Lately, I’ve been wanting to incorporate more analog habits into my life to live more in the present moment like old times.
So, for some inspiration for myself and also for any of you like me, I decided to make this list of analog habits.
Don’t you think our lives are slowly being swallowed up by screens? And I’m so exhausted.
It makes me feel like we’re living such uninteresting lives even though we could buy and have literally anything we want in minutes.
We’re so busy consuming other people’s lives that we forget to pay attention to our own.
We wake up and check our phones, spend most of our working hours staring at a computer, scroll through social media during our breaks, and then end the day watching something on another screen.
And I know how hard it is to break free from it.
But I don’t think we cannot give it a try.
In little ways as much as possible, we could live a more analog life.
I think it’s a good way of finding little ways to reconnect with ourselves and living more creatively with the world around us.
What are Analog Habits?
Table of Contents
Analog habits are simple, screen-free activities that encourage us to slow down, use our hands, engage our minds, and enjoy experiences without constantly reaching for our phones.
Think reading a paperback, writing in a notebook, tending to your plants, or spending a quiet Sunday afternoon trying something creative.
What I love about these habits is that they don’t require us to buy an entirely new lifestyle. Most of us already have everything we need to get started.
30 Analog Habits to Make Life Feel More Interesting
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If you’ve been feeling a little disconnected, mentally overstimulated (like me), or simply tired of scrolling through your free time, here are 30 analog habits to make your everyday life feel more intentional, peaceful, and meaningful.
1. Keep a daily diary
Find this Pretty Pink Handmade Embroidered Notebook here or try to make one yourself.
Rather than waiting for something extraordinary to happen, write a few lines about your ordinary day.
Try doing this every morning, first thing you wake.
I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years now, and I highly recommend keeping a diary and journaling about your day, your thoughts, or anything.
Record what you did, what you noticed, what made you laugh, or what you’ve been thinking about.
Try to write 3 pages daily. It’s a small record of being alive today.
2. Create your own little offline bliss station
Create a dedicated space where you can disconnect from the world and focus on what matters to you.
Make this station totally offline where you have no screens, no laptop, no iPad.
In Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, he recommends keeping two desks- one analog desk and another where you use your devices.
As much as possible, use only physical copies, physical to-do lists, planners, books, and even an analog clock if you want.
Here are some links for you:
- Hardcover Spiral Journal
- 2027 Weekly Monthly Planner
- To-do List Notepad
- Lined Sticky Notes
- Vintage Black Analog Table Clock
3. Go outside when you feel stuck
When your mind feels cluttered or your creativity seems to have disappeared, step outside instead of opening another app.
I love going for a walk alone. It’s something I enjoy doing solo, and it was one of the reasons I decided to go on a solo trip.
I realised that if I enjoyed my walks alone so much, how much more would I enjoy walking all by myself, exploring in a new place.
And oh! I did… when it actually happened.
I do take my headphones and enjoy music or a podcast along the way.
When I walk, ideas naturally come in, and I return home with more enthusiasm, interest, and feeling fresh.
4. Read a Physical Book Every Day
It’s okay if you have a Kindle; I do too, but I still buy physical books because I realized I actually love the feel of it, of turning its pages, and holding the book in my hands.
You don’t have to read 50 books a year or turn reading into another self-improvement project.
Start with ten pages a day and keep a book beside your bed or in your handbag so it’s always within reach.
I’m currently reading ‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara
5. Create a Life List
Instead of keeping all your dreams in your head or saving hundreds of ideas on Pinterest, write them down in a notebook.
Include places you’d love to visit, skills you want to learn, books you want to read, recipes you’d like to try, and ordinary experiences you want to enjoy more often.
Your list doesn’t have to be full of impressive achievements. It can simply be a collection of things that make you curious about life.
6. Write Handwritten Letters
P.S. Find this Stationery Set with Letter Paper and Envelopes here
In a world where we can send hundreds of messages in a few minutes, a handwritten letter feels especially thoughtful.
Write to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, send a thank-you card, or leave a little note for someone you love.
You don’t need a special occasion to remind someone that they’re important to you.
7. Cook From a Recipe Book
Make your own DIY Recipe book and write down your favourite recipes in your cookbook.
You could also collect recipes from your mother, friends, or family members and write them down along with little notes about who taught you each dish.
Then whenever you make a dish, find the recipe in a cookbook, gather your ingredients, put on some music, and enjoy preparing a meal without constantly switching between apps.
Over time, you’ll have a personal cookbook filled with recipes and memories.
8. Make Your Own Personal Zine
I didn’t know about Zines or that there is a word called Zine until recently, but I came to know that unknowingly I had created many zines till now.
A zine is a small, self-made magazine that you can fill with anything you love, from personal essays and favourite quotes to book recommendations, photographs, drawings, and little observations about everyday life.
In one my zines, I’ve only written down my own quotes and thoughts. In another I have written down quotes from books I read.
In another, I’ve written down sweet things about my partner.
To make a Zine, take a few sheets of paper, fold them into a booklet, and decorate the pages with handwritten notes, magazine cutouts, and doodles.
