The Analogue Basket: Spend Less Time on Your Phone
Written By Rebecca Tate
In a world where our phones fill nearly every quiet moment, it can be surprisingly difficult to truly… pause. Many of us reach for our screens automatically — while we make our coffee, while our kids play nearby, or while waiting for absolutely nothing. Creating an analogue basket is a small but meaningful way to interrupt that habit.
An analogue basket is simply a collection of intentional, screen-free activities kept within reach. It gives your hands something to do that doesn't involve scrolling, notifications, or digital distraction. For many people, especially those navigating busy seasons like motherhood (hi, it’s me!) it can be a gentle way to reclaim small pockets of attention and presence.
What Is An Analogue Basket?
An analogue basket is exactly what it sounds like: a small basket filled with simple, offline activities. Mine sits within arm’s reach of where I usually sit in my living room.
It’s not aesthetic. It’s not styled. It won’t end up on Pinterest.
It’s practical, quiet and intentional. Inside are a few things that invite a slower moment in your daily life. Together, they act as a counterweight to a life that easily slips onto a screen. Instead of reflexively picking up my phone, I have something physical to reach for.
Quick Summary: What’s in My Analogue Basket
If you're curious what an analogue basket might include, here’s what lives in mine:
Une Collection de Cabanes à Colorier (architectural colouring book)
Kindle for distraction-free reading (I have the most basic one)
The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change
A five-year One Line a Day journal for tracking the daily moments that usually slip by
None of these items are complicated. But together, they create a small ritual of stepping away from the screens.
Why I Created an Analogue Basket
I don’t hate technology. Our phones give us creativity, connection, information, and community. I run two online platforms, I build community on Instagram, and digital tools are part of my work and my life. But I started noticing something. I was reaching for my phone in every in-between space:
While making a coffee
While one child played independently
While nursing (yes, even then)
While waiting for absolutely nothing
It isn’t intentional, it’s a reflex. The analogue basket isn’t about rejecting the digital world, but it is about introducing a little friction. A pause that quietly asks: is this actually how I want to spend this moment? Sometimes the answer is yes. But often, it’s no.
Living in Motherhood and the Mundane
I say this phrase often: I’m living in motherhood and the mundane. There was a time I said it with restlessness, like I was waiting for the next chapter. Lately, I find I’m saying it differently. With acceptance, or more than that even, because the mundane is where motherhood actually happens.
Our phones promise escape from the sameness, and the analogue basket invites presence inside it. I’m learning there’s something quietly sacred about not numbing the ordinary with an infinite doom scroll.
What’s Inside My Analogue Basket (And Why)
The Colouring Book
Une Collection de Cabanes à Colorier isn’t nostalgic childhood colouring. It’s architectural and detailed, thoughtful lines, tiny windows and textures and it requires attention. Choosing colours, staying within lines and finishing one small section at a time. It gives my hands something to do without splitting my mind in ten directions.
The Kindle
Yes, the Kindle is technically still a device, but it does one thing — and only one thing. There are no notifications, no tabs, no quick pivots to email. When I open it, I’ve made a quiet agreement with myself: I’m here to read. I fell back in love with reading on a recent parents-only vacation that gave me the rare space to simply be. The Kindle now lives permanently in the basket as a reminder of that slower rhythm.
The Five Minute Journal
The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change anchors both my mornings and evenings, and is a tool I’ve been using for years since becoming familiar with mindfulness, meditation, and the power of a gratitude journal. What do I like about it? It’s simple.
You write down:
Three things you're grateful for
Three things that would make the day great
A few reflections at night
It doesn’t require depth or brilliance, just consistency — which, admittedly, is the hardest part (especially since becoming a mom). When days blur together (and in motherhood they often do), this journal gives my day a shape.
One Line A Day
This might be the most meaningful item in the basket. A five-year journal where you write just one sentence per day. I’m now in year four. Some entries are big: “She took her first steps.” Most are ordinary: “Cozy day at home on the couch.” But together, they form a quiet record of a life actually lived. Being in year four has made me deeply aware of finishing well, paying attention, and noticing what’s worth writing down.
The Quiet Power of Being Analogue
Being offline doesn’t necessarily make life more exciting. Often, it makes it quieter, but in that quiet, something surprising happens: things come back. Attention. Time. Presence. The analogue basket doesn’t demand productivity (which is good, because I demand this of myself enough). In the same vein, it doesn’t promise self-improvement. It simply gives my hands somewhere to go instead of my phone. And in this season of motherhood and the mundane, that feels like a gift.
How to Create Your Own Analogue Basket
If you want to try this idea yourself, it’s incredibly simple. You don’t need the exact items I have. Start with a small container — a basket, box, or tray — and fill it with things that invite a slower moment.
Ideas include:
A book you want to finish
A puzzle book or game
A journal
Knitting or embroidery
A sketch pad
A deck of cards
A colouring book
Cute paper with envelopes and stamps to send handwritten notes to friends
The goal isn’t productivity, it’s having something intentional to reach for instead of your phone.
TL;DR - Frequently Asked Questions
What is an analogue basket?
An analogue basket is a small collection of offline activities — such as books, journals, puzzles, or crafts — kept nearby so you have something intentional to do instead of reaching for your phone.
Why are people trying to spend less time on their phones?
Many people are becoming more aware of how often they reach for their phones automatically. Creating small offline habits, like an analogue basket, can help reduce mindless scrolling and encourage more present moments.
What should you put in an analogue basket?
Common items include books, journals, colouring books, knitting projects, puzzles, sketch pads, or anything that keeps your hands busy without a screen.
Does an analogue basket actually reduce screen time?
For many people, yes. The key is accessibility. If something offline is already within reach, it's easier to choose that activity instead of automatically opening your phone.
