Recreating Digital Leisure in Analog Forms for Intentional Time Management

Key Quotes

"Many of us spend more time on our devices than we'd like. But if you think about what exactly you are finding appealing, you may be able to recreate that in an analog form. That is less likely to completely suck you in."

Laura suggests that identifying the core appeal of a digital activity can lead to finding an analog alternative. This analog version is proposed as a way to engage with the enjoyable aspects of a hobby without the excessive time commitment often associated with digital platforms.

"I like floral arrangements. I like beautiful garden pictures and landscape pictures and pictures of beautiful places you could travel to. I like interior design pictures too. Those are among my favorites."

Laura explains her personal enjoyment of visual content, specifically mentioning floral arrangements, gardens, landscapes, travel destinations, and interior design. This personal preference serves as an example of the kind of appeal that can be sought in analog forms.

"But it turns out that there are other ways to see gorgeous photos that don't necessarily require being online. For instance, I now subscribe to a lot of magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, Coastal Living, HGTV Magazine, and so forth."

Laura points out that magazines offer a readily available analog source for visual content. She lists several specific magazine titles as examples of publications that provide the kind of appealing imagery she enjoys, demonstrating a practical alternative to digital photo browsing.

"My community's biggest library has a ton of books with photos of gorgeous travel destinations or landscapes or gardens or homes or what have you. I have set up a regular library visiting schedule. And each time, I grab a few coffee table books to peruse."

Laura highlights the public library as a resource for accessing visually rich coffee table books. She describes her proactive approach of scheduling library visits to borrow these books, illustrating a method for enjoying high-quality photography without the expense or space requirements of personal ownership.

"When I pick up my phone to look at headlines, I remind myself that the printed paper is there too. And if I want to read the news, I can. And I don't have to wait into the comment thread afterwards, since there is no comment thread in the paper version."

Laura describes her strategy for managing news consumption by choosing print newspapers over digital headlines. She notes the benefit of avoiding online comment sections, suggesting that the print format offers a more focused and less distracting news experience.

"By figuring out an analog version of your digital hobby, you might be able to spend less time online and avoid some of the downsides. Like seeing that commenter's weird conspiracy theory or being exposed to some influencer's pictures combined with self-righteous commentary that is all just designed to make you feel terrible."

Laura argues that finding analog alternatives to digital hobbies can reduce online time and mitigate negative experiences. She specifically mentions avoiding problematic online content such as conspiracy theories and judgmental commentary from influencers.