Is the analog revolution here?
Is going analog the new hipster obsession? That’s my prediction for 2025. You’ve heard of digital detoxing, dopamine fasting, and other go-screenless battle cries that ironically begin and see their heyday mostly on people’s screens. But one thing I can really get behind is going analog.
Like many people, I stare at my screen all day long for work (and too often, for pleasure, too), so I’m making it a point this year to rid myself of as many unnecessary machines as possible and live life more in the slow lane.
And I don’t just mean intelligent machines like your smartphone or whatever creepy smart device has recently memorized the layout of your living room—I’m talking basically anything that uses power.
Arbitrary as it may be, this is my new goal: to ditch the digital for the old-school and the manual (and, just maybe, cling to my sanity in our overflowing world of kaleidoscopic distractions).
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1. Brew coffee without a machine
The minimalist fighting for its life in your maximalist routine will thank you.
Instead of beginning each morning by puncturing yet another Keurig cup or Nespresso pod, robotically pressing a button, and allowing the ungodly garbling sound of mechanized coffee-brewing to disturb your morning tranquility, how about a less audibly abrasive option?
These days, my preference is a moka or a classic pour-over, but I used to use an Aeropress. If you want to get really retro and funky, you can even use a Chemex like my parents do. (She’s not a regular mom; she’s a cool mom.)
There are a lot of reasons to go analog and brew your coffee without a machine:
- It takes up less room. Instead of an enormous, ugly, plastic appliance spoiling your otherwise very Pinterest-y kitchen counter situation, you could show off an elegant stainless steel moka (this is the one I have), a glass Chemex, or a porcelain coffee filter for dreamy pour-over coffees.
- It’s sexier. See above.
- It’s quieter. I know espresso and Keurig technology have come a long way in the last years, but still. I want sunrise salutation music in the morning or birdsong—not my Keurig straining to do its very best.
- It’s cheaper. Not only are analog coffee brewing methods a fraction of the price of their more mechanized counterparts, but they also don’t come with ongoing costs, i.e., no expensive pods to repurchase (and throw away) over and over again.
- It’s more sustainable. Again with the pods. Not only is buying coffee pods an unnecessary expense, but it’s also unnecessary trash. Sure, some places let you bring them in to recycle them (but how often do you actually do that?).
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2. Wake up to an alarm clock instead of your phone
This was my MO back in the day until the wreckage of a house fire turned my beloved alarm clock into a water-clogged mess. Honestly, that was over a decade ago, and I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t bought a new one since. Instead, I’ve become even more reliant on my phone—and my mental health is paying the price.
If I wake up in the middle of the night and want to check the time, not only do I have to hold a blaring blue light in front of my squinty, naked mole rat eyes, but I’m immediately assaulted by whatever emails or messages have accumulated while I sleep. Considering I live in Paris and many of my friends, family, and colleagues are six hours behind me in the USA, the damage is usually severe. Plus, that means I’m bombarded by notifications the very second I wake up to my alarm in the morning, which is a fabulous way to spike my blood pressure and cortisol levels before I even step out of bed.
My husband and I agree: A big new year’s resolution is to get an alarm clock ASAP. I’m thinking about getting a fancy one so I can wake up to birds chirping and fall asleep to rainfall—or I might just get your very ’90s clock radio so I can wake up to “classic jams” and a radio announcer à la Groundhog Day.
Another perk of switching to an alarm clock? There’s no need to keep my phone on my bedside table, so I can banish it to another room at bedtime and prevent doom-scrolling from taking hold of me.
3. Read on paper—books, magazines, and newspapers
I’ve been getting back into analog reading lately. When I moved to France three years ago, I started spending a lot more time reading on the screen because I no longer had access to my English-language library. While I do like reading in French, there’s still so much that I want to read in English.
Over the last few months, I’ve made a pointed effort to read more on paper—and it’s been bringing some serious calmness to my life.
Like many people, I stare at my screen all day, every day for work. Unfortunately, many of my favorite leisure activities (reading and writing) are also very screen-heavy. To be a little gentler on my eyes (and my mind), I’m switching to paper:
- I’m buying more books. Besides romantically strolling through local bookstores, I’m a huge fan of Better World Books. They ship internationally for free and sell both used and new copies.
