With the continued backlash against AI and growing concern about our reliance on screens, an analogue life has never looked so appealing. I haven’t gone so far as to get myself an analogue bag just yet, but I have done a relatively complex puzzle and read five physical books this year, which is already two more than in 2025. But it also struck me recently that I have, somewhat conversely, been using digital tools to do a lot of analogue activities.
What if tech could help us live more in the present and reduce our screen time, while benefiting our physical and mental health in the long run? With that in mind, here are six ideas for leading a more analogue life – with a little help from tech. I’ve been a birdwatcher since I was nine, but have always struggled to identify calls and songs.
While I have a huge stash of bird books, I have never been able to grasp the whimsical descriptions of how they sound, such as “zuz”, “ch-ch-si-si-si” or “tu-reep”. Last year, however, I discovered the Merlin app, which has transformed my hobby into something rather beautiful. The app, which is free and was developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, lets you record what you hear and then suggests which birds are chirping nearby, using your location as a guide.
It turned out that I had been misidentifying wrens, blackcaps, willow warblers and dunnocks as robins for four decades. Now I know what they sound like, I have a better chance of spotting them, which is not always easy with the sometimes elusive blackcap. I like to spend five minutes in the morning and evening sitting still in the garden or by an open window, allowing the app to help me identify and enjoy birdsong.
Merlin has also spurred me to take my dogs on more interesting forest walks because the denser the trees, the more interesting the birdsong. Keeping an eye on my step count has undoubtedly helped me to be more active, but those who fancy more than my brisk woodland walks may benefit from more than the built-in health app that comes with many smartphones. It’s especially useful when I see a trail that looks fun, but don’t know where it leads or if it’s just an animal track,” says Flora Beverley, an ultramarathon runner and content creator.
She adds that heatmaps build confidence because you know roughly where you’ll end up: “It means I can get myself lost on a run and know I can still find my way back. Also, once you’ve used it for a bit, it becomes easy to see the hallmark of ‘fun’ trails – twisty, windy, on a hill, great views – just by looking at the map. Wherever I travel, I always know where the good trails are and can go off-roading.” Last winter I finally learned to knit, thanks to a kit from Wool and the Gang, which I used to make a natty little bonnet.
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