I’m a child of the early ’90s. I’ve always been a chronic, almost comically late technology adopter (I have still yet to move on from my iPod Classic), and I grew up a little more offline than other kids.
There were no game consoles at home and no computer until I was about 9 or 10. I didn’t have a phone until I was in my teens, and I was practically bullied into getting a smartphone in my 20s.
But then I grew up as social media grew up, and slowly these websites and apps became a bigger part of my life. Sure, it was fun, and it introduced me to some of my firmest friends. It also slowly but fundamentally changed what hobbies meant and how they felt.
Instead of entertaining me, scrolling on my phone was adding worries and insecurities to my life. In just two minutes, my algorithm would expose me to life hacks, career advice, ads, comedy skits, mental health checklists, recipes, images of war, celebrity interviews, and silly animal videos.
It was stressful, unnecessary, only briefly entertaining, and just way, way too much.
I came to find I was dreading social media, and yet I opened up those apps anyway, often as the first thing I did in the morning. I asked myself, “If Instagram were a person talking to me like this, at 7:30 in the morning, would I tolerate it?”
I wouldn’t. And I missed all the analog activities I used to spend so much time doing.
So, gradually, I interrupted that urge to reach for my phone and steered my lifestyle toward digital minimalism.
Listen, I’m still scrolling sometimes. I don’t live in a cave. But I don’t lose hours to my phone, and I don’t get sucked into doomscrolling. Reengaging with analog hobbies helped me make that switch and fill the time.
Since curbing my phone use, I’ve taken the plunge and started building my vinyl collection. Instead of scrolling after work, I put a record on, lounge around, and listen to it all the way through. I don’t scroll while I listen, and I engage more deeply with the music I love.
Over lunch, I might do a little crafting if I have spare time. If I want to draw, I draw, and it doesn’t have to be my Sistine Chapel. I can make a mini bouquet out of jewelry wire and call it a day.
Instead of scrolling while dinner cooks, I scribble down a few lines for my creative writing projects. Before I go to sleep, I read a few pages of a book I have and let my only phone interruptions be texts from my very beloved friends.
I found that taking small dips into these activities was better than intending to sit down for an entire hour and achieve something big.
All of them are already fulfilling in their own right, and they always have been. It’s a type of slow-burn enrichment that can struggle to compete with the nonstop rush of online content. But it’s worth the slowdown.
I’m far from the only person going analog, so much so that analog bags are, paradoxically, one of the newest TikTok trends.
Simply put, an analog bag is a bag, tub, or basket where you put all your screen-free, offline items and activities so they’re in easy reach when you feel the urge to start scrolling on your phone.
My offline activities tend to be very book-heavy, whether that’s notebooks and sketchbooks, a selection of my current fiction and non-fiction reads, or textbooks for courses I’m taking. But you can fill your analog bag with whatever strikes your fancy.
If you want a little inspiration as to where to start out with an analog bag, take a look at some of the items below.
Since stepping back into my more analog, scroll-free ways:
- I don’t wake up to a stream of the whole world’s opinions
- I’m not questioning whether how I live my life is good enough
- My mind is a lot quieter
- When I’m out on a walk, going swimming, or on a bike ride, I enjoy it more
- I feel less guilty about living more slowly
- I can get absorbed in things I love more easily
- My creativity has come back tenfold
- I feel more in control of my content consumption and the effect it has on me
- I’ve read more books and engaged with them more
- I feel more connected to myself and my interests
- I have almost no desire to get my entertainment from my phone anymore
It feels important to mention that, as with any change of habit, there have been some moments of friction along the way. There’s sometimes a noticeable imbalance in social interactions, where conversation drifts away as the other people I’m with start scrolling. I feel a little out of the loop now and again. It can be frustrating that so much of life and culture happens largely online. I’d forgotten how much of a drag boredom can actually be.
Thankfully, all these are small things, and well worth the benefits I’ve experienced.
I asked Dr Bethany Juby, a clinical psychologist specializing in stress management, what happens to our brains when we embrace boredom — and what the benefits may be.
Medical Perspective“Facing boredom head on allows our brains to just deal with the boredom itself, and not all of the additional emotions and stress that may result from distractions. We then find that the actual experience of boredom is shorter than we feared it to be, and results in other parts of the brain responsible for problem-solving and creativity to stay activated, as opposed to dulled when we’re distracted.”
Quotes represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
Here are some analog ideas other Healthline editors are looking at to ease up on the scrolling and build some calm into their days.
“I’ve started coloring more the past few months, and it’s been a super nice release. It’s almost like journaling for me… it’s nice to get down whatever colors I’m feeling. I prefer coloring books with big, bold prints so I can color in big spaces however I want, although some people may appreciate the thinner lines!”
“I’m trying to read more in the evenings. I’m currently reading 1984, which has been gathering dust on my bookshelf for ages. I’ve been surprised at how quickly I’ve flown through it when my phone isn’t immediately within reach.
“I’ve also been adding to my vinyl collection recently. My latest buy was the new Lily Allen album. There’s something really relaxing and intentional about the whole experience: opening the album, looking at the artwork, spreading out the insert to pore over the lyrics, and pottering around my flat while the music plays.”
— Chloe Szilagyi
“My goal starting in 2026 was to get back to reading instead of streaming shows in the evening. So, I’m going for books and my Kindle. I’m a big fan of the hard copy library book if my local library has what I’m looking for. Now that I have been spending more of our nights without the TV on, I’ve been thinking about what else we could do in the evenings.
“I’ll definitely be leaning on a deck of cards. I also used to experiment with watercolors, so I will be digging those supplies out, and I have thought about trying one of those mini kits.
“I’ve also been thinking about subscribing to an actual newspaper, given it could continue to replace my need to watch TV news, and I could indulge in the daily and weekly crossword puzzles.”
“In order to break the habit of reaching for my phone while watching a show or movie, I make sure I have my analog bag nearby, which contains notebooks, a coloring book, my favorite colored pencils, and origami paper strips to fold origami stars. The crossword solitaire game Q-Less has also been a favorite of mine over the last few months.”
Social media hooked us decades ago, and now many of us are swimming in various states of algorithmic exhaustion and looking for ways to switch off and chill out. Are people born before Facebook wondering why putting a book in a bag is being touted as a new concept? Oh yeah.
But we have to acknowledge that some people have grown up scrolling as their main pastime, and analog activities or hobbies feel odd and new and, well, sometimes a bit boring.
But after I made my conscious effort to stop doomscrolling about a year ago, it’s made all the difference to my peace of mind, my mental health, and my interest in the world around me.
So whether you like reading, music, drawing, exercising, or getting outside and exploring, just replacing even 30 minutes of scrolling is a great place to start rebalancing its influence on your day.