Fix My Brain Challenge
I FINALLY got around to deleting social media off my phone. I like to think I did a good job curating my feeds so I see only nice illustrations and funny things my friends are doing, yet I kept finding myself doomscrolling for hours when I should be focusing on work or trying to fall asleep. NO MORE!!! The only one I kept was Instagram only because I like taking pictures and posting them, and I made sure to turn the notifications off.
So far it's been good. I'm on my phone less for sure. I'm still using twitter and tumblr, but on my computer only and I am done with tiktok (for a second time lol). I cheat a little bit sometimes and check twitter on their mobile site, but either because of my adblock or mobile web twitter being poorly designed, it stops working after scrolling for about 5 seconds.
What I have been doing instead is trying to use my phone like it's 2009 and I just got an iPod touch. I've been playing games on my phone again - something I honestly haven't done in years since scrolling twitter replaced playing Time Crisis on my iPod. Through this I learned that I'm a fiend for crossword puzzles. I do the NYT Mini every day, get pissed off if I score higher than 30 seconds, and follow it up with the daily Puzzmo. With emulators FINALLY allowed on the app store as well I have the Delta emulator loaded up with Dragon Quest DS games that I'm sure will take me a year to finish each. I also transfered tons of Hellboy and BPRD comics to the books app that I got from a humble bundle so I have something to read when I inevitably get stuck on a MBTA red line train without service.
You got games on your phone?
The other big brain fix I've been trying to do this summer has been spending less time on FFXIV. Dawntrail dropped and I took my time finishing the MSQ, and now that it's over I've been logging in periodically when I feel like it to level my alt classes, do my weeklies and chat with my friends. As much as I still like playing the game, I'm definitely enjoying it much more by trying to not log in on obligation, which especially helps when you're not raiding anymore.
Hearing my friends talk about all the work they've been doing to level classes, prepare gear for savage, farm scrips and all that made me glad that I kind of dropped out of the MMO rat race for a while. I'll do the savage in like a year when its easier and farm my EX mounts next expansion lol.
I've been gaming like it's 2009 too. I bought an shockingly pristine Xbox 360 off eBay since the Xbox Live marketplace is closing down this month and I wanted to download all my old games I bought in high school and pick up some new ones before they're lost forever. I've been playing new stuff I missed back then like Oblivion which I fell in love with pretty much immediately and revisiting my old favorites like Full House Poker which sadly no one is playing online anymore.
Found peak in my xbox download history
It's been nice to step away from the internet for a bit when I can. I don't think I'll ever be able to delete twitter because I like Skeb too much but I'm happy to be more cognizant of how I've been using it. Shame the weather in my part of the country has been so shitty this summer so I haven't been going outside as much as I've wanted to. But at least we got one good beach day in!
