Smartphone distraction is a real deal for me. I can get caught in a loop of posting a picture to Instagram and/or Facebook, and then keep refreshing. Then I’ll go to Twitter. Next will be my email. Then I will go back to Instagram and fall down a cat video rabbit hole. And so on. I now use the Forest app to take a break from my phone and stay focused.
Has using Forest worked for me? Yes, definitely.
Forest: What Is It?
Forest is an app to prevent you from using your phone and to stay on task. You set a timer, and when it is up, you have a cute tree in your garden. However, if you look at your phone before the timer is up, your tree withers and dies. So, it’s a hybrid of a productivity tool and a Tamagatchi.
You earn coins for every tree you grow, and the longer the time the more coins you earn. You cash in the coins to unlock different trees to plant, for example trees shaped like a cat or octopus.
A whitelist feature allows you to visit certain apps so you don’t kill your tree. I whitelisted my texting app and Facebook Messenger so I can still respond to messages. That’s it. If I go to my browser or a social media app, my tree will die (you get a warning to return to Forest after a few seconds). You can spend coins to remove the dead tree from your garden (or watch an ad instead).
Why Did I Start Using Forest?
I’m easily distracted by my phone. After reading Jessica Abel’s Growing Gills, I’ve been more aware of how I’m spending my time. Those 10 or 20 minutes (or more) checking my phone multiple times a day really add up! I wanted to get those extra minutes and hours back, and put them to better use.
Prior to using Forest, I lost a big chunk of time every morning on my phone. Checking email, social media, and news right after I woke up. I don’t do that any longer, all thanks to Forest. I get up, and set a timer for an hour. My mornings are a lot more productive after starting this habit.
A recent look at my garden.
It is incredibly easy to take out my phone to look at something, and before I know it I’ve lost a good 20 minutes or more. Using Forest is helping me break that bad habit.
How Do I Use Forest?
There’s no real trick here: I set a timer and get to work.
“Work” could mean any number of things. I could continue painting cartoons for the East Lansing Art Festival, draw or write a new Foxes & Boxes comic, or just tidy up my office. The point is, Forest helps get me moving. I’ve written before of how I work really well with to do lists and timers. Forest is right in my wheelhouse for staying motivated. I usually set a timer for an hour, take a break, and then go again. Other times, I don’t have an hour, so I set it for whatever I can do: 10, 20, 30 minutes. It does help. Often, I just need the push to get started, and when I’m on a roll I get a lot done.
My issue is getting started or focused on a task in the first place. My smartphone is a constant source of distraction. One of the features of Forest I like the most is it tracks how long you’ve stayed focused for the day and the week. Would I have been focused for 300 minutes yesterday without using Forest? It’s possible, but I don’t know. Regardless, being able to see I how much time I spent being focused is nice. I know at least that was 300 minutes I didn’t spend looking at Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and that counts for something.
The Payoff
Making better use of my mornings thanks to Forest has had a huge impact in my productivity. I’m definitely at my best first thing in the morning, and using Forest helps me stay on track. After a week or so of using Forest in the morning, I realized my email and social media checking can absolutely wait until later in the morning (or even until early afternoon). I’ve shaken up my morning routine too: I’m riding my exercise bike for 45 minutes every other morning. Prior to the switch, I could almost never get around to exercising after work during the week. On non-exercise days, I focus on making art for an hour or so in the morning.
I get more accomplished in the evening too thanks to Forest. I’ll “plant a tree” for an hour, or even a half hour. Whatever I get done, I get done, and I don’t worry about anything more than that. If I can keep going, great, but I at least did something.
I’ve even taken to using Forest in social settings. Being an introvert, I’m prone to turn to my phone for distraction at social events. Well, I’ve started using Forest to force myself not to stare at my phone. Has this turned me into a social butterfly overnight? HA! Not exactly, but I’m at least trying.
If you have a difficult time ignoring your phone, I recommend you give Forest a try. Plant a tree today! Heck, plant a bunch. Fill your garden with all kinds of cute cartoony trees!
Bonus: now there’s a Forest add-on for Firefox.
