The Mirror

Every day has become a battleground for our attention. From the moment we wake up, something is waiting to take a little piece of it, and when we get locked into the endless scroll, in the real world, we just might be inching further and further away from the best version of ourselves.

Less patience. Quicker to anger. More anxious. More distracted.

Sound familiar?

Well, there's some interesting evidence behind it.

A recent study published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association (JAMA) surveyed more than 42,000 adults across the United States and found that frequent social media use was associated with greater irritability, even after researchers accounted for symptoms of depression and anxiety.

And here's a wild little detail: 1 in 4 people surveyed said they use social media "most of the day."

Most. Of. The. Day.

Now, the study doesn't prove that scrolling is making us irritable. Maybe irritable people scroll more? Maybe it's some combination of both? Maybe human beings are complicated?

But it's certainly a mirror worth looking into.

Because the strange thing is that when life gets heavy, the thing we reach for to give us a little reprieve might actually be adding to the weight of it all.

Analog Sunday is our line in the sand against this very thing.

We get it, life is not easy. It's incredibly tempting to let our screens take over, especially when we're tired, overwhelmed, stressed, or simply looking for a moment to escape.

But one day a week, at the very least, you get to say N-O.

You look up, and out, and in. You notice, you enjoy, you create, you connect, you eat, you listen, you read, you rest.

"Analog" is having a cultural moment right now, and that's awesome. But eventually the epic wave will pass, another trend will take its place, and the internet will move on.

Analog Sunday, however, will remain. Because this was never really about analog.

Humans need a break, we need to rest. We need uninterrupted time with the people we love, and we need moments where absolutely nothing is competing for our attention. Being intentional and building that rest into the rhythm of our weekly lives just might be more important than ever.

So, if you find yourself short on patience, quick to anger, a little more anxious, or simply not quite yourself lately, maybe, just maybe, put your phone down for a while and see what happens.

We dare you.

Food For Thought

Who are you when nothing is competing for your attention?

You do not need a digital detox.

You just need a day (a week).

Get a life,

Analog Sunday

The Rhythm

Every Analog Sunday is built around five simple practices:

Eat something made with care.
Play without keeping score.
Make something with your hands.
Read something that expands your mind.
Rest without feeling guilty.