Digital Well-being

Talk to at least one new person in class this week - instead of looking at your phone.

The term “weak ties” is used to describe casual connections formed with acquaintances through daily life. Forming these connections can be easily overlooked, but creating weak ties helps build community and positively impacts your overall well-being. Although it can be a habit to check your messages or scroll on social media while waiting for classes or club meetings to begin, this week the challenge is to put your phone away and talk to someone sitting next to you instead. Use a simple opening like asking about a class, event, or compliment something about them.

Start forming those weak ties now and experience the benefits in the future.

For tips on how to start a conversation read or listen.

• Keep it positive.
• Start with introducing yourself.
• If you are looking for ways to improve your conversations skills, watch this podcast featuring Harvard Professor, Dr. Alison Brooks on “how to communicate with confidence and ease.” Here, she gives us the highlights from her cutting-edge Harvard elective class “How to talk gooder in business and life.”

Read more about the benefits of “weak ties” in this article.

• Improves mood.
• Broadens horizons.
• Vital for networking.

Learn about how online communication may be less satisfying than face-to-face.

• 7 reasons interactions may be lower quality online.

Delay morning scrolling with purposeful planning: start each day writing your key 3 priorities.

Clarify & Commit: Choose Your Key 3

Starting our day off checking emails, notifications, socials, can immediately make us feel stressed, overwhelmed, and already behind in our day. Take control by identifying your Key 3 – your top three priorities for the week that will move you closer to your goals. This challenge will help you clarify your practice and take deliberate action!

Here’s how to take on this week’s challenge:

• Reflect on Your Goals: What are your big-picture priorities for the semester, month, or beyond?
• Choose Your Weekly Key 3: Select the three most important tasks or actions you want to accomplish this week to move forward on your goals. Write them down and keep them visible!
• Take Action: Each day, identify your Daily Key 3—three tasks that will help you make progress toward your weekly Key 3.

Why It Matters:

Focusing on your Key 3 creates clarity, reduces overwhelm, and gives you a sense of accomplishment as you tackle what matters most. Small, consistent steps add up to big progress!

To get help setting goals and using the Key 3 system:

• Use the ExperienceVT Key Practices Worksheets to get you started.
• Bonus Action: Write your Weekly Key 3 as a lock screen on your phone or laptop to remind yourself of what matters most this week.

Stay focused, take action, and move closer to your goals—one week at a time!

Other ideas for a more successful morning routine:

• Why You Should Stop Checking Your Phone In The Morning (And What To Do Instead) (forbes.com)
• Get a real alarm clock so you don’t immediately wake up with your phone in hand.
• If getting a real alarm clock just isn’t going to happen, put a motivational reminder to “be phone-free for the first 30” on your home/lock screen.
• Write a list of 5 other things you can do to get your morning started without your phone - here are some ideas to get you started:
• Shower.
• Get dressed.
• Have a glass of water, juice, coffee, tea (insert beverage here)/eat breakfast.
• Read a real book/review class content.
• Identify 3 gratitudes from the day before.

Do a daily check in – send a short message each morning this week to the same long-distance friend or family member, to check in and stay connected.

Starting your day by receiving or sending out a simple text can be a great way to add a sprinkle of positivity as soon as you wake up. If you can, do this challenge with someone you used to text daily and you want to re-connect with. This does not need to be elaborate, maybe a simple picture of campus, a daily update, or even something that made you laugh, is enough to contribute to connection. Learn more about how strengthening your relationships can benefit your well-being from the links below. Looking for more ways to connect, make friends, and get better at conversations? Check out the content in challenges 1 and 15 as well.

Article: The science of why friendships keep us healthy

• How friendship changes the body and brain.
• The risks of social isolation.
• The strength of “weak” ties.
• Listen to How to Create and Deepen Connections (at end of article).

Article: Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health

• Benefits of friendships.
• Why is it sometimes hard to make or keep friends.
• What are some ways to meet new friends?
• How to feed your friendships Listen to or watch this podcast on making friends.

Podcast: Simon Sinek: "Strong Thigh Muscles = More friends", This Is Why You Can't Make Friends!

Video: Digital Age Disconnection and How to Overcome Loneliness: A Creator Roundtable

• This video is part of the JED foundation Mind Matters: Creators Open Up About Mental Health. Check out other episodes for more tips and tools to help you take care of your well-being.

Tips to get Started!

• Think of a person you want to reconnect with or someone whose relationship you want to strengthen.
• Consider setting a reminder in your phone to message them daily with an update, a photo, or something that made you think of them.
• Decide if you want to preface the messages with a note about the challenge as a way to take some pressure off or remove the nervousness especially if it is someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Something you could say is: Hey, I saw this challenge to send a message to the same person each day this week, and I immediately thought of you. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be texting you daily something small but don’t feel pressured to respond, I just want you to know I’m thinking about you and care about our relationship!

