Trust me—you’re not the only one feeling the ick with yourself when you’re stuck in a toxic doomscrolling loop. At some point, you come to the realization endless scrolling doesn’t actually relax you. It numbs you and wastes your time. It doesn’t give anything back.
That’s when I started craving something more real and honestly, that’s when I fell back in love with my hobbies and just living life in real life. When I was younger, I used to do so many things, but as I got older, I convinced myself I “didn’t have the time.”
Last year, though, I fully embraced my hobby era- intentionally making time for things I love, especially the ones that are completely screen-free.
So when the analog trend of 2026 started having its moment, I couldn’t have been happier. It felt like a sign. Not in an all-or-nothing, throw-your-phone-away kind of way- but in a soft, intentional shift back to real life.
Instead of constantly consuming other people’s lives, you start creating your own—even if it’s something small, like journaling, colouring, or gardening- I currently have cucumbers growing!
There’s something grounding about doing things by hand-writing instead of typing, reading a physical book, flipping through pages instead of tabs. It forces you to be present in a way screens just don’t.
Doomscrolling tricks you into thinking you’re resting, but you usually end up feeling even more drained—almost like a dopamine crash. Replacing even 30 minutes of scrolling with something intentional can completely shift your mood and energy.
One thing I’ve been loving lately is the idea of an “analog basket” or tote. It’s basically a space where you keep all your screen-free activities in one place, so you don’t have to think twice about what to do. Everything is right there, within reach—and that alone makes you more likely to actually pick up a hobby instead of your phone.
Here are some items in my Analog Basket:
- Watercolor Book, Brushes & Paints
- Pastel Highlighters
- My Best Selling Word Search Book
- Girly Therapy Bold & Easy Colouring Book
- Punch Needle Kit- these sunflowers are so cute!
- An Embroidery Hoop with a cute little cat
- Melty/Perler Beads- these are animal ones
- Diamond Painting Kit- found this one that looked nice. The exact one I had got at YoYoSo
- Mini Black & White Printer
- Reading Light– literally a must have! Not only for reading but it can also clamp or sit on a surface for extra light source while doing other hobbies.
Let me know what you would have in your Analog Basket?
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