I wrote an article for digitalminimalist.com where I scoured the internet and handpicked 6 apps as healthier alternatives to doomscrolling. The article featured apps such as Deepstash, Vocabulary, and Duolingo.
While those are great alternatives, I personally prefer activities that align more closely with my interests and goals.
Below are 4 healthier apps I engage in instead of mindlessly scrolling through my phone.
1. Find interesting reads on Medium
I use Medium to find inspiration for my own writing and personal learning.
I enjoy browsing Medium as a recreational activity, skimming for articles that pique my interest or challenge what I know.
When I find more in-depth topics, I save to my read later app, Matter, for a more focused reading session later or for re-reads.
2. Scroll through my saved inspirations in mymind
Since working on more design-related projects and building my own apps, mymind has surpassed Notion as my go-to platform for saving inspiration.
mymind’s Pinterest-like canvas allows the images and designs I save to mingle together while remaining easily searchable. This is made possible by their use of artificial intelligence to analyze and automatically add tags to what you save.
When I'm creatively stuck or procrastinating, I turn to mymind to browse my curated collection of others' work.
3. Organize my workspace in Notion
Sometimes, when I have a computer with me for leisure, I like to spend some time cleaning and updating my Notion workspace.
This involves archiving pages that I’m no longer working on, removing rarely used views and properties, and adding any new features that improve my workflow.
Notion has been an indispensable tool for managing hundreds of pages of my projects and content for the past few years. Therefore, dedicating some time to it helps keep my system relevant and clutter-free.
4. Browse for an alternative activity in Menu
When I notice that I'm spending too much time online, I find that browsing my Dopamine Menu helps bring healthier, offline activities to the front of my mind.
This can include cleaning my room, playing the keyboard, or doing some push ups.
I keep my Dopamine Menu in an app I created called Menu for easy access. Alternatively, you can also create one on paper or in your journal.
It's not a magical hack that instantly engages you in healthier activities, but over time, you may find yourself choosing them more often instead of opening social media.
