What is Reddit's opinion of
Forest?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
100 reviews of this app found across Reddit:
Forest - It gives you an incentive to stay away from your phone by planting a virtual tree sapling. It will grow over a period of time of your choosing (up to 2 hours) and during that time it can die if you look at any other app.
I have no will power at all when it comes to looking at my phone, especially in bed at night. It really affected my sleep badly. Now I just set it up to run for 2 hours and it's just enough of a barrier to stop me, and now I sleep a lot better. And it's satisfying, following your progress and seeing your forest grow with different tree species you get to unlock.
Forest is time management app for android and Apple that works with Trees For the Future which helps plant trees.
> Forest is a popular productivity app that helps people beat their phone addiction and manage their time in an interesting and pleasant way. Users can earn credits by not using their cell phones and plant real trees around the world with the credits. With Forest, users can have a delightful experience to spend less time on their cell phones, focus on what’s more important in their lives, and keep our environment green.
> About Trees For The Future: With almost three decades in the field, Trees for the Future has a strong track record. They’ve planted over 145 million trees in dozens of countries and revitalized hundreds of thousands of acres of soil while improving the lives of thousands of families.
You can do it, man. (he typed on his smartphone)
Seriously. I started in around 2018 using time blocking to reformat my day, only allowing smartphone use for certain blocks and cutting out social media almost entirely (I cut out all the ones I view as particularly problematic...being all of them but Reddit.) and I can't say enough about how much better I feel. Physically. Mentally. Just in every aspect of everything.
There's an app (at least on Android, I don't know about iOS) called Forest that helps encourage you to manage your smartphone usage by having you block off time to not use it and rewarding you with digital trees. I used that a lot to help.
there's an app called forest you might like! it's good at getting me to put down my phone for a while.
also, there's something to be said for just deleting the apps you waste the most time on off your phone. this doesn't have to be cold turkey if the thought freaks you out too much. just start with one. give yourself maybe a week to get used to that and then do another.
Forest is a great app to encourage us to move away from the phone and focus on what's in front of us, you might like it https://www.forestapp.cc/ It's helped me from time to time.
To help with this, there are apps you can get (can't remember their names) where you grow a forest, or have a pet or something, and once you open the app and set the timer, if you close it, your tree or animal dies. Essentially locking out your phone for that period of time. I'll try to find an example and edit a link in.
Edit: found the forest one! :D forest
I don’t know about apps that esplicityly use pomodoro, but for iOS there’s a productivity app called Forest which is really nice. You can set your timer and have different labels for each session (study, workout etc etc) and see all your stats (ex. How many hours you did what, what time and hour of the week you’re more productive etc..) as well as ‘plant trees’ in your garden. If your firends have the app app as well, you can look at their “garden” or even set timers together where if either one gives up, the tree “dies”.
i’m going to pop in and recommend forest! it’s basically a soft lockout for your phone: you set a time and it grows a tree; if you succeed you win money which can buy more trees, or (if you save up) will plant an actual tree.
it works really well, esp. when combined with do not disturb functions!
Feel you. It's so sad cause the items in Julian's set are genuinely beautiful. It's so frustrating how these types of games are so predatory and esp lure in players with addictive personalities, OCD, etc. Like I just want an Animal Crossing game, not to gamble.
I'm part of an other mobile game community so I'll share some coping strategies for resisting gatchas/lootboxes and developing a healthier relationship with these types of games:
- Take out credit card from the app store. If you need it for other services, remove the instant confirmation and make sure you have to enter your password for each transaction
- If you have a powerful urge coming on try rewarding yourself for resisting. I like the Forest app for this. You set a time (10min-2hours) and you get a cute tree for leaving your phone alone.
- If you feel like you gotta have these items, promise to buy any on the last day. You'll prob have gotten a few bell cookies by that point. Plus, chances are after 45+ days you'll seen them a million times and be so bored with them. What you're seeing right now the brand new and shiny thing and tbh after you really look at it it's not all that special.
- And if you're gonna spend dont blow your budget. Try to only use money you earn from surveys. If you're on Android, Google has its own survey app (Google Opinion Rewards) and they give you credits you can use in the app store. I've also heard good things about Quickthoughts
So stay strong everyone! And if it gets too much consider taking a break and deleting the game. You can back up your data with Nintendo & come back later. Your mental health is important and there's no shame taking care of yourself. Recognize predatory patterns and don't fall into it.
<strong>Forest</strong> for Iphone
It's like a pomodoro timer, but you can't leave the app once you've started the timer. no more distractions for me.
<strong>Selfcontrol</strong> for mac
blocks all internet connections for a definable amount of time. Also has a Whitelist function to only allow certain websites.
It all depends on what your issue is. For me, my issue is that I'm a perfectionist. I want everything to be perfect and will agonize over lines sounding just right the first time I write them. So I adopted this mantra: The only thing a first draft needs to do is exist. Just get your scene to basically accomplish what it's there to, then make it all pretty and readable later.
If you're having trouble focusing: u/jixie-unofficial gave great advice, especially not to go on researching tangents!! I've also used Zenwriter, which is a barebones writing app that has built-in music and typing noises; using it on fullscreen really helped me focus on the task at hand. And Forest, which is a phone app that lets you set a time frame where you want to focus on something, and if you leave the app during that time the little plant you're growing will die. It also plants real life trees while you use it I believe!
I'll get the ball rolling:
- I use Trello for organising my to do lists, I love the flexibility of it and I can adjust the lists for various time management strategies.
- I have a cleaner who comes once a week.
- I use a dicing gadget which saves loads of food-prep time.
- I use Forest to aid period of concentration, I use it on my browser and my phone.
What are you studying specifically?
