Renewal
February 22, 2026
Hi, I’m Mapu, the writer behind the Substack publication Instead of Doomscrolling—a corner of the internet where you can join me on my journey of mindful media consumption. Over there, I share media roundups and curated media guides, but over here, I’ll be sharing the little things that bring comfort, purpose, and whimsy back into my life every single week. I hope you find some inspiration that sparks the curiosity to experience life beyond the algorithmic ways of the internet :)**
I don’t want to get into how my January went, but let’s just say that I decided that the Lunar New Year was the actual start of 2026 for me. I’ve been immersing myself deep into the dark and sticky parts of myself in an attempt to wash away this dense substance that has been weighing me down lately—to shed the skin of the wood snake and gear up for the ride as the fire horse. I’m not one to be overly ritualistic, but I have found that simply slowing down to look around gives you the chance to create moments, spaces, and feelings of renewal. So, today, I’m sharing a few things that have helped me along with that.
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I have a toxic relationship with journaling. I know it’s something that I need to do to keep myself grounded, but it’s often easier to let myself just float away. I have never been able to keep consistent habits, but I always find a way to do what I need to do—in this case, voice memos have been my saving grace. I do write in my journal often, but that’s when I’m feeling well enough to do so; when I’m not, I resort to recording voice memos. After a long, hard day, it’s so much easier to go on a long rant about whatever is on my mind than sit down to write with pen and paper. It feels like a very liberating conversation with yourself, it relieves a lot of the pressure that often comes with our inner perfectionists when we write by hand—and if anything, I always save the transcripts.