annotating books will end your doomscrolling 📜

Key wellness & self-care takeaways (and why they help)

• Annotating as “self-care”: The creator frames note-taking/annotating as a mindful activity that forces slowing down, helping you process thoughts and stay present instead of getting lost in dopamine-driven doomscrolling.

• Reset your brain before reading (especially when you’re tired/overstimulated):

  • A short nap or lying down in a dark room
  • Meditation (or guided meditation if stillness feels anxious)
  • A quick walk or mindful movement
  • Bouldering (as a way to clear the mind and burn off excess energy)

• Use guided meditation to reduce the urge to scroll

  • Mentioned Headspace for guided meditations, including guided options for transitions like after a stressful day.
  • Claim: 10 days of Headspace use can decrease stress and increase happiness.

Productivity / learning strategies from the video (note-taking & annotation methods)

Step 1: “Reset your brain” (before you pick up the book)

• If you’re tired, don’t default to phone scrolling; it overstimulates and deepens the dopamine loop.
• Do a brief “brain reset” first so you actually have the capacity to read and think.

Step 2: Internal principles of note-taking (what to write + what it’s for)

• Notes are not about accuracy—they’re about capturing how the content felt to you in the moment.
• You don’t need to sound smart or perform:
  • Write down your thoughts, reactions, questions, and impressions.
  • “Writing is thinking” (if you record what you’re thinking while reading, you’re doing it right).
• Notes should help you remember later—not impress anyone.

Step 2b: How to annotate without ruining the book

If writing in the book feels wrong, use alternatives:

• Color-coded sticky tabs to mark themes/moments
• Sticky notes inside the book
• Clear sticky notes (including for highlighting without ink)
• Reading journals or digital note-taking for borrowed/audio/fragile books

Step 2c: Avoid “performative annotating” pressure

• The creator argues aesthetics are beneficial if they make the practice more enjoyable.
• Annotating is compared to studying tools (highlighters, colored pens, etc.)—i.e., it’s normal to make learning visually engaging.

Step 3: Practical annotation workflows (in-book + out-of-book)

In the book (physical)

• Sticky tabs (color-coded):

  • Use different colors for different purposes (main character, funny moments, recurring themes, “things I don’t understand yet” to revisit later).
  • Create a legend at the start so you remember what each color means.

• Marginal notes:

  • Write anything meaningful to you (“OMG,” questions, short reactions are enough).
  • Only annotate books where you genuinely have a lot to think about.

• E-reader annotation:

  • Especially preferred for non-fiction.
  • Benefits: quick note capture + easy retrieval/search.
  • Tradeoff: often fewer color options and “less cool” than physical marks.

• Anything goes creativity-wise:

  • Underline, highlight, multi-color pens, washi tape, pictures—so long as it helps you process and slow down.

• Buddy read method:

  • Split annotation roles: one person annotates while the other reads normally.
  • Then switch by chapter / page range (e.g., every 50 pages).
  • Read each other’s annotations afterward to create an “inside-the-book conversation.”

Out of the book (journal/digital)

• The creator’s main preference: take notes after reading so you don’t break immersion.
• Recommended for audio books and borrowed books.

Digital note-taking systems taught/mentioned

Notion (creator’s main system—often for fiction)

• Structure/book hub includes:
  • Book status tracking (read/reading/wishlist/new releases)
  • Color by genre (fiction vs non-fiction)
  • Ratings
  • Format tracking (physical/eBook/audio/library/borrowed)
  • Click-through pages that store notes and thoughts
• Emphasis: notes can be low-effort (disjointed impressions are okay), but stored privately and retrievable later.

Obsidian (creator’s system—especially for non-fiction/essays)

• Uses tags + linking to build a personal knowledge network (“digital garden” / self-made Wikipedia).
• Two goals for non-fiction notes:
  • Remember + find sources easily (summaries, key points, page numbers)
  • Process and connect ideas to form your own thoughts
• Encourages linking:
  • One note summarizing the source
  • Another note for the idea it sparks
  • Links between related themes (e.g., essays connecting via camp/authenticity/performativity topics)

Core “why this works” takeaway (the motivational logic)

• You can’t annotate everything—that’s part of the lesson.
• If you feel overloaded, note-taking reveals you’re consuming information too fast and not processing it.
• The goal isn’t “having notes”; it’s annotating to slow down and return to yourself.

Presenters / sources

• Presenter/creator (unnamed in subtitles):
  • The speaker of the video (referenced as “Leoni” by someone else in the subtitles, and “Leo” by the speaker later).
• Sponsor mentioned: Headspace
• Referenced writers/sources:
  • Joan Didion (“keeping a notebook” / essay on notebooks)
  • Susan Sontag (“Notes on Camp” essay)
  • Rain Fisherwan (referenced via “poser ethics”)
  • Anna Howard (creator referenced for a digital gardening / Obsidian setup video)