As for general tips that haven't been posted yet:
Colours! Personally I find this one super important. I like to keep general notes in black, terms/equations in red and their corresponding definitions in blue.
Notebooks or binders - a huge part of your effort goes to shit if your stuff's unorganized, you should be able to find what you're looking with relative ease. Having a bunch of A4s fucking everywhere is a very bad habit.
Again, knowing what it is you're trying to study would help but reminders - little sticky notes with terms/concepts here and there to force your recollection. A sticky note above the sink, next to the toilet, on your door, anywhere that's supposed catch you off guard and cause the cogs to turn is great. Bonus meme - write the answer on the back.
Gradually increase your study time, use Forest to help you with this quest. You can't reasonably expect yourself to study wild hours after not studying in a while. Start with 45 minutes tomorrow, 60 after that, etc.
Pomodoro technique - super useful.
Most of the other memes that come to my mind have been already covered, but the environment you study in is probably #1 on my list.
If you're having trouble focusing, maybe you can try using the Forest App that some people have had success with. You set a timer and the app will grow a tree. If you stop, then you stop the timer on the app, and your tree dies. If you can work for the time allotted, then the tree is added into your forest. Maybe start out with 20-30 minutes and see if this can help with your ADHD. You can read more about the Forest app here: https://www.forestapp.cc/. While I didn't need it for my time at WGU, I know of several students who absolutely raved about Forest.
Good luck with your educational journey. I think it's just a matter of finding out what works for you and what works against you. Eliminate distraction and set a time to get school work started. Most of the time if you can just get started, the rest comes easily. In my experience with WGU, it's no more than ~20 hours a course. Some are quick wins with hardly any study and some take longer.
Warm regards,
Michael. WGU Alum. BSBM, MBA, MSML.
Pretty sure they mean "forest" not "forearm"... also, it does not let you schedule time to be on the phone or not. You have to have the awareness on your own to open the app and press start to start growing a tree, and there are ways to turn it off. But if you can manage to stick to it, it's a good app and I enjoy collecting the different types of trees. https://www.forestapp.cc/
Doing my own check-in! Okay I've now had water (and filled up a big glass to sip on while I work), snacked, stretched, fixed my posture (and yes I did need to pee and have now done that too). Did I miss anything?
Task check-in:
1) I should be writing a paper on mental health (oh the irony). It's a 3500 word paper, due Thursday. I've done a lot of thinking, reading, and brainstorming, but I'm at the point where I just have to get it on paper.
2) there's just so much to do and it's overwhelming. And I guess I want to do a really good job on it, so I'm probably putting a lot of pressure to produce "perfect" work which is making it that much harder to just write.
3) It would in fact be to open up a word doc :D
4) I did it yaaay
5) It's to plant a tree on Forest so I don't check my phone.
Update: done!
6) Sigh... fine... time to try getting a paragraph written (note to self: can be really rough/unpolished)
​
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7) Omg... I actually got some stuff written since starting the check-in! Whaaaat it worked!!
​
More updates to come
If she's the kind of kid who would feel bad killing a cartoon tree, there's an app that's called Forest that plants a tree when you open it and if you leave the app to go to another, the tree visually dies. This is the link
First turn off notifications for those stupid apps, most the time there's the option in the app settings if not you can block them in the phone's settings. You'll probably find you forget about them without the reminders, occasionally go through and uninstall those distracting apps you're not using.
And I'll echo a recommendation for Forest, it really helps me cut off time to focus to study.
Sounds a bit like Forest. You've got tags you can set, you can set timers which continue once you're done, and you have a statistic page for day / month / year with a chart for which tags you've used in that time.
I use forest on my phone and self control on my Mac. These apps let me designate a period of time during which I cannot slack off.
Forest plants a tree, and it dies if I leave the app until the timer is up. The dead trees stay in your forest as a reminder of your failure, while the living trees are a reminder of your success.
SelfControl let's me set a blacklist of websites that I tend to waste time on, particularly Reddit and YouTube. When I turn on SelfControl, it blocks those websites at a system level until the timer is up.
Also, I have a lot of video games on my Xbox. I store all of my games on an external hard drive. Part of my morning routine involves locking that hard drive into a box on one side of the house, and putting the key in a drawer on the other side of the house. This adds tons of friction to the act of playing video games.
Finally, I have a Kindle filled with books, mostly nonfiction. I keep the kindle next to my bed, and plug in my phone on the opposite side of the room. This prevents me from playing with my phone at night, and instead forces me to read if I can't sleep.
Sorry buddy, this sub is about the app Forest https://www.forestapp.cc/ , not just all forests! I'm sure there's other subs interested in your pics though :)
I'm removing this because of rule #2 of the sub, nothing personal - Good luck on finding the right subreddit :)
I used https://www.forestapp.cc/ for a bit. Got to plant some trees along the way. It's more of a way to track your time as you do different things in 20 minute increments. Think Pomodoro but with trees. :)
For those who need to remove screen time and help the earth:
Forest is an app that encourages you to not touch your phone and plants trees in your honor for doing so! You grow your own forest!
A fun way for those of us who can't plant actual trees.
Congratz! The pomodoro method helped me a lot during my studies, there are timers online
There's also an app where you can plant a tree for every 30min or hour of study you do xD Time to build a forest ahah!! https://www.forestapp.cc/
To combat the noise issue, I'd recommend you get some noise cancelling headphones so that you can create the quiet environment you need. Also, would it be possible to try to do some or all of your studying while the toddler is napping or after they go to bed? Normally, I'd suggest you try studying at a library or somewhere else outside of your house that's more consistently quiet, but with the current pandemic, I know that's not an option for most people right now.
