A bean that helped me stop doomscrolling
By: Laura
I am a person who gets easily distracted. It is not difficult for me to lose focus, especially when the task requires maximum concentration. Somehow, my brain always finds a way to get sidetracked. In this digital age, I also find that it is incredibly easy to get addicted to social media. Doomscrolling and getting wrapped up in the endless corners of Instagram or TikTok are very common causes of distraction for me.
I tend to look at my phone constantly, and I have this need to check every single notification that comes in because I am scared that I might miss something. Getting my assignments done always took longer than it should have. A one-hour task could easily become a two- or three-hour task simply because I would constantly find myself picking up my phone and going on social media to scroll. For every ten minutes of work, I could easily spend another twenty to thirty minutes doomscrolling. This cycle continued until one day, a classmate of mine mentioned an app called Focus Friend.
This is how my Focus Friend App homepage looks like!
Ironically, she found out about the app on TikTok. Focus Friend was created by Hank Green, a YouTuber, science communicator, novelist, stand-up comedian, and entrepreneur. He is also famously known as the brother of bestselling author John Green. The concept of the app is very simple. When you open it, you are greeted by a little bean. You can give your bean whatever name you want. Mine is named Bean. Very creative, I know.
From there, all you have to do is set a timer for how long you want to focus. There is also a Deep Focus mode, which blocks access to your other apps until the timer runs out. I almost always use this mode because, as I mentioned before, I get distracted very easily. Having my social media apps temporarily blocked takes away the temptation to check my phone every few minutes and helps me resist the urge to start doomscrolling.
When your bean starts focusing, it starts knitting socks. The longer you focus, the more socks it knits. You can then use those socks as a form of in-app currency to buy furniture and decorate your bean's bedroom. And do not worry, once you finish decorating its room, more rooms will eventually unlock.
It is such a cute and simple incentive that encourages me to focus. I genuinely love seeing my bean knit socks and finally having enough to buy the furniture I want to decorate its room exactly how I like it. It sounds like such a small thing, but having something fun to look forward to makes focusing feel much less like a chore. Instead of thinking, "I have to sit here and study for an hour," I can think, "I wonder how many socks Bean is going to make this time."
That little change in mindset has made a bigger difference than I expected. Focus Friend does not magically make studying fun, and it definitely does not make difficult assignments disappear, but it gives me a reason to put my phone down and actually get started. Sometimes, getting started is the hardest part. Once the timer begins, I find that it becomes much easier to stay in the zone because I know I have a set amount of time to focus.
This is how the timer looks.
As someone who hates downloading new apps, I completely understand why getting another app on your phone might sound annoying. However, if you feel like you need a little extra help concentrating, this is an app I would recommend trying. With exam season approaching and the semester getting busier and busier, finding ways to improve your study habits can make a huge difference. Even if you only use Focus Friend for a few study sessions each week, it can help you become more intentional about how you spend your time.
For me, the biggest benefit is not even the socks or the cute little bean. It is the fact that the app has helped me become more aware of how often I get distracted. Before using it, I did not always realize how much time I was losing to my phone. Now, when I start a focus session, I know that I am giving myself a specific period of time to work without constantly checking notifications or opening social media. That has made studying feel more manageable and has helped me get assignments done without spending my entire day on them.
So, if you are anything like me and find yourself reaching for your phone every five minutes, give Focus Friend a try. You might be surprised by how much easier it is to focus when you have a tiny bean cheering you on from the screen. And if nothing else, at least you will have a very cute room to decorate.
Thank you so much for reading this blog! I hope you found it useful and that Focus Friend can help you with your focus and study habits as much as it has helped me. We all have those days where concentrating feels impossible, especially when there are so many distractions around us. Sometimes, having a small tool or routine to help us get started is all we need.
Remember to give yourself breaks, too. Productivity is important, but so is taking time to rest and recharge. You do not have to spend every second studying or working to be productive. Sometimes, stepping away from your screen, hanging out with friends, or doing something completely unrelated to school is exactly what you need.
If you want to unwind and disconnect for a while, I also recommend checking out the SSU Game Night event happening at the Davis campus on November 11th, as well as the other events that the SSU has to offer. Whether you are looking for a study break, a chance to meet new people, or simply something fun to do after a busy week, campus events can be a great way to take a break from school and enjoy some time with the people around you.
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Check out some of our other blogs! Hopefully, you will find them just as useful, interesting, and relatable as this one. Whether you are looking for study tips, ways to make the most of your time at university, or simply something fun to read during a study break, there is always something new to discover.
Struggling to stay focused while studying? In this blog, I share how Focus Friend, a cute productivity app created by Hank Green, helped me stop doomscrolling, spend less time on my phone, and make studying feel a little more manageable. From a tiny bean that knits socks to a Deep Focus mode that blocks distracting apps, this simple tool has completely changed the way I approach getting work done.