No New New
A radically sane way to reclaim your attention, focus, and presence.
No New New is not a call to throw away your phone, move to the woods, or reject technology.
It’s a proposal to use technology on your terms first—instead of letting every new notification, headline, or idea decide what your brain thinks about next.
We live inside an endless stream of new:
new messages, new requests, new ideas, new crises, new advice.
Much of it is useful. Some of it is important.
But taken together—and consumed all day, every day—it leaves us overstimulated, scattered, and strangely exhausted.
No New New is about creating intentional stretches of time where you opt out of that stream, so your mind can rest, reset, and focus on what you’ve already chosen to care about.
What “No New New” Means
At its core, No New New is a simple rule applied deliberately:
For a period of time, you take in no new information that asks something of you or provokes you into action.
That means—temporarily—no:
new emails
new texts or Slack messages
new headlines or articles
new podcasts
new social media
new ideas that pull you away from what you intended to do
Not forever.
Not all day.
Just long enough to let your brain stop reacting and start settling.
These periods create space to:
do deep, uninterrupted work
be fully present with people you care about
think clearly instead of reflexively
enjoy rest without guilt or stimulation
Think of it less as a productivity hack, and more as attention hygiene.
Why This Matters
Modern life quietly trains us to live on other people’s schedules.
Every notification creates “attention residue”—a mental tab left open.
Every inspiring article or post can hijack our priorities without us noticing.
Every interruption pulls us slightly away from the moment we’re actually in.
Over time, this doesn’t just affect how much we get done.
It affects how we feel, how we relate to others, and how present we are in our own lives.
No New New is an attempt to push back—not aggressively, not nostalgically, but intentionally.
What I’m Writing About Here
This page is the home for an ongoing series of essays exploring No New New from different angles, including:
what “newness” does to our brains
how attention residue and goal contagion actually work
practical ways to structure your day around focus and presence
how to be “a little less available” without burning bridges
what to do instead of doomscrolling
how this approach improves work, relationships, and rest
Each essay stands on its own, but together they form a single philosophy you can adapt to your own life.
Essays in the No New New Series
(I’ll keep this list updated as new pieces are published.)
Why Subscribe
If you subscribe, you’ll get:
new essays in this series as they’re published
thoughtful, non-guru writing grounded in real research
practical ideas you can try immediately—without overhauling your life
a calmer relationship with technology, work, and attention
This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about reclaiming the parts of your day that already belong to you.
If that sounds appealing, I’d love to have you along.
→ Subscribe to follow the No New New series