For avoiding distractions, I'd recommend setting up a studying area with as few available distractions as possible. If possible, leave all of your electronics in a different room. If there's nowhere else you can leave them, put them on silent mode inside of a box or bag and place it somewhere that you can't reach or see from where you're sitting. If you are going to have electronics with you, there are some apps that can be really helpful for productivity (I've been using Forest while working from home).
For motivation, have you tried externalizing your rewards for staying on task? I find doing so to be helpful. I tend to reward myself for staying on task while working from home by letting myself play games I like when I take breaks (I focus for an hour and then get to play my game guilt-free for like 15 minutes), but rewards can be anything that works for you (eg. candy, stickers, watching a video).
I have an app on my phone called Forest that usually helps me. It is a timer that plants a tree, and if you exit the app the tree dies and its sad. There are also ambient noises you can unlock as well, which can help focus. Sounds stupid but it works.
There are some apps out there to help with focusing as well.
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I use Forest ( https://www.forestapp.cc/ - added bonus of helping environmnet) on my phone when studying, it basically locks the phone so stops me from messaging/social media/whatever else. I use this as a timer too, so as others have said maybe a 20-30 minute period with a small break.
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Another idea is to maybe record all your study times, or topics you've covered. Sometimes seeing the progress you are making can really help drive you to do more.
Consider this app as a way to use your phone less (I know how that sounds.) In short it rewards you not switching to other apps on your phone. Sort of silly but I've found it to help me think first before picking up the phone out of habit: https://www.forestapp.cc/
There are a lot of steps you can take to wean yourself off social media, or at least parts of it. I recommend Forest as a temporary site blacklisting tool. The phone version is a bit more extreme, so it's useful when you want to get work done, but for mobile I have had more luck with just deleting apps. I'd also recommend having your desktop bookmarks link either to specific subreddits or even to your own inbox or profile page. Just creates one more buffer between that habitual click and the rabbit hole.
I find the Forest app to be really helpful!
It makes you put down your phone, or you kill a (digital) baby tree. But if you really need it, you can kill the tree.
It’s on iOS and Android ^_^
I am currently struggling with something similar as OP's situation.
Yesterday was my first breakthrough since months. Just like OP, I had known better, more productive and disciplined times. So, I installed the Forest app on my phone and also as a Chrome extension on my computer. 25 Minutes of focus (studying/work) and a 5 minute break. No way to enter Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Quora or any other social media that ruins my workflow.
Since it has been a while that I have focused for longer periods of time straight, I take longer breaks. Averagely between 15-25 minutes. That's too long, but right now, it's a start. Compared to what I did before (nothing) it's great if I even do just one 25 minute session.
The pros were that in the break I took time to actually get a drink, make some food, go to the toilet and chat with friends. The breaks felt like small resets in my brain before I'd get ready for the next 25 minutes. Each time I finish a 25 minute session I would grow a cute tree and gain some coins. It's slightly pathetic to me, but my procrastination behavior was even more pathethic so I definitely shouldn't judge. It felt rewarding to finish a session and noticing that I was making progress.
I did lose my concentration and motivation after a few hours and spend about 6 of then procrastinating as usual. Yet, I manage to feel at least a tiny bit proud of myself.
Goodluck, OP
https://www.forestapp.cc/en/
Sorry for forgetting! This is the first video I watched that made me think of my own habits first and then how it connected to school. Granted there's some sensationalist stuff due to the TV show nature but the research is there to support the claims.
We've started to try to get our students to download the Forest app if we notice a more serious issue of putting their phone away. It combines with our SEL curriculum pretty well where we focus on "being present". You set a timer for how long you want to put your phone down and the tree grows for that long. If you pick up the phone before the timer ends it kills the tree. The intention is to start with 10-15 minutes for a week or so and then slowly work up to an hour. We really try to make the point that we're trying to educate them on how to be in control because a lot of my student population craves the idea of being in control.
We also use Moment where it tracks your screen time and how many times you check your phone. We did a quick study with our students and some were at 8-9 hours of screen time a day! Some didn't care but we got a few that had a wow moment where they realized how bad it really was.
I've used the app Forest app on my phone (IOS and Android) It gamifies focus. I love it and it really helps redirect my focus when I mindlessly grab for my phone when I'm should be working. https://www.forestapp.cc/en/ Forest also has a Chrome extension to block websites.
If you can't or don't want to get a new phone, you can always delete apps (or on IOS at least offload apps) that you know cause you to lose a lot of time. I do this with certain games that I find myself procrastinating with when I have important things to do.
Commentor hugazucc mentions https://freedom.to/pricing which seems super cool.
Structured out the Suggestion.
The Brainstorm has been postponed on account of rain. ;p
Found a Chrome extension version of Forest which is super great! Helped me squeeze out a few minutes of work here and there.
Let the dog out which was good.
Thursday is my night off so I better make right for family time tomorrow morning!
I used to have this app on my phone called Forest which plants a little tree or shrub that will grow for a predetermined period of time. If you close the app, it kills the tree. If you don't touch your phone during its growth period, you receive some coins you can then spend on getting different kinds of trees to grow. It was pretty cute, but I do most of my procrastinating on my laptop so eventually I wound up deleting it for more storage space. Also works well as a laundry timer.
Seems like the general gist of it is that it gives subtle feedback that just lets you know when you are/aren't working, triggering self-consciousness?
These are kind of tangential but working off the core premise:
Forest - grows trees while you're not using apps, kills them when you are - https://www.forestapp.cc/en/
Focusmate - work with a live accountability partner via video, drives up unconscious peer pressure to stay focused - https://www.focusmate.com/
Personally, I would take a laptop/desktop computer over the phone anytime when it comes to productivity. Typing is just so inefficient and the screen is so small. :/ But I realize I am in the minority when I see all the mobile apps. haha But if you lose yourself in your phone, are you also as likely to lose yourself on a regular computer? I heard a lot of people say good things about the forest app
I do rely on technology for my productivity however. For me it is all about having a good task manager where I can organize all my tasks and planning the day ahead every night. I also use timers a lot while I work.
