Going Analog in 2026? Here’s 20 Analog Hobbies and Habits to Try Instead of Doomscrolling
Have you heard? 2026 is the year of going analog! With social media, AI-generated content, and algorithm updates consuming many of our lives, the “analog living” trend may be the answer to pushing back on phone addictions and doomscrolling!
What Is Analog Living?
Analog living prioritizes being intentional about the kinds of technology you allow yourself to consume. Nearly every aspect of our lives has been digitized, and analog living is a way to give yourself a digital detox. This generally means reducing your screentime and growing to love the physical world again through analog hobbies and habits.
If you want 2026 to be the year you go analog, here are 20 analog hobbies and habits to help you be more present, preserve your creativity, and reverse your brainrot!
Analog Hobbies to Try in 2026
Analog hobbies are ways to spend your free time completely unplugged. No phones, just being in the moment and giving your full attention to whatever activity you’re doing. Here are a few to try in 2026!
1. Reading
Reading is probably the easiest analog hobby you can pick up this year. Whether your goal is to read 5 books or 50, what’s important is that you’re swapping the blue light from your phone for paper (or e-ink from e-readers).
Take it one step further by challenging yourself to read out of your comfort zone and to engage with what you’re reading too. For example, set a goal of reading one non-fiction or classic book every month. Keep a reading journal where you write down your immediate thoughts about the books you read.
Yes, reading can be a mindless activity but with going analog, you can make it a meaningful hobby where you practice critical thinking and form your own thoughts and opinions about the books you read without looking to social media to influence what you think.
2. Journaling
The best thing about journaling is that there are so many different types of journals you can have. You may have heard of the “journaling ecosystem” trend, where people share the different journals they have and what they use them for.
Now, you don’t have to have several different journals if you don’t want to. But this trend can help you find what kind of journal works for you. If you love reading, keep a reading journal. If you love being creative and documenting your life, keep a life or junk journal. If you want a way to interact with the physical world and document new things you learn, keep a commonplace journal.
Instead of typing your thoughts, feelings, and life experiences on your phone, write them down in a physical journal to hold those moments in your hands forever.
3. Crosswords
Crosswords are a great way to stimulate your brain, expand your vocabulary, and gain more general knowledge about the world. They’re pretty accessible, too. You can find crosswords to complete in your local free newspapers! Alternatively, you can buy crossword books at grocery stores or online.
4. Puzzle books
Similar to crosswords, puzzle books are great for stimulating your brain! They help with critical thinking, reading, visual perception, and memory. Replace your phone games with a wordsearch, sudoku, or Murdle!
5. Go to the movies
Going out to watch a new movie is one of the best analog activities you can do to help keep you from your phone. Let the movie screen hold your attention for 1.5-3 hours and be immersed in the cinematic experience. Leave your phone at home when you go to the movies or switch it off when you’re at the screening.
If you have the means to do so, sign up for your local movie theater’s membership! I’ve been a member of my local movie theater since early 2025, and it was one of the best purchase decisions I made! For about $25 a month, I’m able to watch as many movies at my local theater as I want! I love how going to the movies is the cozy solo date I look forward to every week!
6. Crocheting/knitting
One benefit of going analog is improving your motor skills and having the space to be creative. Learning a craft like crocheting or knitting is the perfect way to do this. With just a ball of yarn and crochet/knitting needles, you can create many different kinds of things.
If you’re a beginner, I’d definitely recommend trying crocheting first before knitting. I was a beginner when I started during the 2020 lockdowns and found crocheting to be much easier to learn, since you only use one needle.
There are so many different tutorials you can find on YouTube. Whatever it is you want to make, type it in the YouTube search bar, and you’ll most likely find a tutorial for making it!
7. Game nights
Spend time with your friends, unplugged, by regularly arranging game nights! Bring board games to play together, like Uno, Scrabble, and Monopoly. Put your phones together and leave them in a different room so you can stay present and enjoy each other’s company without feeling the need to post it on social media.
8. Coloring books
If you’re looking for an analog activity to help you relax your brain, then try coloring books. Get a pack of good-quality pen markers and a coloring book to complete whenever you want to relieve stress.
There is not one way to color in coloring books. Let your creativity run free and color how you want! Whether you want to color inside the lines, outside the lines, create shadows, or do dark borders, coloring is all about having fun away from your phone!
