Most people can agree that they spend way too much time on their phones.
The average American spends 5 hours and 24 minutes on their phone daily, according to wahtsthebigdata.com.
Those statistics go even further, showing that an average American checks their phone around 96 times a day and that 57% of Americans consider themselves addicted to their phone.
But entering a new year means a chance to change our habits.
For those looking to be more present this year, here are some ideas for activities that don’t involve the internet.
Strategies for a Digital Fast
Set specific goals: Determine how long you want to disconnect (a day, weekend or week).
Schedule tech-free times: Designate specific hours each day to unplug, such as during meals or an hour before bed.
Use Apps mindfully: If going completely offline feels intimidating, start by limiting your use of specific apps, like Twitter or Facebook.
Create a tech-free zone: Establish areas in your home (like where you eat) where devices are not allowed.
Now that you’ve got some tools for activating your digital fast, here are some activities to foster presence.
Internet-free activities
Reading: Dive into a newspaper or consider joining a book club.
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Find out more about each county public library book club offerings here:
Campbell County: Campbell County has numerous book clubs to choose from, and they all operate on a come-when-you-can basis. No one is obligated to sign up for a certain time frame.
Find out more about Campbell County’s book clubs at cc-pl.org/book-clubs.
Kenton County: The library offers book kits containing 12-15 copies of a title, as well as a binder containing information about the book and its author, reviews, questions for discussion and suggestions for running a successful book discussion group.
Kits have an eight-week loan period and may not be renewed. People checking out the kits will be responsible for returning all materials contained in the kit. You may check out up to two book kits at a time.
Kits can be requested by contacting the Durr Branch at 859-962-4081 or visiting kitkeeper.com/show_kit_list.cfm.
Boone County: Attend a book group to discuss a chosen book and share thoughts and opinions about the book.
Find out more about Boone County’s book clubs at bcpl.org/book-groups. To request a book for the next meeting, call 859-342-2665.
Board game nights: Host regular game nights with family or friends.
If you’re looking to get out of the house, check out Main Street’s Bored Game café in Alexandria.
The Bored Game Café is located at 8329 E Main St. UNIT 2 in Alexandria.
Outdoor activities: Get outside and explore local trails or parks.
Find local organized hikes from the Northern Kentucky Sierra Club at sierraclub.org/cumberland/northern-kentucky.
Cooking Together: Plan family cooking sessions to prepare meals and enjoy the process together.
If you’re looking to hone your skills a little further, try a monthly cooking class at Kate’s Catering and Personal Chef Services in Dayton. For more information, go to katescatering.co/cooking-classes.
Kate’s Catering and Personal Chef is located at 702 Sixth Ave. in Dayton.
Arts: schedule a hand-building or pottery wheel class at Covington Clay.
Pottery classes run for six weeks. Classes meet on their designated day for two hours of instruction. The hand-building classes run for six weeks and meet on their designated day for two hours of instruction.
For more information, visit covingtonclay.com.
Covington Clay is located at 16 W Pike St. in Covington.
