What To Do to Stay Off Your Phone This Winter Break
Unplug this winter break with five activities that will keep you busy.
By AJ Dimke —
I understand how difficult it can be to avoid Instagram, TikTok, and other social media during the calming two weeks between loud school days. In fact I’ve subconsciously opened up an Instagram tab not one sentence into this article. But I know how depressing it can be to pull your eyes away from the screen to see that you’ve wasted a fifth of your day.
‘But agh! There’s nothing to do’ — Nothing you can think of at least. You’ve just come off your mind numbing cellular device. So I’ve carefully concocted five warming activities for your mushy mind this winter break.
Rock Climbing
I’m terrible at rock climbing, personally. But my favorite thing about climbing is the fun and respectful community in the gym. If you go to Benson you are likely aware of the two rock climbing gyms nearby. The Portland Rock Gym, and The Circuit, both nearly bordering the campus.
Most people are as you’d expect—tattooed men sporting man-buns, maybe a beanie, and what’s more Portland-y than that? Everyone is extremely friendly, and there’s always some perfectly challenging puzzles available.
I was a bit intimidated at first, as I’d never been to a bouldering gym before, but scaling that wall turned out to be just as satisfying as I expected, and I now come back every week to build strength, thicken my hands, and jam out to music.
Cooking
Literally cook. If you don’t have anything to do, go find yourself a recipe and try to make something tasty! Or, if you’re anything like me and you’d prefer to avoid the hassle of looking for some vague ingredient, bake! The cookies on the back of the Nestle chocolate chips are good, and if you do it right they are the greatest thing ever.
Cooking and baking are best done together, there is nothing better than a tasty dinner cherry-topped with some warm homemade cookies. Guaranteed to keep you off social media for at least a couple of hours!
Go to the Dog Park
If you have a dog, it’s truly relaxing to bring them to a dog park, do a couple laps around the park while listening to music, and bring them home. You can also just take a walk around the block; I find it helps to clear my head. This can also apply to cats. Go play with them for a bit, give your pets a bit of exercise.
Simply taking your dog out for some exercise is a great way to escape the house this winter break. If you don’t have a pet to walk with you can take a walk on your own, or with friends. The American Psychological Association says that even brief walks can help to fend off depression. I suggest going on a walk in the evening to look for Christmas lights and other bright holiday decorations. But make sure to bundle up! It gets cold out there.
Ice Skating
Lloyd Center, the mall nearby Benson, has a booming ice rink this time this year. Last time I was there they were blasting “Thick of it” by KSI as people of all skill levels circled the rink, some with walker-looking supports shaped like cartoon penguins, while others had clearly done it before.
Zoo Lights
For many Oregonians visiting the Oregon Zoo is a holiday tradition to see the creative lights the zoo has put up, each telling a story of a different animal. There are many interesting opportunities for photos, and chances to grab snacks. The Zoo Lights are currently going on, 4:30pm to 9:30pm, all the way through January 5th.