13 Creative Ways to Fill an Analog Bag if You Want to Stop Staring at Your Phone

As a digital writer and content creator, I often find myself doomscrolling and spending hours on my phone daily. Recently, I’ve been experiencing serious screen fatigue, which has encouraged me to find alternative ways to entertain myself offline — and I know I’m not alone. According to a 2025 survey from Reviews.org, Americans check their phones an average of 186 times a day. As a pushback to this, the “analog bag” trend has emerged, appearing everywhere on social media platforms.

On TikTok back in August 2025, Sierra Campbell introduced the concept of an analog bag, which she created after reading “The Power of Habit.” As its name implies, an analog bag, the new “it” bag, is simply a tote with your favorite tactile items, such as crosswords, knitting tools, books, and journals that will keep you busy while you wait at the DMV or need to decompress after a hectic day at work. 

The goal is to provide enough entertainment that you don’t feel the urge to pick up your phone and end up doomscrolling. Campbell takes her analog bag with her all around her home, on trips, and even in the car as a way to stay off her phone and “implement the fanciful 10%.” 

Everyone’s analog bag should be unique. When curating yours, look for easy-to-carry, engaging activities as a starting point. Since I love reading, my analog bag always includes a magazine or a novel. I also love games, so a deck of cards is a must-have for me. If you don’t know where to begin, here is a handy list of 13 items to consider:

1. An engaging novel, like “People We Meet on Vacation,” which has been adapted into a movie
2. A deck of playing cards to play solitaire or other one-person games
3. A daily or self-care journal
4. A crochet kit
5. A mini watercolor painting set
6. A crossword or Sudoku book
7. A retro Walkman or iPod
8. Play-Doh or Silly Putty 
9. A Rubik’s Cube
10. A magazine or newspaper 
11. A beauty kit
12. A Polaroid camera or 35mm film camera
13. A snail mail kit 

Having an analog bag helps you unwind by offering a genuine break from screens. Engaging in a hobby provides a dopamine hit, which is far more rewarding than scrolling through reels. Furthermore, repetitive activities like knitting or coloring can be meditative, offering a rare opportunity to relax after a long day. Lastly, completing a crossword or a painting provides a sense of accomplishment that you’ll never get from your phone.

To curate your own fun analog bag, you could fill one of your compact and aesthetically pleasing totes with your favorite items, or you could purchase a dedicated, super affordable cross-body tote bag that is easy to carry during your daily errands.