I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but quitting my personal social media accounts has made me realise why I reached for my phone so often: boredom. Whether I was watching a new Netflix show I wasn’t really into or sitting on a train to Manchester, X and Instagram were the easy options to numb my mind and switch off.

So when you take those things away, what happens? At first, agitation. Restlessness. A sense that something is missing. But then, a rush of possibilities. Your brain wakes up. You start browsing all those books on your shelves that you’ve never quite got around to reading. You wander into the garden and pull some weeds. You actually watch movies again—really watch them. Hey, you might even bake some homemade granola. It’s true. I’ve done it.

I always joke that I’m like Doug in Up—the dog with the short attention span. And sure, sometimes I am. But that doesn’t mean I can’t focus. Look at my ventures! I must be doing something right. The difference is that my work is my passion. I’m never bored. But in those little pockets of downtime, where boredom even started to creep in, I would instinctively reach for my phone. Endless reels kept my busy mind occupied and happy.

Now those crutches don’t exist, and I’m finding joy in being bored again.

Something else happens when your mind isn’t constantly fed bite-sized distractions. You start wondering about bigger things. You get curious. You think, I want to know more about that—and instead of passively scrolling, you pick up a book and actually read it. You let yourself go down a rabbit hole of learning, expanding your knowledge in a way that feels intentional rather than fleeting.

Or maybe, with no notifications pulling your attention away, you finally retreat to your study and dust off that camera you treated yourself to three years ago—the one you were so excited about but somehow never found the time to learn. Or you pick up an old sketchbook. Or start researching something completely random, just for the hell of it, because why not?

The only thing I really miss about social media is staying in touch with friends and family. Actually, that was one of the main reasons I stayed for so long—I thought it helped me stay connected to the people I love. But did it? On a surface level, sure. But genuinely? Not even close. So that’s another unexpected upside: I’m making more of an effort to reach out and have real conversations. I might not know their every move, and that’s okay. It gives us something actually to talk about when we catch up. And it leaves a little mystery on both sides—maybe that’s healthier.

With my mind less occupied by funny cat videos and hair tutorials, everything feels calmer. I can actually relax. There seem to be more hours in the day.

And maybe, just maybe, I’m using them a little better.

In a world that demands our attention and tells us we need to be constantly entertained, boredom is underrated. Maybe it’s where the good stuff happens.