I'm Adopting This Weekly Practice To Escape From Screens and Reconnect
18 May 2026 #wellness #selfgrowth #experimentsThe activities that truly energize me never involve a screen.
Even when done mindfully, after using social media I don’t get up thinking: “Wow! I needed that. It felt so refreshing.” After a few minutes of scrolling, I feel the urge to rush. My brain speeds up—in the worst way, not like when I’m in the zone.
A week away from social media taught me I’m another junkie. I thought I could control it, but nope! It requires a lot of drive to resist the buzzes and whistles of social media.
To keep digital noise away, I’m adopting Analog Sundays. One full day with as little time as possible in front of screens.
Why this day of the week
Sundays are already slow days.
We don’t have to go to work, so we wake up late. It’s usually a day for church or simply staying at home.
When I was a kid, Sundays were for staying in bed, reading the Sunday newspaper, and having a brunch—two meals a day isn’t a bad idea either.
So why not piggyback on the slowness of Sundays to make them analog.
Make Sundays a day for reconnection
Here are some of my rules for Analog Sundays:
#1. Phone: Turn off all notifications, disconnect your phone from your WiFi network, activate the grayscale mode, and leave it in a corner.
Only use it for online banking and calls.
And if you step outside, your phone stays at home. Take your cards and a simple watch. Smartwatches count as screens too.
#2. Internet access: Only access the internet from a desktop or laptop computer. Try to spend no more than one hour.
Imagine the early 2000s with library computers or internet cafes paid by the hour. Before turning a computer on, ask yourself what you’re going to do. No checking stats and analytics, sales dashboards, likes, follower count…
Use your one hour wisely.
My first Analog Sunday was boring (and that’s good)
Yesterday was my first Analog Sunday—but I’ve been giving my phone some time off on Sundays.
In my first Analog Sunday, I
- picked Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons to keep studying its writing devices
- did some breathing work after lunch to ease my digestion
- did the laundry
- took a nap
- kept up with my 10-idea lists
- bought groceries for the week—I left the phone at home, rule #1.
To honor my no-screens rule, I handwrote this post. It’s a whole different experience.
If it sounds boring, that’s the whole point. We’re so used to screens we can’t sit alone with our thoughts anymore.
And if you find yourself walking around looking for what to do, resist the urge to grab a screen. That’s what Analog Sundays are for. To be bored again.
If you don’t have something to do, simply do nothing.
When big corporations profit from our attention and data, time away from screens isn’t just to reconnect. It’s resistance too. Why not resist for just one day a week? Let’s reclaim on Sundays together.
If you’d like a companion for your next Analog Sunday, you might enjoy one of my books.