
13/01/2024
5 WAYS TO EMBRACE AN ANALOG LIFESTYLE IN DIGITAL WORLD
(By An UnBusy Community Member)
1) Play records. Read Books. Attend plays or live concerts.
Being intentional about selection, having to mindfully prepare for the experience, and the fact that you can’t just easily fast forward to get to the parts you want -- all of these details force the sort of attention that is often hard to come by in a scroll and click existence. I don’t know about you, but I want more attention/intention and less scroll/click. More theater/literature, less “next episode” on Netflix.
2) Cook from Scratch.
Food is a pretty significant part of a human life, so this must be stated. As easy as convenience food is, it makes a difference to prioritize setting aside the time required for selecting, cooking, and mindfully enjoying what you eat. Eating at home also requires less interaction with crowds and strangers, which is a bonus for those who value their alone time. You can still order takeout sometimes, and there are plenty of meals you can prepare with very simple ingredients. Less eat and run, more savor and enjoy.
3) Wander
Even though there are SO MANY THINGS to do, there is much value in allowing the list to fall to the wayside and drift now and then – even if it’s just for five minutes in your mind while seated in your office chair with your eyes closed. A whole day of wandering alone in the woods is a fantastic way to reconnect with the slower pace that is lost in a digitized world, but just five minutes of mental meandering can have a positive impact. More wander, less frenzied list completion.
4) Create
It’s easy to just head online to buy a new picture to hang on the wall or some socks to replace the ones with the hole or a birthday card for your mom. It takes more time and effort to paint a picture or knit some new socks or craft a card. But what if you, at least sometimes, took the time and energy required to make what you want yourself? Dusting off your creativity has the power to create all sorts of ripples if you can push past the fear of getting it wrong toward just starting. Less get it now/perfectionism more one step at a time/imperfections add character. Also, your mom would love it.
5) Learn or relearn how to navigate
Rely less on the little voice in the phone to tell you where to turn next and really pay attention to where you are in the world. Paper maps are sometimes missing new roads and need to be updated. But relying on your brain and sense of direction (and perhaps even the kindness of a fellow human) seems like a good thing. Asking a real person for directions sounds terrifying to most people, even the extroverts, these days - but there is value in human interaction, no matter your personality type. You might be surprised how empowering it is to reclaim ownership of your directions. Less disembodied voice/GPS, more compass/community.
Take time to slow down and and embrace the simple things in life.
Parker Neurofeedback/CŌR Neuro
720 588 0808