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Your smartphone can be a source of stress if you get work emails and calls on it, but it can also be a device that brings you a lot of fun.
To help you get more enjoyment out of the technology, here are six ways to use it that you might not have done for a while (or ever). Or, maybe you just need a refresher on its uses to remind you of the good that can come with using mobile tech. It can improve your day in a few ways, as you’ll see below.
1. Try Brain Games and Puzzles
Games that test your memory or challenge your mind can be a great way to spend your time outside of work or if you’re looking for a new hobby. There are user-friendly ones online that you can start to play from anywhere at any time. The latest trend is Sudoku, a logic-based puzzle that you can play on your smartphone, tablet, desktop PC, or laptop. Figuring out where to put the numbers to solve the puzzle can take your mind off work and be a great challenge. If you’re bored, this one helps you feel a sense of purpose and can get your mind moving in ways that it might not normally do during your day job.
2. Photo Fun: Altering Your Faves
You likely take a lot of pics on your smartphone. And why wouldn’t you, given how great the cameras are on the newest devices? Scroll through your camera roll, and you will likely find a few that you hadn’t looked at in a while or forgot about completely. As you do so, you might text a few friends or reminisce about memories relating to the photos with loved ones. You can also alter some of them to enhance the lighting, crop in to remove distractions in the background, make it sepia, or add other effects. Enhancing photos could be your next favorite activity, and you might even wind up loving it so much that you invest in a professional camera.
3. Make Short Films
The built-in video feature of smartphones is fun for many reasons. Firstly, you can capture your pets (or yourself) doing funny things and add music as the background when posting on social media. That could grow your online following or help you connect and have a laugh with friends online. There are also apps that enable you to make short videos with ease, putting together clips of different lengths and incorporating photos with them, putting them to appropriate music using built-in AI. You will look like a filmmaker at the end of it, all with a few taps on your smartphone. Share it by email or online as you like, having plenty of fun on a weekend with this activity.
4. Fitness Time
Exercise is fun when you find an activity you like, and smartphones help make that happen. You could watch a workout video that’s posted online using your phone, watching on the screen as the instructor does different movements and following along. That’s a great way to find a new aerobic or step routine if you’re tired of your existing one.
Adding variety to your workouts can help keep it enjoyable so you keep looking after your health. You might also wear your smartwatch during the workout to make the most of its health-related features, such as recording the number of steps, so that you can look over the stats afterward on your phone. The impressive numbers are sure to motivate you to exercise again soon.
5. Find a Great Audiobook
Give your eyes a much-needed break from screen time to reduce eyestrain and upload an audiobook to your phone. There are many free choices if you are on a strict budget, including some classics you’ve been wanting to read. Being able to listen to a story rather than read it can help you visualize the characters well. Lay on the couch, close your eyes, and listen to the great plot unfold. The great part is you can start again tomorrow exactly where you left off with many audiobook apps. That means if you don’t have time to listen to the whole chapter, you can just listen for 10 minutes to keep the story fresh in your mind until the next time.
6. Search for Something New
Learning can be fun too! Open your favorite search engine and search for something you’ve been meaning to read up on. Now that you have a spare minute or two, it’s a great time to do so. Then, share the details learned with someone close to you as a way to help you remember it better. Relaying what you learned can help you better understand it, too. That might spark a conversation with someone you think about for a long time afterward. Finding out more about the world around you can help you feel less alone and more connected to others, which can reduce feelings of isolation. That is especially important in a world where people are often very independent in their activities on their phones.
Conclusion: Having More Fun on the Phone
Smartphones can be a great technology to improve efficiency in your day, whether it’s for work as a business owner or personal use. Your time off the job can also be fun when you use the phone in ways like those suggested above. Games and puzzles can be entertaining ways to spend your free time, especially if you are alone and bored or looking to challenge your mind in new ways.
An audiobook can be a great way to give your eyes a break from the screen and help you escape everyday stress as you listen to an exciting fictional plot. Fitness is fun, too, as you follow a workout on the screen, or maybe you search for things you’d like to learn more about in this world. Improving photos and making short films are also terrific ways to get more out of the device.
The ideas above can inspire you to think about the device in new ways. Keep enjoying yourself!
