*sitting in a circle* Hi, my name is Clara, and I’m addicted to TikTok.
It all started when I downloaded the app in 2020 during COVID lockdowns. I learned many dances, made whipped coffee, and unfortunately, knew who every member of the ‘Hype House’ was.
As the world reopened and all my responsibilities resumed, my addiction didn’t show any signs of slowing down.
At the start of this year, I spent all my free time getting a serotonin boost from watching thirst traps (shout out to Nicholas Chavez for becoming my latest obsession), cooking videos, memes, and the occasional true crime series (you know, the 45-part ones).
I knew I had a problem when I’d get fidgety and anxious when I wasn’t scrolling.
I even stopped being able to focus on basic tasks because my phone was always open on TikTok.
Over the past couple of months, I've made it my mission to recenter my focus towards my productivity and mental health.
So, without further ado - I know we all have no patience - here are the small changes I've made that've done wonders for my attention span:
Develop a phone-free hobby that requires your full attention
Find a hobby that you love. From painting to pilates, look for something that requires your full attention and that you want to dedicate your spare time to.
As it turns out, I enjoy baking and can happily redirect all my focus onto making sure I don’t burn the house down, so I can’t look at my cell phone. I’ve also found that painting has been helpful, and even therapeutic (I’m not very good at it).
No phone for two hours before bed
I know, I know. I sound like ya Mum. But this tip is an absolute godsend. I’m not even saying you can’t watch a bit of television, because you can.
Eliminating your phone at bedtime will not only make sleeping much easier but will also allow you to give your full attention to a pre-snooze activity.
You can read a book, practice meditation, give your SP2 a run for its money, or watch a doco. I’ve found I enjoy everything about 10000x more without having my phone in hand at bedtime.
Pick up a book
Even if you set goals to read 10 pages or a chapter a night, reading will help refocus your brain. If you haven’t read much since Year 10 English class, do your research and find something that will pique your interest - and hold it.
It can be anything from ‘50 Shades of Grey’ to ‘The Holy Bible’, as long as you’re reading something, your brain will start to relearn focus.
I’ve found that I’ve managed to build my reading capabilities back up and I actually prefer sitting with a book over scrolling through TikTok.
Technology free hours
Set a designated time of day when you’re usually on your phone excessively and put your phone into a lock box. Set a timer, and do whatever task you need to have done minus your phone.
You’ll find you get everything done about one hundred times quicker than usual and once you’ve completed the task you can reward yourself with phone time.
Cleaning the house used to take me around two hours because I was constantly sitting down to have a scroll on my phone. Now, I can get everything done in half an hour.