You could make a zine about your favourite books, your current obsessions, things you’re learning in your thirties, or little moments you want to remember.
There’s no right or wrong way to make one, and you don’t need fancy supplies.
It’s simply a fun, creative way to collect your thoughts and ideas into something tangible.
P.S. Here is a Beginner’s Way to Make a Zine
9. Create a Physical Memory Album
We take so many photographs these days, but how often do we actually revisit them?
Print your favourite pictures and collect postcards, ticket stubs, handwritten notes, and little souvenirs. Arrange them in a scrapbook and add a few lines about what was happening in your life at the time.
Years from now, it might be lovely to sit down with a cup of tea and revisit these little pieces of your life.
10. Try newspaper blackout poetry
This is a particularly fun idea inspired by Austin Kleon’s own creative practice.
Take an old newspaper page, circle a few words that catch your attention, and black out the rest to create a poem.
You don’t need to be a poet.
It’s simply a playful way to experiment with words and make something unexpected out of something ordinary.
11. Make little gifts for people
Making gifts can be a beautiful part of living a creative life.
Write a letter, bake something for a friend, make a bookmark, or put together a small scrapbook.
You don’t need to wait for birthdays or celebrations to make something thoughtful for someone, but birthdays could be a good time to gift someone.
This year you could decide that for each of your friends and loved ones, you will also gift them a handmade gift.
It’s meaningful for them and fulfilling for you, so it’s a win-win!
12. Learn a Hands-On Hobby
Choose something you’ve always wanted to try, whether it’s knitting, crocheting, embroidery, pottery, or making jewellery.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner.
You don’t need to monetise your hobby, share your progress online, or become exceptionally good at it.
Not everything we do needs to be productive. Some things can exist simply because they make us happy.
13. Use a Physical Planner
There’s something satisfying about writing down your plans for the week, crossing off completed tasks, and seeing your priorities laid out on paper.
Use a simple notebook to organise appointments, work commitments, personal goals, and things you want to make time for.
Remember to plan for a life you want to enjoy, not just a list of things you need to accomplish.
14. Paint, Draw, or Doodle
You don’t need to be an artist to enjoy making art.
Get a sketchbook, gather a few pencils or watercolours, and spend some time drawing flowers, painting the view from your window, or doodling whatever comes to mind.
The goal isn’t to produce something worthy of hanging on a wall.
It’s to create something without judging yourself.
15. Take Care of Your Plants
If you don’t have plants at home, try bringing home a few easy plants and take care of them.
Water them when needed, wipe their leaves, remove dry bits, and notice the changes in their growth.
There’s something grounding about tending to something living and remembering that growth takes time.
16. Solve Puzzles and Play Board Games
Find this Charming Bookstore Puzzle Here
Bring back the simple pleasure of spending an afternoon solving a crossword, working on a jigsaw puzzle, or playing a board game.
Keep a puzzle book on your coffee table or invite a friend to play a game over the weekend.
These activities give your mind something to focus on and offer an easy way to spend time together without needing an elaborate plan.
17. Bring Fresh Flowers Into Your Home
I love how flowers light up the room and make your heart smile.
I make it a point to buy flowers for myself every Sunday.
You don’t need an expensive bouquet or a special occasion to enjoy fresh flowers.
Pick up a few seasonal flowers from a local market, arrange them in a simple vase, and place them somewhere you’ll see them throughout the day.
It’s a little way of romanticizing your life and a reminder to enjoy simple things simply because we live in them.
We don’t have to wait for a celebration to make our spaces feel special.
P.S. How to Romanticize Your Life
18. Track Your Spending in a Notebook
If you’re trying to become more mindful of your money, consider keeping a handwritten spending journal.
Record your daily expenses, review your purchases at the end of the week, and write down your savings goals.
This isn’t about feeling guilty every time you spend money. It’s about understanding your habits and making choices that support the life you want to build.
19. Bake Something From Scratch
Spend an afternoon making cookies, baking a cake, or preparing homemade bread.
Enjoy measuring the ingredients, mixing everything together, and filling your kitchen with lovely smells. Make something for yourself, your family, or a friend.
And if your cake turns out a little lopsided, that’s perfectly fine. The point is to enjoy the experience, not create a picture-perfect result.
20. Listen to Music Without Multitasking
Put on an album you love, sit somewhere comfortable, and listen without simultaneously scrolling through social media or replying to messages.
Pay attention to the lyrics, the instruments, and the memories certain songs bring back. You could even create playlists for different moods, such as slow Sunday mornings, rainy afternoons, or winding down before bed.
Let music be something you experience rather than just background noise.
21. Explore Your Neighbourhood
Choose a free morning or afternoon and explore your neighbourhood as though you’re a visitor.
Visit a local market, discover a small café, browse a secondhand shop, or find a quiet park where you can sit for a while.
You might discover something wonderful just a short distance from home. You don’t always need a holiday to break your routine; sometimes, all you need is a different way of looking at your surroundings.
22. Have Phone-Free Conversations
One of the nicest things we can offer another person is our undivided attention.
When you’re having tea with your mother, meeting a friend, or spending time with your partner, put your phone away and be fully present.