If you're using your computer and it is an absolute necessity, this extension is nice to have around. If, however, using the internet is not necessary, it's better just to leave it off or find somewhere else to study. If you're the type to get distracted by your phone, I find this app to be nice in training yourself to resist those urges. Keeping a tidy work space is also a good way to keep distractions away whilst studying. If you still find yourself to be distracted even after tidying, try a change of scenery. Grab the bare necessities, and relocate somewhere else, like your dining table, or the local library.
Being nice to husband
There was a small spat with my husband yesterday (over kid stuff - I'm noticing it mostly happens like that) but I didn't push my point, I tried to diffuse the difference in opinion instead and no fight! WHAT. THIS NEVER HAPPENS (We are both pretty stubborn and tend toward more conflict instead of less. It always escalates because we both push our points...it's very adult of us.)
Phone Addiction
3h57 minutes yesterday - woo. I was on my laptop a lot "working," though. (I work for myself and am still staying at my parents so it was more like half-work, half-researching treadmills and scheduling my Peapod delivery.
Another great app for breaking phone addiction, btw, is Forest. You 'plant trees' for 10-120 minutes and it forces you off your phone for that time. You can even trade in points to buy real trees to plant in India. Pretty cool.
Forest.
It helps you leave your phone for a period of time, and it plants virtual trees when you don't use it. If you fail and pick up your phone, the tree dies.
The good thing about it is that you can actually help to plant real trees by using the app.
- Usa un'app come Forest per tenere conto delle tue ore di produttività. Si può aggiungere anche a Firefox. E' molto carina perché allo scadere del tempo che ti sei fissato/a, "pianti" un albero o un cespuglio nel tuo terreno virtuale. Per me è molto soddisfacente vedere un sacco di piantine lol.
- Inizia a fare meditazione, possibilmente mindfulness, anche solo per pochi minuti al giorno. Ti aiuta molto a sviluppare la concentrazione
Time to put down your phone and get back to work! Enter my room code: 8DDHW9SG to plant a 45-minute Cherry Blossom with me! You can also tap on this link to join me: https://www.forestapp.cc/join-room?token=8DDHW9SG
not sure how helpful but i would recommend getting the forest app. i personally use it regularly and you can set timers to grow trees, if you use your phone or do something else, the app will kill the tree. i use it pretty often and helped me a lot with my procrastination. good luck!
I'm taking a psychology class and we learned about this. this was an article i was given about it
excess use of technology does seem to be shockingly similar to drug dependencies. technology fucks the dopamine levels in your brain up. They are raised by media (video games, or social media etc.) but once that dopamine rush is gone, your mood can actually drop. just like a drug come down.
i'm no mental health professional, but I have had drug issues and spend way too much time on technology. i would suggest creating a schedule every day and trying your best to stick to it. that way you can create a set time of day to be on technology. fill your days with pleasurable activities that are separate from school or work so you keep yourself busy. Exercise releases dopamine as well so that is a good activity to do.
you can also set screen time limits for yourself on your devices, or use this app that helps cut down on screen time
Yep! This is super important.
Hope it's okay to drop a resource: there's an app called Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/) (sorry, I'm on mobile) for Google Play that will lock your phone for you during times of rest. My eventual goal is to cut down screen-time overall.
It's normal to feel this way.
I highly suggest you use an app like https://www.forestapp.cc/ to manage your time (Pomodoro method; personally, this is the app I use and like). Focus for 25 minutes, and be diligent. Then, give yourself a 5 minute break to mess around. Then 25 again. After 4 rounds of these 25 minute intervals, give yourself a longer break, like 15-25 minutes.
Repeat until you have completed the lecture. For me, focusing for these short periods of time has proven to be way more effective than simply approaching an hour to two hour long lecture - I too get super distracted!
You'll be surprised how much you can get done in 25 minutes of focus :)
Forest is on Google play store and they have a chrome extension too. But you set a timer for how long you want to focus and you choose what kind of tree you want to plant and if you succeed in focusing for the time period it gets added to your Forest. And you earn coins to buy more kinds of trees with. The other nice thing is if you have premium they plant real trees too. It's helped me a lot having that there because I have the motivation to not kill my tree
I like to use the forest app. You can say how long you want to focus a seed is planted and if you have to use your phone your tree is killed and it’s kind of like a game so you level up and unlock new trees which makes it so much fun
https://www.forestapp.cc/ use this focus app with better background noises, used it at the time of boards, I may be younger but have the same problem never studied till exams came and then cried before exam that I wasted time while wasting time not studying
There might be more serious lockdown modes available, or more difficult to disable app blockers, depending on phone OS.
I've taken to combining both an app blocker in a specific time(basically disabling apps I've selected based on screen time used - it's called focus mode on Android), which greys out the icon, and disables notifications for those apps completely in a time window of my choosing, and adding screen time limits to any app that doesn't make sense to use for more than fifteen minutes a day - yes I can bypass it, but at the same time, just not getting the initial notification in the first place, can help a lot, and focus mode also helps by shutting down bypassed apps after a predetermined time (you can "Take a break", and it will then shut down the app after - although it's dangerous to tempt fate). As a bonus it's automated, so starts automatically, so I don't need to do it.
A less automated thing is also a focus timer, like forest or similar, that "punish" quitting the app while the timer is running. Of course those depend on your level of susceptibility to gamification: "But I want to get the worthless doodad/tree".
