The Comeback of Analog Hobbies

How many hours a day does your screen time add up to? For a generation that grew up online, most of us are used to spending our free time on quick entertainment like social media. It is easier to scroll mindlessly than to turn to more fulfilling hobbies, since the habit of opening a social media app removes the obstacles of choice and motivation that other hobbies may have. Even when studying or working, many Zoomers in the United States tend to use a laptop or tablet. It can sometimes feel like every moment of our time is spent looking at a screen.

In response to this chronically online behavior, some people are turning towards analog hobbies. Many creators have been sharing their analog hobby bags or baskets on TikTok and Instagram. They are great tools to disconnect from the online world and connect with the present moment. There are so many options to choose from, and they each have a purpose of connecting you with your physical body, your creativity, the natural world, or improving your logic and critical thinking. When was the last time you got so immersed in an activity that you completely lost track of time? When you’re working with something physical rather than digital, your attention naturally slows down. There are no notifications to distract you or that clock on the corner of the screen making you hyperconscious of the passing of time.

Much of our time online revolves around consuming content rather than making it. Analog hobbies can help change that. Instead of watching someone else’s video or listening passively to a podcast, you’re actively creating something of your own. Even if the result isn’t perfect, the act of making something can feel incredibly satisfying! Many of these hobbies also offer a sense of permanence that can be rewarding. A finished sketchbook, a stack of handwritten poems, or finally achieving that hard yoga pose becomes a physical record of time spent doing something more meaningful than mindless scrolling.

If you want to step away from screens more often, here are a few ideas for analog hobbies you could try!

- Logic and Mindfulness

- Jigsaw puzzles

- LEGOs

- Puzzle books such as Crosswords or Murdle

- Reading

- Journaling

- Crochetting

- Knitting

- Sculpting air-dry clay

- Jewelry making

- Painting

- Drawing

- Coloring books

- Learning an instrument

- Creative writing

- Nature and Exercise

- Hiking

- Bird watching

- Gardening

- Stargazing

- Roller skating

- Yoga

- Dancing

Give one of these hobbies a shot for a few days and see how you feel! We bet you will feel more satisfied than if you were to spend the time mindlessly scrolling instead.