In the throes of postpartum motherhood, my phone screen hypnotizes me into a trance. My algorithm is this strange siren song that changes key just when I need it to.
A mother making cupcakes from scratch with her toddler.
Love that, but what’s the clean-up situation like?
Then: A local cleaning company ad targeting new parents—aka me.
Will people think I’m lazy if I hire a cleaner once a month?
Then: 5 reasons why you’re doing better than you think, mama.
Ah, thank you for the validation, random internet person.
My 6-month-old places his hand on my face, breaking the spell. As he smiles his toothless grin, I realize I may be trading one precious moment with my son for videos of another mother having one precious moment with hers.
Please know, I refuse to add another item to the long list of things society makes mothers feel guilty about. I know I can give my son a childhood where I’m fully present and also indulge in the occasional evening scroll. It’s not one or the other.
This blog explores how to straddle the line between analog living and digital acceptance. I’ll share practical tips for building genuine connections and nurturing offline hobbies, while embracing online tools that support living authentically.
What does analog living really mean?
Analog living means returning to tactile, offline experiences, usually as a digital detox. Think paper planning over using a calendar app. Vinyl over Spotify. The list goes on. It includes hobbies like crochet, ceramics, and puzzles—basically what everyone did in their free time circa pre-2005.
While I commiserate with the current trend of ditching all my streaming services for VHS tapes and DVDs, I know I’d miss out on the latest House of the Dragon references (which would kind of suck). Jokes aside, being online is modern cultural capital. In today’s world, going completely off-grid could mean cutting off connections, resources, and even careers.
The point of this article isn’t to shame you into ditching every screen or app you have. It’s learning to savor slowness where it matters most, and embracing efficiency only insofar as it enhances—and doesn’t take over—your life. That means prioritizing quality time over quality content, as much as makes sense for you. Think of it as digital decluttering, not a complete digital detox.
Tips for Easing Into Analog Living
Obligatory “everyone is on their own path” disclaimer. You are on your own journey, so only take the tips that fit your current chapter. Here are the analog living habits that have made the most difference in my life thus far.
Get a Watch or Alarm Clock
Checking my phone for the time is usually my gateway to checking notifications, making an unnecessary online purchase, or some other mindless digital activity. I recently splurged on a beautiful wristwatch as a postpartum treat. It tells me the time, cuts my screen time in half, and makes me feel a little more put-together even when I smell like old milk. The mom-math tells me it was a worthwhile purchase.
Use a Reading Journal
Getting off Goodreads has been the best thing to ever happen to my reading habit. Because it is, at its heart, a social media platform, I was often influenced by online reviews to skip books I may have loved or stay silent about popular books I wasn’t crazy about. Keeping a Reading Journal allowed me to keep my favorite qualities of a reading tracker, without the outside noise of everyone else’s thoughts.
Send Birthday Cards in the Mail
For the past three years, I’ve been sending my friends and family birthday cards in the mail. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me how exciting it was to receive, especially since our mailboxes are usually flooded with credit card application invitations or local grocery catalogs. To make it even more festive, I seal it with celebratory stickers and washi tape.
Go to the Movie Theater
Yes, the movies are on screens, but I don’t count this as “bad” screen time. Why? Because it’s actually community time, where you happen to have a screen in front of you. Who can forget the experience of watching Avengers: Endgame on opening night? The brain-freeze after your first sip of a Blue Raspberry Icee? As a film lover, going to the movies does something to my soul that streaming wishes it could. (Heartbreak feels good in a place like this. IYKYK.)
Use a Movie Tracker
To Letterboxd or not to Letterboxd? My movie buff friends have tried and failed to get me to join yet another social media platform dedicated to my hobbies. But the Christmas with the Kranks slander was confirmation enough: these were not my people. I must choose joy. That’s why I stick to my handy dandy Movie Tracker, which I recently extended into a movie log. It’s okay—I will still have my Letterboxd Top 4 ready if I’m ever interviewed about them!