For one week, choose a different every day waiting moment (standing in line, waiting for the bus, etc.) and go phone-free. Practice being bored and notice the benefits.

Have you ever noticed that your most creative thoughts and ideas come to you the moment your head hits the pillow or while you’re taking a shower? This happens because your brain is finally coming down from being overstimulated and has nothing to focus on in that moment. This is the power of boredom. So often we equate boredom with lack of productivity and see it as a negative thing, but being bored allows for mind wandering and gives you space to be creative. This week take on the challenge to take a brain break each time you stand in line, or are waiting for something, to help you feel less stimulated and see what comes from it.

Video: You Need to Be Bored. Here’s Why, Harvard Professor Dr. Arthur Brooks

Video: How to Get Your Brain to Focus, Chris Bailey, TEDxManchester

• “Overstimulation is the enemy of focus”

Article: 6 surprising benefits of boredom & how to approach being bored

• 6 positives of boredom
• Tips on how to use your boredom

Podcast: How I Stopped Fearing Boredom, The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Nice places to walk on campus

• The Huckleberry Trail
• The Duck Pond
• Hahn Horticulture Garden

Delete social media for a week to support a healthier body image and reset your relationship with comparison.

While social media can be a source of inspiration, it can also create a perfect storm of comparison cycles, disordered eating and exercise practices, and mental health challenges If you have ever noticed yourself feeling worse after scrolling, you are not alone. Try this challenge for a week and reflect on how you feel. To quote one of our recent Digital Well-being Challenge participants, “I started becoming more confident in my food choices, body image, and my health journey when I made the scary decision to delete all social media.”

Article: The Stress of Social Comparison and How to Limit Comparing Yourself to Others

Resource: Media and Eating Disorders

Podcast: Social Media and Mental Health: A candid conversation with TikTok psychologist Dr. Paula Freedman

Resource: Renfrew Center College Resource Center on Eating Disorders and Body Image

• Here, you'll find interactive quizzes, podcast episodes, blog posts, as well as:
• Articles on managing transitions and triggers
• Tips for creating a support system on campus
• Strategies for handling food-related challenges
• and more!

Create a delay before using your phone. Each time you are stressed or bored, take 5 deep breaths instead of checking your phone.

Looking at our phones can often be a default response when we feel stress. The challenge is, rather than making us feel better or helping us manage stress in the long run, it can make us feel more anxious. Taking a pause to take a breath helps create a new pattern, it’s free, and it works! Deep breathing can be done anywhere, and it immediately slows down your body’s stress response. Here are some resources to help you explore and practice the benefits of this week’s challenge.

• How to breathe properly and why it matters — Calm Blog
• Breathing Technique to Relax: Belly Breathing Exercise with Dora Kamau - youtube.com
• Download One Sec: This app forces you to take a deep breath whenever you open social media. Friction removes instant gratification and makes distracting apps less appealing.

The next time you're feeling stressed or awkward write down how you feel (instead of scrolling) Do this for a week.

Give yourself room to feel. It is very easy now, with the constant stream of stimulation available to us all, to avoid feeling. Whether you’re having a bad day, nervous about a big test, or avoiding a tough conversation it has become the norm to pick up our phone and scroll to avoid these uncomfortable emotions. We use our phones as a protective shield to avoid feeling, but avoiding feelings doesn’t make us feel better, it makes us feel nothing. You can't selectively numb, so when you numb the bad, you also numb the good, with this in mind use the challenge this week to take a break from numbing and take the time to check in with yourself about why you might be feeling the need to numb.

CRM skills are a great resource to use to recenter and ground yourself which can aid you in checking on how you’re feeling and what you need in the moment.

Podcast: Numbing With Our Phones: Why We REALLY Do It, and How to Begin to Change

• Understand why we use phones to numb.
• Explore alternative ways to cope with emotions.

Article: Your phone, your emotions and everyday life

• Using your phone to regulate emotions.
• Emotional state can predict which app you will use next.
• Using technology not designed for emotional regulation to escape feeling.

Article: Are You “Zenning” Out or Numbing Out?

• Don't think about or feel your stress.
• Immediate relief but reinforces stress long term.
• Leads to poor coping strategies .

Article: 8 Steps to Stop Numbing Your Emotions

• Name that feeling.
• Carve out time to feel.
• Accept that the experience may be confusing.
• Acknowledge that your feelings are worthy.
• Notice if you’re taking on other people’s feelings.
• Get curious about your feelings.
• Talk about your feelings.
• Learn to trust your feelings and yourself Use The Feelings Wheel to help identify your feelings.

CRM Skills

• YouTube playlist: CRM Crash Course
• Website: Community Resilience Model (CRM)

Protect your sleep! Try a phone-free activity before bed or replace scrolling and streaming with supportive sleep content (apps like Calm or sleep meditations).

