Would I have been focused for 300 minutes yesterday without using Forest? It’s possible, but I don’t know. 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. My smartphone is a constant source of distraction. My issue is getting started or focused on a task in the first place. Often, I just need the push to get started, and when I’m on a roll I get a lot done. Other times, I don’t have an hour, so I set it for whatever I can do: 10, 20, 30 minutes. I usually set a timer for an hour, take a break, and then go again. Forest is right in my wheelhouse for staying motivated. I’ve written before of how I work really well with to do lists and timers. The point is, Forest helps get me moving. 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. There’s no real trick here: I set a timer and get to work. Using Forest is helping me break that bad habit. 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. My mornings are a lot more productive after starting this habit.

I don’t do that any longer, all thanks to Forest. Checking email, social media, and news right after I woke up. Prior to using Forest, I lost a big chunk of time every morning on my phone. 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. After reading Jessica Abel’s Growing Gills, I’ve been more aware of how I’m spending my time. You can spend coins to remove the dead tree from your garden (or watch an ad instead). 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). I whitelisted my texting app and Facebook Messenger so I can still respond to messages. You cash in the coins to unlock different trees to plant, for example trees shaped like a cat or octopus.Ī whitelist feature allows you to visit certain apps so you don’t kill your tree. You earn coins for every tree you grow, and the longer the time the more coins you earn. So, it’s a hybrid of a productivity tool and a Tamagatchi. However, if you look at your phone before the timer is up, your tree withers and dies. You set a timer, and when it is up, you have a cute tree in your garden. Forest: What Is It?įorest is an app to prevent you from using your phone and to stay on task. Has using Forest worked for me? Yes, definitely. I now use the Forest app to take a break from my phone and stay focused. Then I will go back to Instagram and fall down a cat video rabbit hole. I can get caught in a loop of posting a picture to Instagram and/or Facebook, and then keep refreshing. Smartphone distraction is a real deal for me.

Stayfocused review