Yes! The Power of Now is one of the few saved audios on my phone. Funny you mentioned it, I haven't thought of listening to it for ages. Last night I couldn't sleep to a racing mind thinking about potential scenarios at work. I reached into my Rolodex, scrolled to Tolle, and called him up. I muttered out loud "I can't do anything right now. This moment is my only reality, so go to sleep." It worked!
I'll look into 1 Giant Mind, but I'm happy with <em>Forest</em>. I grow my own trees!
I second the advice to break down your studies into manageable chunks. I use the 'Forest' chrome extension to help me focus - it lets you set a timer from 10-120 minutes and blocks any sites on your blocklist. Start with a 25 minute study session and try to build up from there. You've made it this far, you can do 25 minutes!
As far as a gap year, my advice is follow your heart. Your parents aren't the ones who have to live with the decision you make, you are. While I wouldn't advise you spend a year doing nothing, its totally legitimate to need time to recharge. If it means you come back to grad school with renewed vigor, the time off will be 100% worth it. Its important to remember life isn't a race and you need to do what makes you happy, not what pleases other people in your life.
Download the app Forest. You can download it on your phone and on your browser. https://www.forestapp.cc/
It's a focus app that kind of gamifies focus. You set how long you want to focus for and it will shut you out of whatever apps you want to be shut out of for a set time. If you successfully focus for that period of time, you'll grow a healthy tree in your digital forest. If you end the timer early, your tree will die.
Not an ad just in case it sounds like that (although if they wanna pay me I won't complain lol). I've just been using it for a while now and its been super helpful for me.
It's a time tracking app that lets you plant virtual trees the more productive you are! And it's available on a multitude of platforms.
Here's the link to the website -
ooo. I think the idea of getting a surface pro for work is very neat! I read that Paul Graham, who is the founder of Y Combinator (a startup accelerator), has one computer for play and one computer for work. Could get expensive though and still require you to be disciplined!
You could also try website blocking when you're doing work so that you avoid playing games or watching Youtube. I'm using Sidekick right now. Forest App is also a good alternative for your phone!
Use your phone to set timers and reminders? Lots of productivity apps that lock you out of using the distracting apps on your phone, like this one that grows you a little forest as you avoid using it, giving you a bit of a reward.
I have been working from home for a few years now and something that helps a lot is to use the Pomodoro Technique.
Basically you work 25 or 30 minutes and then rest 5, you do this 4 times and in the last one you rest 15 minutes instead of five.
There are plenty of apps and webapps to track your progress.
Some of my favorites are:
It might not look like much but it helps greatly to avoid felling burned out at the end of the day.
I used to use an app: https://www.forestapp.cc/ to try to help.
I'll turn it on together with a friend and study together, both motivating each other to keep the study session going.
Forest is an app that creates a tree when you aren't using your phone. If you leave the app your tree will be killed. Is pretty entertaining and does the job. You can check it here.
https://www.forestapp.cc/ implements the pomodoro technique where you set a timer and plant a virtual tree while working on your task. If you plant multiple trees a day, your forest will expand. You get an amount of coins for each successful tree which you can use to buy new trees e.g. candy tree or water tree. You can also choose to plant a real tree and help the planet.
The app is available on App Store and Android and does cost a few dollars. But I promise you, it's worth it.
The Delayed gratification chrome extension sounds interesting.
I also use Forest app. It's kind of like pomodoro timer, but this one rewards you with a tree everytime you wait out the timer without using other apps/websites. If you start using other apps on your phone before the timer is up, the tree withers. Also, you decide how long you want each "busy" session to be. This gives me a lot more flexibility and results in me sticking more to completing the timer. The phone app blocks time wasting apps, and there is also a browser extension which works by blocking the websites you configured.
The app has worked for me and I've been using it for a few weeks. I think it's a great mind hack because I start planting the tree, then I know I will be able to surf any website I want after the tree is planted so I stick to it. But by the time the tree is done, I am much more involved in schoolwork/etc that I just decide to plant another tree. So far I have not withered a single tree. It helps a lot now during exam period.
- Desligar notificações, colocar no silencioso sem vibração;
- Usar a técnica pomodoro;
- Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/), é um app pra você evitar usar o celular;
- Impor alguma punição caso você use o celular, como ter que ir até outro lugar da casa e voltar, pouco a pouco você vai se cansar e passar a evitar.
There's an app I used to use in school it's called Forest: be focused. You set a timer with the app and every time you use your phone the tree you're growing with the app dies, if you go the entire time without using your phone the tree is planted in your virtual garden. Also they plant real trees too.
Rainstorms on Youtube if I need to lock into something tedious. There's a ton of them.
There's this little app called Forest that's just a timer that "plants" a little tree, and kills it if you stop the timer.
But a lot of the time, I find just having some company helps. Try to evaluate if the problem is boredom and not loneliness -- obviously hard to address now, Times Being What They Are, but a good insight to have for when coworking, library, and coffee shop spaces open up.
Another alternative - Forest. It's a productivity app where you plant digital trees/shrubs/flowers to earn coins which you can eventually exchange for more in-app varieties or real trees (they're supposedly partnered with Trees for the Future).
Edit: 'Planting' keeps you from using your phone, so you could focus elsewhere.
Couple of things that have helped me.
https://www.forestapp.cc/ - This app sets a timer to help you stay focused by planting digitize trees. Once you earn a certain amount of coins, you can plant a real tree in real life! It’s helpful to get you in flow and push you to stay focused with small breaks.
Music - I have certain playlists that are meant for working. Lo-fi beats are my fave. I make sure to put my noise canceling headphones on to get me into the zone.
