fatigue, replenishes your energy, and helps you learn and perform more efficiently later on.

To help with that, I compiled a list of ridiculously simple and mindless things to do that don’t involve your phone. Next time you want to completely veg out — likely 10 minutes from now for me, if I’m being honest — toss your cell to the side and try out one of the below options instead.

1) Watch a vapid TV show

I am a late adopter of reality TV, but I recently leaned into the genre as I’ve increasingly found it to be pleasantly mind-numbing. Dallas, the psychotherapist, says an overly simple TV show “gives us something to think about that is not the worries and difficult things that we often think about at the end of the day.” It also lets our brains rest, Dallas adds, without requiring high-level cognitive functioning. My picks: Love Island and the survivalist show Alone. Love Overboard is another popular pick (and one Dallas is also into), along with The Traitors. Certainly, anything playing on HGTV will work, too.

2) Stretch out your body

Gentle stretching relaxes your autonomic........

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