The anti-rot challenge is back (tiny joy edition)
Five days of small joyful missions, real life over endless scrolling, and doing the challenge together in the subscriber chat
Hello friends,
I have news!
As you can see from the title, I am hosting another anti-rot challenge. And just like the last one, we’ll be doing this together and talking about how everyone’s challenge is going in the chat.
The last challenge I hosted was the 21-day anti-rot challenge. We all followed four anti-rot rules and 21 daily tasks, and explored different projects and skills: a personal project, a childhood hobby, and a new life skill.
I loved it when you wrote back and shared your experiences because, in the end, it is more fun to do challenges with friends (pen pals in this case.)
It was a wonderful experience, the group chat got quiet towards the end, which told me what I already suspected: 21 days was a lot for most people. So I decided to create a different version of this challenge.
This one is shorter and softer. Five days. That’s it. So, if you’ve been feeling like you’ve been rotting a little more than you mean to, or simply want to add more joy and fun little side quests into your life, this one is for you. You’ll love this one.
What even is “rot”?
I use this word a lot, so let me explain what I mean — because I don’t mean it harshly.
“Brain rot” is that feeling at the end of a day where you’ve been on your phone for hours and somehow feel more tired, more bored, and more disconnected than when you started. It’s the endless scroll that wasn’t really fun, the videos you watched without choosing to, the time that quietly disappeared.
It’s not about being lazy. It’s about cheap dopamine slowly replacing the things that actually make us feel alive. I am talking about creativity, curiosity, and real connection.
This anti-rot challenge is simply a game to help you find your way back to those things.
Why 5 days?
Because 21 days can feel like a lot when you’re just starting. We ran a poll and most of you voted for a shorter challenge, so I created this one. Short, fun, and entirely doable.
Now, let’s talk rules.
We have 3 rules this time
This version has three rules, and they’re softer on purpose, so that it’s easier to follow through.
Notice before you scroll. You don't have to stop yourself every time. Just pause for one second and ask: do I actually want this right now? That's genuinely it. We are after awareness. And most of the time, when you leave auto-pilot, scrolling doesn't even feel that fun anymore.
Do the daily mission. I'll share each mission the evening before so that wherever you are in the world, you wake up to it waiting for you. Nothing overwhelming, just one small, joyful thing for you to do that day.
Log your journey. A sentence in your notes app, a photo, a snap. Or share it here in the chat.
I would really appreciate it if you shared your journey with the rest of the chat, but of course, it is not mandatory. This isn't about building a journaling habit. It's about leaving a personal log so you can look back and see your anti-rot journey.
What will the daily missions be?
We can’t have an anti-rot challenge and not have daily missions. But no big projects this time. This challenge’s missions are more like fun side quests.
Here’s a sneak peek. I’ll explain each one in the chat the evening before, so no need to prepare anything in advance.
Day 1: The 20-Minute Project
Day 2: The Analog Hour
Day 3: The Childhood Hobby Day
Day 4: The Reach Out
Day 5: Something Just for Fun
A note on “breaking” the rules
You will probably scroll more than you mean to on some days. That’s fine. This challenge isn’t a test of your willpower, it’s an experiment in noticing what feels good when you actually choose it. Even doing three of these five daily missions is still progress. The goal isn’t a perfect challenge. The goal is simply to add fun things to your life so that you’ll choose doing your daily missions instead of scrolling or bed rotting.
Want to do it together?
If you’re joining the challenge, come say hi in the subscriber chat. I’ll be sharing daily check-ins and my own honest experience as we go. But challenges are always more fun with friends and in this case, pen pals.
A little note: This challenge will take place in the subscriber chat, which is a cozy little space just for paid members. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading, this is a lovely time to do it
The challenge starts on May 18th but I'll be sharing the first mission in the chat on the evening of the 17th, so you wake up ready to go.
I really hope you join us for this one. There is something so special about doing these little challenges together sharing the small wins, the honest updates, and just showing up for ourselves. I’ll be there every day, and I’d love for you to be there too. See you on the 17th.
The YouTuber Struthless has a screen time zine printable that has been really useful in developing awareness of my mindless phone reaching and usage. Highly recommend using it for the challenge if it speaks to you :)