Ezan Charo 
Since the pandemic, and even before that, I’ve noticed that we’ve become more and more accommodated to the incorporation of technology in our daily lives, and whether we want to admit it or not, it’s eating away at our mental health. Sometimes you can lose yourself, scrolling on social media for hours until 3:00 a.m. mindlessly liking and retweeting things.
If you want to give your brain the fresh cleanse it deserves, these are some activities you can do to boost your productivity, your mental health, and keep yourself active.
Exercise! Teens need a lot of it. The trick is to not just immediately start going at it 110 percent. Instead, you take baby steps. Start by taking a walk around your neighborhood, or to a store or landmark close by. Get some fresh air! Then maybe begin jogging. Mark your progress on your Health app or digital watch. Any progress is progress nonetheless.
Journaling, writing, or any creative action like sketching also does wonders. Start chronicling your day, or experiment with some fiction or poetry. We’ve all had cool ideas for stories from time to time, so what’s stopping you? For me, worldbuilding is a great mental activity. Imagining worlds with fully detailed maps and cities, citizens and the leaders, and so on can inspire you to make whatever you want. Even designing original characters with cool appearances and interesting backstories can help funnel your creative juices.
Tabletop games! I love me some board games and card games. I’m an avid fan of D&D, which is basically just adding a little bit of cooperation and dice to what I described in the previous section. Getting some friends or family together and playing a game of Uno or Clue can be really fun, especially if you want a break from whatever stress you’re dealing with.
Organize! Let’s face it, we can also all be a tad bit untidy with our workplace or bedroom. Your brain is only as clear as the space you spend the most time in, so clear out all the clutter! Go through your wardrobe and pick out all the stuff you don’t like or don’t fit you anymore. Give your room some bedazzlements and aesthetics! Make a runic, ancient bookshelf filled with tomes and trinkets or a cool sci-fi desk with gadgets and all your devices.
Learn something new. Are you interested in a hobby or skill? Give it a try! I spent a long time trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube, and with some persistence and practice, my personal best for a timed solve is one minute, two seconds and 84 milliseconds!
Take your food into consideration. Think about your meal routines for a bit. What can you change? What can you cut out or add? Learning new skills (especially culinary) can dramatically impact the way you view your lifestyle!
We can all be a little bit more mindful about our day-to-day, and we can all be more connected with our physical spaces, whether that be through interaction or self-care.
What other tips do you have? Are you doing any of these? Hit me up and let me know.
By Ezan Charo, Junior, ChiArts
Twitter: @digitalwarlock8
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