Take time off! I used to take time off to travel, but since we’re not currently traveling I noticed that I’m getting burnt out or bored at work. Taking time off to let yourself relax on a weekday makes a huge difference on your mental load and you may be more motivated to work when you come back!
Turn off notifications, and put your phone in grayscale mode if you do not want to go extreme like deleting your social media accounts. It works but you will have an urge to check your phone, I recommend an app called Forest it is a focus timer that blocks when you open an app or a blacklist app(only in the pro version)
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If you want more help just pm me 😄
You can use an app called "Forest"! It helps with procrastination and every time you don't touch your phone for an "X" amount of time you get a tree, after some days you can have a forest and keep growing! Well here's my advice and it helped you it might help you as well!
Heyyy Time to put down your phone and get back to work! Enter my room code: 5NKAGRA to plant a 120-minute Cedar with me! You can also tap on this link to join me: https://www.forestapp.cc/join-room?token=5NKAGRA
As someone battling procrastination as well, here are some tips that I have been using to help:
1: Get an app blocker: I use the forest app (https://www.forestapp.cc/) but there are many. These are great for forcing yourself to not do certain things on any device for a set period of time
Pomodoro: Set a timer for like 5-20 minutes and just do the important task that you need to do. Often you develop a flow state and you will work past the timer. If not, at least you got something done. Side note, if you are writing and have hit a roadblock, just write some really crappy sentences in like 30 seconds. They will need editing, but just starting often gets you to write longer.
Identify the problems and find solutions: At the end of the day where you procrastinated a lot, write down every distraction. Then, develop a solution to it. Some might be just turning on that app/website blocker, some might be setting aside a specific time for a distracting task. Just develop something to solve it.
Experiment: The concept of experimenting can actually trick ourselves into doing things that we never wanted to do. For example, make a challenge where go to bed at the right time every night and see how it affects your life. You can enhance this by giving extra incentives like posting your finding to Reddit and getting that sweet karma ;).
5.Finally accountability: Have friends with the same issue? Fix the problem together! Face time each other which will discourage you all from getting distracted and you can bounce ideas off each other. If you get Forest Premium (which is 2$, used google opinion rewards to get it for free) You can plant virtual trees in Plant Together Mode (If someone kills their tree, it kills everyone's tree).
I hope this helps anyone who reads it, sorry it was long but kinda love this topic. :)
This is a great tip, and I'll add two others:
- In case you end up substituting the browser version of Instagram as your boredom tool of choice, I would recommend looking into SelfControl. It allows you to do a version of what you did with the phone, just for your computer. It's saved me countless hours (and it actually allows you to have windows in which you can indulge your favorite internet rabbit holes to your heart's delight.)
- I've raved about (and other users here have also mentioned) the Forest App. Get distracted by your phone--and the digital tree you've grown dies an untimely death. It sounds weird, but it works, because it's an "effort pact" that gives you an ample disincentive to stay away.
I like using Forest when I need to be productive. It makes you think twice about switching out of the app or going onto websites on my blocklist because it says something like, "are you sure you want to kill this tree?" The company also plants real-life trees, so I like supporting them.
Grazie mille!
Si certo! La sintesi è di prendere un tempo che sai per certo di riuscire a restare concentrati al massimo (anche 5/10 minuti) e farli bene. Fai 10 minuti e poi 5 di pausa ad esempio, poi ripeti.
Io personalmente sono arrivato a fare 30 (anche 45) con 5 minuti di pausa, ogni 4 loop facevo una pausa di 30 minuti. Venivano fuori 2 ore di studio concentrato, intenso e fruttuoso con 50 minuti di pausa. Alla fine della giornata vedevo che 4 ore così valevano più di 10 ore in aula studio. Infatti, vedendo la gente che si fa dalla mattina alla sera in aula studio le “grandi studiare” li derido quasi. Perché loro stanno solo lì a scaldare una sedia e ad occupare un posto utile a qualcun’altro.
Per il metodo ti consiglio di utilizzare Forest, a pagamento, ma utilissima. Non cronometro tutto lo studio, ma sono arrivato anche a 3000 minuti in un mese se non erro (50 ore di studio buono ed utile).
Another tip I would have is that there should not be the mental stigma of sticking to the 25 minutes that is suggested. Each person is different and can focus for different amounts of time, it may even vary on a day or the subject you are learning. There are many apps out there that promote and allow you to switch the set time interval so I would just suggest if you are starting out to find a time that works for you (I originally started with 25 and moved to 40 minutes on certain subjects and 30 on others) really helps you to know yourself when you study. I personally use the app Forest.
Hi!
I recommend using this app:
https://www.forestapp.cc/ (Android, iOS & PC versions available)
Install this app and every time rasa nak bukak phone, this app will remind you to concentrate on your task. Hope this help!
Okay I haven’t exactly started nursing school yet and I haven’t been going through online courses but I have a few pointers to help with the motivation.
Get the Forest app This app helps to stay focused and not get distracted on phones or other websites if you get it on chrome. The Pomodoro method of studying is really intensive but yields results. It’s basically 40 mins of studying and 10 mins break in a cycle.
I use Google Calendar to plan out my day and frankly crossing things off the list of to dos is an addiction haha. I’m not saying it will definitely work but it doesn’t hurt to try
Break down your tasks into smaller bite sized chunks. Tell yourself you’ll do 10-15 mins on studying and that will help defeat your lack of motivation.
Little bit by bit. I use forest app and leave the screen on. It's a study timer where you visually grow a forest everytime you successfully finish the timer. If I start it at 20 and run it on my phone and laptop at the same time I can think of hitting zero without stopping the timer as a reward. I often would be studying and go on a tangent and grab my phone or click open reddit really fast but then seeing the black screen or the timer reminds me I'm supposed to be studying rn.
