Burnout doesn’t always look like working too much or being so busy we don’t have space to breathe. For some of us, it creeps in because we’re not resting enough — or not resting properly. Lying on the sofa “resting” while scrolling on our phones, replying to emails late at night and half-watching TV isn’t really rest. It doesn’t give our minds a chance to switch off.
And that’s not our fault. Our devices make it almost impossible to fully switch off.
Between social media, emails, ChatGPT and endless notifications, our brains are rarely given a moment of quiet. That’s why, in 2026, more people are quietly moving in the opposite direction, turning towards slower, simpler, more analogue ways of living.
For many of us, rest has become shorthand for zoning out in front of a screen. Sometimes in front of a big screen and a small screen at the same time. And while that might feel relaxing in the moment, it doesn’t always give your brain what it actually needs.
Scrolling while the TV is on (second-screening) means your brain is stimulated by constant novelty, making micro-decisions and reacting to information. In other words, it’s still working.
True rest tends to be low-stimulation, predictable and single-tasked. It’s the kind of rest that lets your nervous system downshift. And that’s where analogue habits come in.
Going more analogue isn’t about rejecting technology entirely. It’s about creating small pockets of calm in a world that’s designed to keep you switched on.
So here are 10 simple ways to go more analogue in 2026.
We’ve been banging the offline drum for a few years now, but even Vogue, BBC and The Guardian are predicting 2026 to be the year of spending more time offline. So here’s 10 ways to go more analogue.
Chat GPT has never held a wooden spoon or cooked a chicken and leek pie. So instead of cooking from a recipe on your phone, follow a recipe from a real book (by a real person).
A physical recipe book slows the whole process down and doesn’t come with distraction. You choose a recipe, turn the page, and focus on what’s in front of you. Cooking becomes grounding rather than another task squeezed between pings.
We’re all for bringing back the house phone. But if you don’t have a landline, turn your phone into one when you’re in the house.
Instead of carrying your phone from room to room, try leaving it in one place. You could even add a cord to it or create a “phone-home” shelf.