For someone whose career exists almost entirely online, I've found myself increasingly drawn to analog things over the past few years. It seems I'm not the only one, as the word 'analog' is at an all-time high on Google Trends.
As I go through my day, I'm realizing just how much of it revolves around screens. My alarm clock is a screen (an Echo Show), so I'm looking at one from the second I wake up. Then it's my phone, my computer, and even in the evenings, I'm usually watching something on TV or reading on my Kindle. So much convenience, but so many screens.
Don't get me wrong, I love technology. It allows me to run my business, connect with people around the world, and share things I genuinely enjoy. But with the rise of technology, AI, and more, I think it's never been more important to carve out time to exist completely off-screen, too.
In a world where nearly everything has become digital, it is truly refreshing to hold a physical object, turn a page, write something by hand, or engage with something that doesn't require a password or a battery charge.
Here are 4 analog things I've incorporated into my daily life to help me spend a little less time on screens. I'd love to know if you have any more to add to my list!
No matter how many digital calendars and productivity apps I try, I always come back to a paper planner. I've used some form of a paper planner since, oh, I don't even know, elementary school?! I think writing things down, crossing them out, seeing the week laid out in front of me, color-coded with my gel pens, there is no better feeling!
Beyond personal preference, research suggests that writing things down by hand can improve memory and retention compared to typing. The theory is that writing requires more active processing, helping the brain engage with information in ways typing on a device does not.
I've always found that to be true in my own life. In college, one of my primary study methods was rewriting my notes by hand. I would color-code sections of information. It was time-consuming, but it worked incredibly well for me. The act of writing things down helped me remember them far better than reading them over and over again. When I was being tested, at times, I could even visually see (in my head) where the information was written on my study papers and in what color.
Today, I still find that putting appointments, deadlines, ideas, and to-do lists on paper helps me process and remember them. While I certainly use digital calendars for scheduling things like this blog post, my paper planner remains the place where I keep track of everything that's happening.
Plus, I find that spending a few minutes each morning with my planner helps me feel organized and prepared for the day ahead.
Magazine Subscription
This is a newer one for me, but it really takes me back to the excitement I felt when I was a teen, and there was a new issue of Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, or Teen Vogue! I loved magazines, especially those that focused on fashion. I would clip things and circle things for inspiration. I ended up with Town and Country, which has long been a favorite of mine, and Southern Living, which my mom always had on her nightstand. It's fun to look forward to these, and they're frivolous enough to read right before bed and doze off to peach cobbler recipes and pretty photos of jewelry. I particularly love them this summer while sitting at the pool.
Physical Books
I have a Kindle, and I do love it. However, I don't read as much as I used to (many years ago), and I want to get back into it. Apparently, it's not just me. The Kindle really does make sense when you travel. Instead of lugging around 5 books on a flight, the Kindle holds an endless library. However, at home, it's SO nice to read a real book. It sounds so silly, but turning a page feels so good. Feeling the paper, marking your page, it's the simplest of things, but I really appreciate all of that. It's also so nice to not have to remember to charge my book!!
Camp Snap Camera (CS just saw this post and gave me a discount code! SYDNEY7CS for 7% off)
This is the newest on the list for me. If you're unfamiliar, it's essentially a digital camera without a screen. It looks and feels like a disposable camera. You take the photo and move on. It's truly a 'point and shoot'. Since there is no screen, you look through the viewfinder to take a photo. To get the photos off the camera, you have to plug it into the computer, so there is certainly a digital aspect to this; however, in the moment, you can't obsess over the composition. You just take the photo and hope for the best. I love that it encourages me to be more present and less focused on capturing the perfect image. In a world where we can instantly review every photo we take, there's something fun about embracing a little uncertainty.
I actually thought this was silly when I first heard about it. Then I received one in a PR package from Tuckernuck when they launched their Nantucket Reds collection. I started to use it, and it was fun. I was just snapping away! The camera holds several hundred photos, so I plan to upload them to my computer at the end of each month, so I can recreate that 'anticipation' feeling of getting photos back from being developed.
I still think this is kind of silly and totally unnecessary, but as someone who creates content for a living, this has been surprisingly refreshing. Not every photo needs to be content, and not every moment needs to be documented perfectly.
None of these things are revolutionary, and none of them are necessarily more efficient than their digital counterparts. In fact, many are objectively less convenient. But that's exactly the point. They slow me down, encourage me to be more present, and give me a reason to step away from a screen for a little while!
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