> I always have a book with me when I go out with my partner, even if I don’t usually end up reading it. If she has to run an errand and I have to wait, I don’t waste my free time with nothing to read. I have become good at walking my dog while reading — I even got complimented for that by a stranger — and I make sure I never go to the bathroom without a book.”

This does not sound an improvement over using a phone. We don't have to occupy ourselves every waking moment. It's okay to not do something for a minute.