We may all be surgically attached to our smartphones, but there is life beyond doomscrolling. Here’s how to live a more analogue life.
‘Chronically online’ not just a term many of us use, it’s a badge of honour we wear to show how ‘clued in’ with pop culture we are.
But in 2026, things seem to be shifting. Being chronically glued to our phones and the digital world is no longer the gold standard way to stay informed. Instead, shifting our attention from the online to the offline is a vow many people are taking. Ironically, the term ‘analogue living’ is trending online, with many people sharing the steps they are taking to move away from their phones and the hobbies they’re picking up to fill their time instead.
Feeding into the ‘slow living’ trend, living analogue is rooted in mindfulness. It aims to reduce screen time by replacing digital habits with things like journaling, reading, gardening or doing puzzles instead.
If your screentime is through the roof and you’d like to get it down to a healthy number, here are ways you can live a more analogue life.
Use an alarm clock
Instead of relying on your mobile phone to wake you up in the mornings, invest in an alarm clock. There are plenty of luxury alarm clock options on the market right now, like the Lumi alarm clock which wakes you up by mimicking sunlight, or the Hatch which plays sleep sounds if you’re having trouble getting to sleep. Or, if none of those take your fancy, you can go full analogue and buy an alarm or CD-player clock from your local charity shop.
Write letters and cards
While social media is a great tool to keep us all connected. It can also hinder genuine catch-ups and connections, making them quick and fleeting. Why not go back to how things were not so long ago and write an old pal a letter to catch up, instead of sending a voice note. Or, when it is someone’s birthday, you can include some thoughts inside your card, it could be a list of things you like about them, or a short anecdote. Taking the time out to write can help us to process our thoughts better while also deepening the bonds with those on the receiving end in the process.
Try some new hobbies
A new hobby a day keeps the doomscrolling at bay. It might be unrealistic to try out a new hobby each day, but why not set yourself a goal of trying something new once a week, or even once a month. It could be an active activity like swimming or a new exercise class, something you can do at home like learning how to sew or you could pick up a new skill with a cooking or art class.
Buy magazines
Scrolling on your phone isn’t the only way you can keep up to date with current culture and affairs. Buying physical media, like a magazine is a conscious, offline, sensory experience that contrasts the fast-paced algorithmic nature of digital media. While AI generated content becomes our new norm, a magazine like Irish Country Magazine is specifically curated by journalists and editors to inspire and inform readers providing you with a tactile and satisfactory experience as you flick through. If you’d like to sign up to Irish Country Magazine so you never miss an issue, you can do so here.
And other physical media
With the emergence of streaming platforms and other modes of quick and easy access to media, we forget that physical media exists too. These include vinyls, CDs, DVDs, books and newspapers. Many people are now rebuilding their physical media collections by purchasing various forms of physical media, with the lure being that these formats don’t require internet access, instead offering physical ownership.
