What's in My Analog Bag

A Bag of Tricks to Stop My Endless Doomscrolling

I spend a lot of time online.

It’s a huge part of my work — staying on top of emerging trends in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle depends on it. It’s also how I keep up with the news and stay connected with people.

Most of the time, I don’t mind it. But lately, the weight of it has started to get to me.

The news over the last few years has been horrific, and it only seems to be getting worse. For a while, I did a decent job opting out — keeping a little distance, curating what I let in. But recently my algorithm has crept back into being an endless stream of trauma. I know myself: if I consume too much of it, I won’t get out of bed. And that’s not an option.

I also want to acknowledge the privilege in saying that. Not everyone gets to step away. But for me, if I don’t create boundaries, the toll it takes on my mental health spills into everything else — my work, my family, my ability to function.

I’ve talked before about living with anxiety and depression. I’ve had it under control for a while, but it’s always there, like a shadow. Some days it’s faint, other days it feels like it could swallow me whole.

Recently I’ve noticed another layer creeping in: perimenopause. For me, it’s showing up as heightened anxiety and wildly intrusive thoughts. Fun. So I’m doing what I can to stay ahead of it.

What I know is that I need balance. I can’t log off completely — though I read somewhere that being “totally offline” is the new symbol of wealth, which made me laugh. My career is online. But I also can’t keep letting every quiet pocket of my day get swallowed by doomscrolling.

Over the summer, my husband kept telling me, You need a hobby that has nothing to do with your work, something you’re not monetizing. He’s right. The hard part is that I like being good at things immediately, and hobbies don’t work like that.

Still, I’ve been trying.