Finding simplicity in your own version of Walden
To kick off 2026, this weekend, I sought out some of the simplicity described in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Indeed, I did not truly live up to the experience described by Thoreau — as I did not build the cabin myself, I was only there for a weekend (he was in his for about 2 years), and I still had access to my phone (although I limited checking the device to a few times over the weekend) — but it did offer a moment to pause and reflect as the new year begins.
As we embark on 2026, my advice to you is to find your own version of Thoreau’s Walden — I, for one, will be seeking these experiences more. I am not the first — nor the last — to seek out and recommend more time outside and less indoors using our technology. Anecdotally, I am seeing a growing trend of people in their twenties rejecting the technology they grew up on — in search of something more meaningful and deliberate.
Although Walden was written in the 19th century, Thoreau hit the nail on the head in capturing humanity's incessant desire to “improve” things that may not need improvement or that are not improved by our new methods (e.g., technology).
“They are but improved means to unimproved ends, which it was already too easy to arrive at. “(Thoreau, 1854, p.56)
If you would like to embark on your own version of Walden, I have suggested three progressive levels below to help you build a deliberate, straightforward life.
Short burst: Go for a walk or spend an evening/morning outdoors. Anything below the 8-hour marker would fall into this short-burst category. Our modern lives require many of us to be in a city and digitally connected at what can feel like all times. Although you may not be able to drop everything and move to a pond, you can line your day with many of these outdoor tech-free moments. Above all else, when you are doing a short burst, restrict the use of anything that can pull you away from the natural world. Meaning, leave your headphones at home and keep your phone in your pocket (or better yet, leave it at home as well).
Mini retreat: The weekend seems the most feasible iteration of the mini retreat. Spend the weekend or another 8 - 48 hours as tech-free as possible. This doesn’t mean inhabiting a cabin in the woods or even cutting out tech completely. It is about being deliberate in your selection of what you use. Instead of caving to your instinctive desires (which, for many, including me, is to reach for a digital pacifier), you carefully set aside this time beforehand to be as intentional as possible.
Full bore: Anything over 48 hours, but instinctually, the longer the better, in this Walden-esque state, would be a fantastic reset.
Fundamentally, I am seeking out opportunities to strip things down to the essential and then build up from there. Once you have concluded with one of these experiences, reincorporate your technology of choice in a deliberate manner (more on this in another post; but to not keep you in the lurch, ask yourself whether whatever technology you are considering is bringing in more value than it is taking away).
This idea is by no means novel; heck, I am referencing a book from the 1800s, yet I need to continuously remind myself of what can seem like a straightforward lesson. Most of the luxuries we use and abuse are not indispensable but hindrances to a deep life.
Wishing you a happy belated New Year,
Emanuel