Protect your sleep! Use your phone settings to set a sleep and wake time for apps that you find cause distraction at night. Break away from doom scrolling and create a new tech free routine at night and in the morning. Try setting your downtime for 30 minutes before you go to sleep to 30 minutes after you wake up. Use these time blocks to create a better routine to encourage better sleep and a more productive day.

When deciding on what apps to limit keep in mind that research shows active use of technology like texting or social media has more of an effect on sleep than non-active use such as listening to music. Although it is important to note that any screen use has effects on sleep, look at the resources below and use them to help you decide on a downtime routine that works well for you.

Podcast: #70 - Sleep & Screens with Dr. Michael Gradisar, The Matt Walker Podcast

Article: Why You Should Ditch Your Phone Before Bed

• Impacts of phone use on sleep
• Recommendations on what to do instead

Article: Does screen time before bed *actually* affect your sleep?

• Screen times effect of sleep
• 6 tips for using technology at night
• Links for resources

Article: How to create the ideal bedtime routine for adults

Article: The Best Sleep Apps, According to a Therapist

• Read the latest reviews on:
• Calm
• SleepWatch
• Pillow
• Sleep Cycle
• Sleep Reset

Procrastinate better. Make a list of 5 things to do beyond screens and go do them.

We are all guilty of putting off work that needs to be done, getting distracted by our phones, and then suddenly, an hour or more has gone by, and we’ve ended up down a rabbit hole on one of our many apps. This week challenge yourself to a Tech-Free Hour, if you need a break from working on an assignment try to procrastinate tech free: Dedicate one (waking) hour a day to being completely technology-free, focusing on hobbies, friends, or mindfulness.

Ways to procrastinate offline:

• Reading
• Call a friend or family member
• Board game or puzzle
• Meditate
• Journal
• Craft
• Go for a walk
• Plan your day
• Clean

Article: 5 ways slimming screen time is good for your health

• 5 ways cutting down screen time can improve your life

Article: The Power of One Technology Free Hour Per Day

• Provide yourself with a window of non-stimulation
• Includes tips on how to be successful with your tech-free hour

Podcast: How to Expand Time & Increase Happiness, Cassie Holmes

Article: How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers, Psychology Today

• 5 research related values of taking breaks
• 10 effective, screen-free break / procrastination ideas

Increase focus. Remove your phone from your environment and/or use an app to help you use your phone less.

The best way to regain focus is to remove your phone from your environment – put it in another room. Simply having your phone in your visual field causes your brain to subconsciously use energy (brain power) to resist the urge to pick it up – even if your phone is face-down and turned off! Sometimes it is not possible for us to leave our phones behind. If this is the case, place your phone in a drawer or your backpack. You may notice it is still difficult to resist the urge to pick it up and use it because we only have a finite amount of willpower. We are at the point with technology where we all need a bit of help using our phones less, and there are great apps out there to help us do it! While there is a financial cost for many, try the free trials and consider the mental and academic costs connected to distraction vs a few dollars a month to help you celebrate focus.

Article: 3 Steps to Fix Your Attention Span – New York Times

• Bonus challenge: 10-Minute Challenge of staring at a piece of art!
• Access your free New York Times subscription as a Virginia Tech student

Article: The Best Apps to Curb Smartphone Addiction of 2026

Try one of these apps to help you feel more focused and present – recommended by Hokies:

Opal Focus Friend Be Present

Other ideas to help you focus include:

• Turning your phone to gray-scale mode.
• Eliminate your ability to override the time limit restriction by having your friend or roommate create the password.
• Create a habit of putting your phone in the same (out of sight) place each time you come home.
• Use the Pomodoro Technique to create a predictable focus structure.
• Simply type “Pomodoro Timer” into your browser, and you will have access to a free online timer.
• Feel free to be flexible with your focus and break time allotments. The goal is to build up focus endurance with a simple, predictable structure.

If you’re struggling with time management and staying focused, you’re not alone. Along with the strategies above, use the Virginia Tech Student Success Center resources!

• Academic Coaching
• Attend a workshop through the Seminar Series on Academic Success
• Effective Learning Strategies
• Overcoming Procrastination
• Reading and Note-Taking for Comprehension and Retention
• Time Management Bootcamp

Change your lock screen to a photo of a meaningful activity you can do instead and do it each day for a week.

Have you ever looked at your screen time and examined how, specifically, you spend your time online? Is it alignment with your goals? Are you happy with the amount of time you invest online vs. The time you invest in relationships, your hobbies, or your academics? Have you ever said, I wish I had more time to do (fill in the blank)? If you said “yes,” this is the perfect challenge for you. You may not know what you want to fill your time with at this point (and that is OK too), but you may know you feel blah after spending time scrolling or binging videos, and that is powerful information.