Pomodo technique. (Break tasks into the smallest chunks of time possible). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique?wprov=sfti1
Forest app: https://www.forestapp.cc/. If you study on a Mac: https://selfcontrolapp.com. If you’re on Windows, well I’m sure there are similar apps but I wouldn’t familiar with them.
Change the scenery. Everyone’s quarantined so this may be tough but simply having another area in your home where you can study can help.
What are you studying? Are you sure it’s the quarantine and not you just being uninterested in the material?
Try the app Forest. You grow cute little trees by setting a timer for a certain amount of time and not using your phone until it runs out. It helps me study more than anything. https://www.forestapp.cc/
A la rápida te puedo ayudar a hacer tus sesiones de trabajo más eficientes y no procrastinar durante ellas. Mi recomendación es el Método Pomodoro.
Mi recomendación personal es elegir un tiempo de pomodoro de 25 minutos, de descanso corto de 5 minutos y de descanso largo de 20 minutos, con eso en mente:
- Saca una hoja y un lápiz, dejar un registro ayuda.
- Fija un objetivo o tema de trabajo y anótalo (Ej, escribir introducción).
- Fija un temporizador a un "pomodoro". Tradicionalmente el creador usaba un cronómetro de cocina con forma de tomate, de ahí el nombre. A mi me gusta Forest porque te bloquea el celular y ayuda a plantar árboles.
- Durante el pomodoro concéntrate en tu objetivo (punto 2). Si tienes cualquier pensamiento distractor anótalo en el papel y déjalo para un receso o cuando termines. ¿Tienes que buscar algo? ¿Mandar un mensaje? ¿Buscar un meme del que te acordaste? Si puede esperar 25 min que espere. Anotarlo hará que no pienses más en eso.
- Cuando termine el tiempo marca un tic en alguna parte de tu hoja.
- Toma un descanso. Por lo general corto, excepto cada 4 tics, ahí toma un descanso largo.
- Vuelve al punto 3.
This sounds like a good suggestion.
For those who are really struggling though, you should consider downloading 'Forest'. It's a gamified application that allows you to select a period of time for 'focus'. When you do, you plant a digital tree. If you try to use your phone during that focused time, your tree dies. I think the organisation also works with tree planters in real life, donating proceeds from the game toward tree planting. I don't use it myself, but some of my students swear by it. As far as I know, the app is completely free. If anyone's interested, it's available here: https://www.forestapp.cc/
Start now and start small. Minimize distractions. Try using a concentration app like Forest. Go study on campus if you need to. Get some fresh air and exercise. Treat yourself with small rewards when you accomplish something. Make a to-do list.
The main thing is to hold yourself accountable. No one is going to hand-hold you through reading week and tell you what to get done other than yourself.
Notion.So is such an amazing productivity tool that it made virtually every other tool that I use redundant. Task lists, note-taking, kanban cards, personal wiki, all with the functionality of a relational database. 1000 blocks free, and infinite blocks free if you have a .edu email address.
A lot of people also value gamified applications like Habitica. As a gamification researcher, there aren't any gamification techniques that work well for me. But a lot of people get value out of it.
Anyone who wants to reduce their phone usage should check out https://www.forestapp.cc/. You'll become more productive, and you'll plant trees in the process.
This: https://www.forestapp.cc/
Essentially, it is a pomodoro timer. But with a twist. You plant a tree when you want to do a habit like reading for instance and start the timer. If you stop the timer or, in deep focus mode, leave the app, you will end up killing your tree.
I just finished my master's. Here are some things I did to get things done, especially when I had very little motivation left towards the end:
Set yourself appointments for studying - block out a certain period of time with nothing else to do. Keep these appointments like you would any others. If you live with other people, perhaps let them know that you'll be studying and ask them not to disturb you if possible.
Eliminate distractions. Make sure your study space is relatively tidy beforehand. Go to a library or coffee shop if it's too hard to find a tidy, quiet space at home. Turn off obvious distractions - no TV, put your phone on silent. Things like the Forest app and StayFocusd (Chrome extension) can help keep you away from distracting apps/sites for a period of time. Put on some background/white noise if it helps you. There are always livestreams of chillhop/lofi hip hop music on YouTube that I find really good for studying. Some no talking ASMR videos can be good too.
Make a to-do list that breaks up large tasks into smaller ones. Use a pomodoro timer - work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. Concentrating for multiple hours straight is hard, but using the pomodoro technique makes it seem more manageable. Check things off your to-do list as you go and let the satisfaction of finishing tasks motivate you to work on the next task.
Hope some of these things help. Best of luck.
I found pomodoro really irritating. If I had a bunch of short tasks, I would start getting bored and repeatedly check the time left, and feel like I wasn't actually being productive. Or, if I was getting into a bigger task the time would end and interrupt my flow.
Right now I prefer Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/). I can set it to 10 minutes to make it feel easier to get started, but once the timer ends it just starts counting up to record extra time and doesn't interrupt me if I've gotten really focused. Limiting break time before starting another timer is still a problem I'm working on though.
if you cant stop your Internet addiction (reddit or other websites), try this simple extension
https://www.forestapp.cc/
Just set a timer and it will warn you when your are acessing them. (you can still acess them if you REALLY, REALLY want to)
I use it everytime i need to work and focus :)) simple and effective
Hey, I'm studying for a hard exam as well and I'm managing my routine in this way:
- I break down a subject into many sub-topics.
- I write down one or (max two) sub-topics in my todo app. ( I have put all I need to do till the exam )
- I use the Forest app at start a timer of 45 mins and start reading.
- I just take a nap, have some water, walk around the house or browse Reddit or play a quick mobile game in the 15 mins break.
