We’ve all read about and been shamed into the realization that we waste too much time on our smartphones so I will spare you any more of that. But here’s the catch, have you ever put down your phone in the evenings after the chaos has been put to rest and thought, “Okay, now what?” You don’t want to turn the tv on, there’s always the lonely book lying around but you’re not really feeling it this evening, and now it’s too dark to go on a walk and risk getting mugged (or is that just in St. Louis?) so after a minute of not really knowing what else to do, you pick your phone back up and the cycle continues. Well, let me share with you 5 easy things that I actually enjoy doing when my phone is put down.

1) Pick a book from your shelf, read a few passages from it, think of a friend who might enjoy it, write a little note saying hi and you were thinking of them, package it all up and go put it in your car to mail the next day. I recently had an exchange with my friend who was lamenting how much money/time/energy she had spent buying/storing/moving her books over the years and another friend commented “yeah, books are bricks.” And it’s true. Don’t worry about what if you want to read it again. If you do, go check it out at the library. And your friend who receives the book will be so thrilled that they don’t have to think about which book they want to read next.

2) Write a letter to a friend. Just sit down with a pen and a piece of computer paper and write a letter. Not a thank you or some other obligatory note but a newsy letter. I have a dear friend who does not have a smart phone or a computer and internet so writing to him is always a blast. I will print out a picture or two of the girls and our animals or less waste endeavors, tell him what we did this week and off it goes in the mail the next day.

3) Print out a yoga pose chart and spend some time breathing, relaxing, and strengthening your muscles. If you keep your mat and chart handy and accessible, you are much more likely to do this.

4) Make dessert from scratch for tomorrow night’s post-dinner or chop and prep your veggies for tomorrow night’s dinner. I have a feeling these are 2 things you always wish you could do but never seem to find time to do it. Well, put your phone down and seize the moment!

5) And lastly, color a mandala while listening to a podcast. This one always feels pretty luxurious. Make sure not to get tied up trying to figure out which podcast to listen to. There are so many out there! Just pick one that interests you and press play. If you don’t like it, simply stop it and try another one.

So next time you think to yourself, “I should really put my phone down…” do it and try one of these things and see how it goes. I bet it will be easier than you thought.