Delete One App or Online Tracker
I track books and movies because I love them. But if parenthood has taught me anything, sometimes tracking can do more harm than good. In the first month or so of having my son, I tried using this parenting app to track feeds, naps, and diaper changes—and I was even more stressed with the app than without! Just because there’s a tool for everything, doesn’t mean you have to have a tool for everything.
Capture Thoughts in Real Time
Something I’ve noticed after being chronically online is my tendency to forget things. I’ll remember a task I need to accomplish, and then moments later, completely lose my train of thought. That’s where a mindfulness journal comes in. Taking a quick pause to check-in with myself and reset brings me back to the present moment so I’m able to sort my thoughts more clearly and move through my day with more intention. I hardly ever need an excuse for a new journal, but this one takes a minute or less to fill out, making it easy for even the busiest among us to use.
Host Phone-Free Dinners
My husband and I recently incorporated this rule at mealtimes. We grew up in families who laughed and shared stories during dinner together, and with our newest addition, we wanted to do the same. That said, gathering at the table won’t mean much if we’re more interested in what’s happening on our phones than connecting with one another. If you’re feeling a little fun, make it even more interesting with conversation cards. (You can go super deep or keep it light.)
Tips for Intentional Digital Living
The early 2000s are sometimes regarded as the golden age of technology. The internet was only accessible at home or in the office, in one room of the house. My idea of intentional digital living is to give my phone a designated time and place to show up. It’s not a distraction; it’s a tool. Here are a few extra ideas for reframing screen time that have been working for me.
Use a Computer
The joke that millennials have to use a laptop to make a big purchase? Honestly, I think we’re on to something. For anything that can wait 24 hours, like an email or a purchase, use a computer.
Make a Note
When my scrolling habit morphed into a shopping habit, I started writing down potential purchases in my Notes app. If I still want it a week later (spoiler: I usually don’t), I give myself permission to buy it. Once I buy it and have it for a while, I put an emoji next to it to show how I felt about the purchase and whether it was worth it.
Alleviate Mental Load with Apps
While the parenting app I tried didn't work for me, other apps have actually enhanced my life.
- Google Calendar: I will always be a planner girlie at heart. But for everything there is a season, and I’m now in one where a shared online calendar just makes more sense. If you’re in a similar chapter of chaos, know your planner will welcome you back down the line, if that’s what you wish.
- Tody: They say moms are the heart of the home, but they’re also often the project managers. Tody divides housework in a way that suits my family’s schedules, and reminds us about tasks that often slip through the cracks, like replacing the air filter or getting our furnace checked.
- Finch: A little bird that affirms you and reminds you to take care of yourself? What’s not to love? My husband and I both use this app to keep up with our self-care routines, and even use the (minimal) social features to encourage one another and gift our birds fun outfits. I mentioned this in a previous blog on building routines, but the point still stands!
Record Videos Horizontally
I recently watched an Instagram reel where the creator said to look at vertical videos as content and horizontal videos as home videos. I look back at the videos of my son rolling over, laughing, playing, and wish I could go back and film them horizontally. Why? Because when he’s older and I want to show him his earliest moments, I want to mirror them on our TV screen in full view. I’m not making content; I’m making memories.
Analog Living Savors the Slow-Down
Embracing the analog lifestyle doesn’t mean abandoning all things digital. This return to slower comforts can often be a return to our very selves, even in small ways. Playing an instrument you loved as a child. Putting yourself out there at a local sports league. Giving your loved ones your undivided attention.
That's what Passion Planner is all about. Putting the plans that matter most, first.
Explore more tools for intentional and analog living at our shop.
AUTHOR BIO
Paula Palomar is a freelance marketing copywriter, but a mom and a wife first. In her spare time, you’ll find her reading, watching horror movies with her eyes half-open, or learning how to roller skate.