If you know what you would like to do instead of scrolling, go ahead and make that your lock screen right now! Each time you pick up your phone, you will now have a great reminder of what matters most to you and feel more connected to making it happen. Start small - commit to 10 minutes of an alternative activity before touching your phone. For example, if you want to read more, when you walk in your room, put your phone out of sight and spend 10 minutes reading a book, before you check it.

If you don’t know what you would like to do instead, here are some resources to get you started.

• Be inspired by this TEdx Talk to help you understand your WHY behind being more intentional with your time.
• Think about the top three things you want to get out of your college experience. Is it friends, grades, better mental health, rich experiences, developing a skill or hobby? Write 1 of these items down on a post-it and take a picture of it. Make that your lock screen. Now think about one small thing you can do each day to work towards this goal and do it this week.
• Explore author of "How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again", Catherine Price’s research-backed resources.
  Sign up for a free Fun Starter Kit which includes:
  • The Fun Compatibility Quiz
  • Journal Prompts
  • Explore GobblerConnect to find on-campus organizations and events to help you immediately become engaged with your meaningful activity on campus.

Take a 4-hour phone/tech free break during a time you usually use your phone.

Give yourself permission to take frequent breaks from your phone. Start with 4 hours and experiment from there – maybe a full day, a weekend, or situation specific. Research supports that doing so helps reduce stress, improve sleep, improve mental health, minimize FOMO, and so much more. Be sure to set yourself up for success by communicating with your friends and family when you will be disconnected and have a list of specific plans. Bonus points if you invite someone to do this with you!

Article: How to Do a Digital Detox And why you should try it

• This article includes a great question set: What are some signs you might need a digital detox?
• You feel anxious or stressed out if you can't find your phone
• You feel compelled to check your phone every few minutes
• You feel depressed, anxious, or angry after spending time on social media
• You are preoccupied with the like, comment, or reshare counts on your social posts
• You’re afraid that you'll miss something if you don't keep checking your device
• You often find yourself staying up late or getting up early to play on your phone
• You have trouble concentrating on one thing without having to check your phone

If you want to experience more freedom from your phone and more benefits from the things that matter most, try these strategies to help transition this challenge into a habit.

• Place a post-it note reminder where you enter your room to put your phone out of sight.
• Create a phone-free zone with a basket or box for your phone.
• Use a lock screen reminder – take a picture of a post-it note with words on it or set your lockscreen with a photo of what matters most.
• Set out an alternate activity choice - coloring, book, image of a goal - like connecting with a friend, homework, etc.
• Pair putting your phone away with something you already do - After I (current habit), I will (new habit) - when I put my bag down, I will review my notes for 10 minutes.
• Prep your environment, with something you want to do, before you head out so it is ready to go when you return.
• Use identity-based language - I'm the kind of person who takes time to recharge without screens...or whatever you want your identity to be.

Podcast: A 5-step approach to ending your phone addiction

• Tech-free times
• Tech-free zones
• Device-free breaks
• Mindful consumption
• Notifications
• Handling anxiety when you put your phone down
• Breaking the morning phone habit

Podcast: The Science of Making & Breaking Habits: How to Change Your Life in 1 Month

Be a positive influence for connection! Ask friends to Hang Up and Hang Out at least once this week - phone free.

This week, challenge yourself to positively influence your friends into a more rewarding social experience. At some point, most of us have used our phones when in conversation with people right in front of us. When we do that, it decreases our connection and can sometimes be frustrating to others in that social situation. Ditch phubbing (phone snubbing) and get others to do it too. Ask your friends to “Hang up and hang out” or come up with other creative ways to get phones out of the conversation setting. Be inspired by this quick post on harnessing the Power of Positive Peer Pressure to help create a more digitally well Hokie environment.

Article: 10 Things to Say When Someone Won’t Get Off Their Phone

Learn about how investing in quality relationships is an investment in your health and well-being.

• Article: What Harvard’s Study of Adult Development Reveals about Happiness
• TED Talk: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

Research article: The iPhone Effect: The Quality of In-Person Social Interactions in the Presence of Mobile Devices

• Learn more about how even just the presence of your phone can lead to lower quality conversations.

Article: Conversations are powerful. Here are ways to embrace the awkward and deepen relationship

• How to take a conversation deeper.
• Listen a segment on to how to have great conversations.
• Hearing other points of view.

Article: Smartphones, Phubbing, and Relationship Satisfaction

• Definition of phubbing.
• The effects of phubbing.
• Tips for how to get others to stop.

Article: Our need for true connection is giving rise to phone-free spaces

• How phone use shapes our environments.
• Prioritizing social interaction.

There are so many ways to have a more present, rewarding experience by choosing to put your phone away. Try them all! You can Hang Up and Hang Out with:

• Nature.
• Your student organization.
• Classes.
• The Drillfield.
• Your books.
• Your food.
• With games.