- Repeat (3) till I achieve a ~3 hour session.
- Once the subject is over, I make Anki Flashcards and then take an extended break of 2-3 days.
- Before I start a new subject I revise the last subject using spider diagrams and Anki Flashcards and take another half a day off. Don't stress yourself and revising is a very intense study session.
- I start my next subject the next day.
Don't stress out if you can't finish something today as some stuff takes a bit more time and you'll get it soon. Reward yourself often as your brain needs some break. Sleep is a great reward and so is exercise. Maybe try gamifying the syllabus and it'll be more fun! I have made achievements that I reward myself (lol) when I complete a subject, get a streak of finishing my todos or sometimes even finish a hard sub topic.
Good luck and I wish you do well in your exam.
Forest app is basically a Pomodaro timer but gamified so that if you get enough coins you can actually plant a real tree ). I use Things 3, Mac as my todo app.
There is a great app called Forest that is based on the same pomodoro method. It isn't as minimalist, but is aesthetically pleasing and they plant trees for users which is pretty nice.
There is an app for your phone called Forest. When you want to focus, you set a timer to plant a tree. The tree will be killed if you leave the app. An author actually posted it on her IG stories for when she wants to write and not be distracted by her phone. I found it really handy, especially when out for food with husband/friends cos I tend to fiddle with my phone while chatting.
You could also use an app to restructure how you use your phone. Digital wellbeing, if you have a newer android phone, can lock you out after so much screen on time. There are other apps that are a little less drastic. Forest App tends to be a popular one. Whatever works to help you separate work time and play time. IMO, you really need to work on why your addicted to your phone and take steps toward addressing it. Despite a new phone being WM10, I feel you'd still be tempted to do anything but your school work. Even if it had all the work stuff you need, it would 1.) Be new and perhaps tempt you to explore it and 2.) still have opportunities to do non-work related activities.
As far as the Lumia 550. It was a budget phone even when it came out. It struck a nice balance between quality and price, but basically has the bare minimum requirements for WM10 (1.1ghz processor and 1gb ram) . The performance is usable but not stellar, which was fine for most users, especially if you don't do a lot of things at once. Here's a review if you want to know impressions from release.
TL;DR WM10 is EOL/Dead. Save your time and money.
Is this the app ? Thanks for the reply! I’ll definitely try it. I always stop my pomodoro to browse reddit for a while longer. Blocking some apps would actually be super helpful!
That’s not a bad idea- I sporadically use an app called Forest in a similar way- you set goals for how long you don’t want to touch your phone and it “plants” bushes and trees if you are successful. You kill the plants if you aren’t.
This is coming from a high schooler dealing with the same issues you are facing.
One of the things that I find best is setting specific times to do tasks. Write down the amount of time you think it's going to take you and plan your afternoon from there. This helps me to realize the amount of work I have and to realize the amount of free time I have. This helps me to make informed decisions and to keep me focused since I know I have some free time(most days). A great app to help with setting specific times for tasks is Sorted 3 which is a little pricey at 15 dollars but I find it super helpful. There's also a 14 day free trial to see if it is right for you.
Another great method is to use a app called Forest. You set a specific time you are going to stay focused for. During that time, a tree grows. If you leave the app, the tree dies. You get to see all of the trees you have grown(including the dead ones to motivate you not to give up). You can also unlock new trees and plant real trees in real life. I find this super helpful to keep me focused since I know that I cannot leave this app or I will see my tree die(edit: forgot to mention that this app is 2 dollars but has free web extensions as well for your web browser).
Also, don't do homework or studying with your electronics. I understand you might need some to help with your school work but leave the room of your laptop. Go to a different room and study there. That helps me a lot to stay focused.
Finally, know that these methods might not work for you and that's okay. These things take trial and error to find the method that works best for you.
Senior Android dev can here. I make tutorials into PDFs and then draw on them with my iPad and apple pencil. Drawing engages my brain and keeps me on task and not being in a web browser vastly helps me keep on task. I'll also usually use an app called forest while I am doing the tutorials. https://www.forestapp.cc/ .
This might seem kind of silly but this app really helps me when I need to stay on task. I check my phone an awful lot especially when I'm frustrated at my work, and this app covers your screen. You set a time limit for how long you want to work and it shows you a little forest where you plant a tree. If you leave the app before your task is done, the tree dies. But if you accomplish your tasks, you will watch your forest grow.
Again, prob kinda silly but it's fun and works for me. I have friends who use it so we show each other our forests to keep each other motivated!
Basically, you plant a tree for x minutes. If you use your phone during those x minutes, the tree will "die." Eventually, you grow a forest, and you can sort your little digital trees by what day/time/what you were working on.
Oh, and you can export your data to a .csv file for personal analysis. This has never been a source of procrastination. never.
https://www.forestapp.cc/join-room?token=47A7NT2.
Hello u/Goktugun, it appears you tried to put a link in a title, since most users cant click these I have placed it here for you
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A hack for this: Get something to block you from opening your apps.
I liked Forest a lot during finals. It let's you grow trees in a period from like ten minutes, I think, up to hours while you're not using your phone. Unlocking your phone during the lecture? Tree dead. It's almost like a game bc you can collect different tree types and stuff like that. Also: Background rain music for studying.
Also there's plenty other app blockers with features like putting up different blocking types for any day of the week and any app. Sometimes they will even show you statistics of how often you tried to unlock your phone. Was quite eye-opening to me.
You can start with using the built-in features iPhones and Android has to put your phone on do not disturb for a certain time period or while in a specific location. You can also set limits for certain apps with these built-in features. If those don't work, you can try an external app. Something like Forrest https://www.forestapp.cc/ is pretty good.