Ask thoughtful questions, listen to their stories, and laugh about something silly. These ordinary conversations are often the little moments that make our relationships feel meaningful.
23. Visit Bookstores and Libraries
Spend an unhurried afternoon browsing shelves, picking up books that catch your attention, and discovering authors you might never have encountered online.
You could make it a little solo date: visit a bookstore, choose a book, and find a quiet café where you can read.
Libraries are wonderful for this, too, especially if you enjoy discovering new books without spending money.
24. Explore Flea Markets and Secondhand Shops
Spend a slow weekend morning browsing vintage home decor, secondhand books, handmade objects, and things with a little history behind them.
You don’t have to buy anything. Sometimes, the pleasure lies in browsing, discovering unusual objects, and imagining the stories behind them.
If you do find something you love, it might become a meaningful addition to your home rather than another impulsive purchase.
25. Learn to Play an Instrument
Choose an instrument you’ve always wanted to learn, whether it’s the guitar, piano, ukulele, or harmonica, and spend 10–15 minutes practising a few notes each day.
You don’t need to aim for a performance or become exceptionally talented. Enjoy the process of learning something new, making mistakes, and gradually getting better.
In a world where we spend so much time consuming other people’s creativity, learning to make music yourself can be a beautiful way to reconnect with your own.
26. Start a Personal Collection
Collecting doesn’t have to mean buying expensive things.
You could collect postcards from places you’ve visited, pressed flowers from special occasions, interesting bookmarks, or little objects that remind you of particular moments.
Keep them in a box or organise them in a notebook. Add a few words about why each item matters to you.
27. Learn to Repair or Make Something
Instead of immediately replacing something that breaks or buying something new whenever you need it, try learning a practical skill.
Sew a loose button, mend a small tear in your clothes, polish an old piece of furniture, or learn basic hand-stitching.
You could also try simple DIY projects to personalise your home.
There’s a particular satisfaction in using your hands to fix something and giving an old object a little more life.
28. Practise Doing Nothing
We’ve become so accustomed to filling every spare moment that even waiting for our tea to brew can turn into an opportunity to check our phones.
Try sitting by a window, watching the clouds, listening to the rain, or enjoying your morning tea without reaching for anything else.
You don’t have to meditate or think profound thoughts. You can just sit there.
Sometimes, allowing yourself to be bored is a lovely way to make room for your own thoughts.
29. Pay attention to ordinary things
Ordinary experiences can become extraordinary when we give them more attention.
I particularly loved this Instagram post recently and made a collage of it.
What a wonder life becomes when we pay attention.
Notice the light coming through your curtains, the flowers at your local market, the conversations you overhear, or the way your favourite café looks on a rainy afternoon.
You don’t always need new experiences to feel inspired. Sometimes, you simply need to pay closer attention to the life you’re already living.
- P.S. On Lessons from Plants and The gift of paying Attention
- God Must be an Audience and Other Reflections
30. Create a Screen-Free Evening Ritual
After you come back from work, what is your routine other than just lying in bed and scrolling your phone?
Our idea of rest has really become damaged because we think scrolling is resting when we know that it only makes us more exhausted and tired and ruins our sleep.
Instead, you could give yourself a proper evening routine and do so many other analog things.
The idea is to create a gentle transition between the busyness of the day and the rest you need.
- P.S. Here are Simple Things to do for a Slow and Cozy Evening
How to Start Living a More Analog Life
Now, I don’t want you to read this list, get excited, buy ten new notebooks, and then feel overwhelmed trying to do everything at once.
The beauty of analog living is that it can be incredibly simple.
You don’t need to become someone who never uses social media or spends every afternoon making pottery. You can enjoy technology and still create space for activities that don’t involve it.
Here are a few ways to start.
1. Choose three habits that genuinely appeal to you. Start with the activities you already find interesting rather than trying to change your entire routine overnight.
2. Create small pockets of screen-free time. Keep your mornings phone-free for 15 minutes, read before bed, or take a short walk without checking notifications.
3. Make your hobbies easy to access. Leave your book on your bedside table, keep your journal on your desk, or place your sketchbook somewhere visible.
4. Stop trying to make every hobby productive. You don’t need to become an excellent painter or finish a book every week. Enjoying the activity is enough.
5. Allow yourself to be a beginner. Your handwriting might be messy, your paintings might look funny, and your first attempt at knitting might be a disaster. You’re allowed to do things simply because you enjoy them.
Final Thoughts: Make Room for a More Analog Life
I think one of the loveliest things we can do for ourselves is make our lives feel a little less rushed.
We don’t have to fill every quiet moment with a podcast, every spare afternoon with errands, or every hobby with a goal.
We can read slowly, cook something just because it sounds delicious, take a walk without tracking our steps, and spend an entire evening doing something that will never appear on our CV.
Our lives aren’t just things to manage, improve, document, or share with other people. They’re experiences to be lived.
So, this week, choose one little thing from this list and make some time for it. Put your phone away, pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read, or spend a few minutes sitting quietly with your morning tea.
You don’t need to romanticise every moment or create a perfect slow-living routine.
You just need to be a little more present for the life that’s already yours.
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