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7 Days of No Screen Entertainment

19 Aug, 2023

Okay, it was harder than I thought! 😅

But guess what? It was rewarding too! 🤌

I started off this week with no-screen-entertainment! And throughout the week, I didn't open YouTube, Instagram, or any OTT platform. Also, on WhatsApp, I texted only when it was necessary.

I did this experiment to avoid screen fatigue but ended up with a ton of other benefits too! And some challenges too! 😬

So, here's the scoop on what went well and what didn't with no-screen-entertainment.

What Went Well?

#1: Focused Work

Recently, I got a freelance gig to pen a blog related to Incident Management software. And I knew nothing about Incident Management! 😬

So, I studied everything about Incident Management from scratch! In 4 days, I picked up all the basics, played around with different Incident Management software, went through user reviews, and read all the related top-raking blogs.

And guess what? I even found a bug in my client's Incident Management software! 😎

From knowing nothing to finding a bug—it wouldn't have been possible without the deep work sessions I did through this experiment!

#2 Conscious Eating

Watching movies/web series while eating was my biggest guilty pleasure! I always wanted to get rid of it but couldn't do so. 🥲

However, this experiment did the trick! I ate every meal devoid of the screen. And trust me, it's the best thing that this experiment yielded!

I became conscious of what I was eating and how much I was eating.

And guess what? Morning coffee tastes 10x better without a screen!

#3 No Mindless Scrolling

YouTube Shorts! Although they are called shorts, they eat up a hell lot of time. And the worst part? It's all mindless scrolling!

But thanks to my no-screen-entertainment experiment, I could finally escape that never-ending loop!

#4 More Time With Mom

On one of the days this week, I was on a call with a friend when I spotted my mom looking all worried in the apartment's walkway. I wrapped up the call and headed her way.

I asked what was up, and she spilled that she'd had a rough day. I was like, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She replied with, "You seemed caught up, didn't want to bother you."

And that got me thinking—how many times has she held back from chatting with me while I was simply zoning out to YouTube videos in my room, and she assumed I was busy working?

That's it! I decided to spend more time with my mom. And from the next day, we had tea together, went for walks, talked about our work, and even bitched about my grandmother! 😂

#5 Head Over Heels For Fiction

Hands down, reading is 100x more immersive than watching!

I picked up "Here, There, and Everywhere" by Sudha Murthy. And you won't believe it—I journeyed all across India through her tales. That's how immersive it was!

One of the short stories in that book—Three Thousand Stitches—has my heart! I was all in tears when I read it! 🥹

Skipping those random crappy movies and web series for a short story? Trust me, it's way more satisfying!

Okay, now, it's time for

What Didn't Go Well?

#1 Missed Movies

Yes, reading is way more immersive than watching but I do love watching movies! 😅

Random crappy movie? Nah, I'd go with a short story! But a good movie, I'd love to watch it! And I did miss movies this week. 🥲

#2 No Crazy Convos

Throughout this week, I used WhatsApp sparingly. I texted only when it was necessary. And if a reaction would do, I just reacted.

Although I enjoyed my friends getting annoyed by my new WhatsApp style, I did miss those fun crazy convos we usually have!

#3 Loneliness

By Friday, I was seriously reaching my limit! I was in the mood for some entertainment. Sure, I had books around, but I was looking for something more. And before I knew it, loneliness started creeping in.

I tried to shake it off by going for a loooooong walk, but even then, that sense of loneliness hung around like a stubborn cloud.

So, that's the breakdown of the ups and downs of my no-screen-entertainment journey!

Final Thoughts

This was one of the toughest and coolest experiments I've ever taken on. I soaked up a ton of lessons from it.

And I'm gonna continue it but with a few tweaks:

And that's it, folks!

If you're up for giving the whole no-screen-entertainment thing a shot, go ahead! You'll have a lot of fun and learn a great deal of things along the way!

See ya in the next post!