I Tried “Rawdogging Boredom” For A Week & It Was Truly Fun

In Her Campus’s sequence The College Try, our writers take a look at out viral wellness, relationship, vogue, productiveness, and popular culture tendencies firsthand. This month, Marie Gomez “rawdogging boredom” the ol’ school attempt.

I’ve by no means been the kind to sit down nonetheless or do nothing. Usually, if I’m not finding out, I’m scrolling endlessly by means of Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube simply to drown out my very own ideas. One day, I got here throughout a shocking pattern known as  “rawdogging boredom” taking up. Initially, it was a viral pattern that passed off on long-haul flights the place you couldn’t snack or have any type of leisure. 

But in late 2025, Gen Z reimagined it — sitting nonetheless for 10-60 minutes with out snacks, a particular object to fiddle with, and no digital simulation, and sure, that does imply your telephones. 

Seeing this, I questioned if I wanted a psychological well being reset. So, I made a decision to rawdog my boredom for 5 days, ditching my telephone at residence and through meals to see if I might really survive. Let’s be actual, discovering focus in our day by day lives is difficult sufficient, and I used to be able to see if intentional silence was the self-care I’d been lacking. 

But why are we so afraid of digital detox? Dr. Buckle, a naturopathic physician at The Oasis Treatment Center in California, states that this pattern reaps the advantages after we unplug from our units. “Digital detoxes are incredibly helpful. They can help reduce stress, emotional fatigue, and mental overload,” Buckle says. “They give the brain a break from constant news, stimulation, and information.”

He additionally notes that many individuals who follow digital cleaning discover vital enhancements of their consideration span, sleep, and even their temper. “Many people I’ve talked to who have tried this notice improvements in anxiety levels, focus, and sleep,” Buckle provides.

So, I assumed to myself, if a professional says it’s good for my well being, I’m all in, and let me attempt it out. And right here’s the way it went.

Day 1

I began by sitting within the room for quarter-hour quietly. I had my telephone locked away out of sight so I wouldn’t have the ability to textual content, no AirPods in my attain, simply me and my loud bed room fan. 

Every time I heard a notification, I felt the bodily itch simply to run over to my telephone, however two minutes in. I used to be feeling fairly good. My fingers relaxed, my fingers now not stiff. I didn’t even have snacks to maintain me firm.

After the lengthy quarter-hour, I actually felt one thing shift. My mind wasn’t overwhelmed with digital overstimulation. My head didn’t harm, and I didn’t miss scrolling by means of Instagram reels or studying new TikTok dances. 

As a end result, Day 1 was a enjoyable and new expertise, and I discovered it to be good to only unwind.

Day 2

Today was going to be the actual take a look at: consuming breakfast with no “companion show” on my laptop computer. I sat outdoors on my patio and simply… ate. NGL, I felt completely bizarre. I don’t normally eat outdoors, particularly on the patio, and normally watching a present helps get my day operating earlier than all of the chaos erupts. However, I completed my meal in 10 minutes of my traditional 45-minute screen-fest.

Day 3

By the center of the week, the urge to verify my telephone began to fade. I attempted going tremendous analog (and boring) throughout my afternoon exercise by ditching my playlist. I needed so badly simply to have my headphones as a result of they’re my security web, however I noticed I couldn’t use them.

Dr. Buckle factors out that moments of “nothingness”, particularly with out units, are all for higher self-reflection. “People often notice when they unplug from social media that they feel more connected to their surroundings, as well as to others. That is because they are less distracted.” That assertion began clicking with me. 

Day 4

I spent my commute at present simply doing one in all my favourite hobbies, which is studying. I’ve by no means had an issue with digital detox in relation to studying, however normally, I’ll have audiobooks blasting in my ear as a result of my consideration span is so low. 

Instead, I made a decision to go sit outdoors with nobody round and skim out loud for the primary time in a very long time. The solely sound apart from my voice that I heard was the birds chirping and the cool breeze surrounding me.

My mind felt lighter, and for the primary time in months, I didn’t really feel like I used to be speeding to the subsequent digital hit.

Day 5

On my final day, I had my longest session of “nothingness” but—spending an hour sitting in my room with no gadget, no speaking, and no sleeping. It seems that while you aren’t distracted, you even have room to your personal concepts. 

So, after rawdogging boredom for per week, I lastly perceive the hype. I didn’t really feel the sense of stress or the digital want for my telephone or to go on any social media platforms to have interaction with anybody.

Though it may not be for everybody, I  really feel a change in how I entertain myself, my way of life, and feeling relaxed. I like being current within the second and surrounding myself in a quiet atmosphere, and giving myself the inventive area to unlock new concepts and ideas that I might need by no means processed earlier than. I’m formally a boredom convert.