- I’m going to the library. Honestly, a big part of the reason I’ve re-fallen in love with libraries is that they’re one of the few places you can go in public for some peace and quiet. And they’re free.
- I’m visiting newsstands. In my mind, I’m wearing a trench coat and a magnificent pair of leather gloves while doing it. Most importantly, I like to buy newspapers or magazines that I choose instead of just scrolling through whatever articles the algorithm has decided to force-feed me today.
In the past, I used to buy books only very rarely. I thought it was a waste of money when I could just get what I needed at the library, but now I’m singing a different tune. What used to seem like a waste of money to me now feels like a way to hold onto my sanity in our digitally suffocating world.
Plus, reading on paper has really helped me sleep better. I love reading before bed, but reading on an iPad or Kindle doesn’t send me into Zen mode the same way turning a page does. I even bought myself a clip-on book light for Christmas. I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid and let me tell you: It is thrilling.
I know you probably already have books at home…
But out of the 17 books I read in 2024, these are my 5 favorite reads to recommend.
And if you want to become a classics snob, I support you. These 18 classic novels are the most approachable (and fun) to read.
4. Run errands without listening to anything
The next time you take your stupid little mental health walk or commute or run errands, try to do it without stimulation. That means no listening to podcasts, no audiobooks, not even music.
If you’re not feeling enthused, take a moment to reflect: When was the last time you exercised or went grocery shopping or even just walked down the street without listening to something?
It’s an overstatement to say we’re constantly stimulated, but our content saturation goes beyond the typical doom-scrolling and notifications. Try to go to a public place (besides a library) where they’re not playing music at an unreasonable decibel. (I’ve yet to find one.) Or try to find someone sitting on the bus or walking down the street who’s not also talking on the phone or listening to music or scrolling.
The stimulation is everywhere—and it’s destroying us in new and exciting ways, like causing sleep problems, contributing to depression and anxiety, impairing learning and memory abilities, and even increasing risks of brain disease. [Source: National Library of Medicine and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine].
I’m definitely guilty of overstimulating myself. Even when I’m just walking down the street, I’m usually also answering text messages, reading emails, or making yet another list I will probably soon forget about.
So I’m trying to get better at catching myself: If I walk down the street and reach to pull my phone out of my bag, I force myself to put it away and go for an old-fashioned analog walk the way nature intended: without digital stimulation.
Afraid of living in the silence?
It’s normal. But it doesn’t have to be forever.
Sign up for A Merry Loner’s 7-Day Do Things Alone Challenge to learn how to get more comfortable spending time alone with just you.
5. Use candlelight (no, really)
Yes, I know this sounds insane, but hear me out.
I’m not saying you have to go all Laura Ingalls Wilder and give up electricity, but you’ll be surprised how good it can feel to live by candlelight, if only for a few minutes out of the day. You can:
- luxuriate in a bath with half a dozen scented candles surrounding you like a Grecian goddess
- create a reading nook where you only read by the flickering flame
- enjoy dinner for one next to the heat of a candelabrum
Forgoing the bright (dare I say fluorescent) lights for a soft, candlelit glow is not only easier on the eyes, but it’s a simple (and cheap) way to romanticize your life, whether you’re striking a match for date night or settling in for a loner date with yourself.
There are literally billions of scented candles out there to choose from, but you don’t have to go luxury if you don’t want to. You can find affordable, basic candles at your local grocery store or even 7-Eleven.
What’s your style? Tea lights? Jar candles? Long candlestick holders that let you play Wuthering Heights and wander around the house in an elegant lace nightgown with only a small flame to guide you? You do you (no one else needs to know).
Living your analog lifestyle
What do you think, friends? Is the analog revolution here? I like to think so—at least, that’s what I tell myself whenever I open the news or read something even remotely involving the words “meme,” “cryptocurrency,” or “AI.”
In a world of bros, billionaires, and brats, I’m simply yearning for a little bit of romantic analog relaxation.
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