9. Visit museums or art galleries
Discover the beauty of art and history by visiting the museums and art galleries in your area. Don’t just skim the museum labels or take one glance at a piece of art, then quickly move on to the next. Take your time to properly read the museum labels and learn something new. Analyse what you like or even don’t like about the artwork you see. You won’t only learn about history and art, you’ll also learn more about yourself.
10. Handheld gaming consoles
Before phone games, we had handheld gaming consoles. We still have them now, but they don’t seem to be as popular these days. Nintendos, PlayStation Portables, Gameboys – these consoles are old but gold. You can still get your hands on these consoles from eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or at the thrift store if you want to get back into vintage games.
Alternatively, you can go for the modern Nintendo Switch. I got a switch during the 2020 lockdowns, and I still love it! You can play cozy games like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, or action-packed games like Zelda and Mario. If you check the Nintendo shop, you’ll find that they occasionally have sales going on for lesser-known but really good games, too!
11. Jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are so much fun! They also help improve cognitive function, problem-solving skills, and memory. As with all the other activities mentioned, this is the kind of analog activity where you’ll need to give it your full attention to get the benefits of it. Leave your phone in a different room and keep your focus on completing the jigsaw puzzle in front of you.
12. Practice a skill
What’s something that you’ve always wanted to do or know? Play an instrument? Learn a language? Learn to swim? Practice a skill you’ve longed to do for a while but never actually did. If you want to learn an instrument, take classes. Want to learn a language? Get a book and go through the lessons.
Make sure that, with practicing your chosen skill, you find a way to avoid using your phone to help you learn it. Look to the physical world to help you master your skill.
Analog Habits to Try in 2026
Analog habits are hands-on ways to slow down and be more present. These are everyday practices you can incorporate into your life that prioritize being more intentional with how you interact with the world instead of relying on your phone for convenience.
13. Listen to the news on the radio
I’m certain we’re all pretty guilty of getting our news from social media. Whether it be Twitter (aka X), Instagram, or even TikTok. Instead of relying on social media to know what’s going on in the world, get a thrifted radio and listen to the news while getting ready or having your coffee in the morning.
14. Read newspapers or magazines
There’s something so calming and present about reading something physical in your hands. If you always have coffee in the morning, replace your phone with a physical newspaper or magazine. Flip through the pages, read the stories that interest you, and discover something new!
15. Buy physical media
Streaming models have become the new norm. But with these subscriptions we have for streaming services, there’s always the risk that they can be taken away from us in an instant. Even if you decide to buy movies or TV shows on a streaming service, they can still be taken away if the service loses the licensing to keep said movies or TV shows. With streaming services, you don’t actually own any media.
Reclaim ownership of the movies, TV shows, and music you love by buying the physical copies of them. If you’re worried about affordability, you can find tons of second-hand physical media at thrift stores and Facebook marketplace, from DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, and Vinyls!
16. Take photos with a camera and print them out
It’s so convenient getting your phone out to take photos. But with this, you might find your camera roll full of photos that you’ll probably never look at again. When taking photos on a camera (whether it’s film, digital, or a Polaroid), you’re intentionally making memories that you feel are important to document and look back on.
Print these photos out and keep them in an album (remember those?) so you have a physical copy of those memories forever.
17. Write your lists in a journal
Instead of having multiple lists on your notes app, taking up your phone’s memory, have a physical journal to write them in instead. Whether it’s a to-do list or a grocery list, writing them down helps retain your memory and avoid distraction.
18. Keep a physical planner
As convenient as Google Calendar is, keeping a physical planner to plan out your days, weeks, and months helps maintain focus. Planning your time with your calendar app is a gateway to getting distracted by other apps, and the next thing you know, you’re doomscrolling!
Instead, write things down in a planner. It’s better for retaining memory, which is especially helpful when you have important events planned for the future.
19. Physical alarm clock
Swap your phone alarm for a physical alarm clock. Research shows that 80% of people check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up, but if you have a physical alarm clock to wake you up, you won’t have a reason to reach for your phone first thing in the morning. Instead, you’ll be reaching for your alarm clock to switch it off.
20. Unplugged walks
Truly connect with the world around you by going on a walk in the early morning or evening: no phone, no music, just you and nature. There’s something so peaceful about having a nature stroll, hearing the wind blow, and birds singing. It’s a beautiful way to spend your time.
