Susie Alegre utilizes an app on her phone to help her focus on her work when it is necessary, blocking her access to social media sites for as long as she needs.
Ms. Alegre, a human rights lawyer and writer based in London, declares that disconnecting from interruptions allows her to focus more, as it bars her from getting sidetracked.
"She believes it is almost impossible to stay away from a cellphone without a great deal of determination," she remarked.
Ms Alegre utilizes the app Freedom, which gives her the choice of blocking certain social media outlets and websites, or even turning off her internet access entirely.
You can choose how many hours and minutes you want the block to be active for. You can modify this decision if you want or you can check the "locked mode" option which will ensure the block will remain in effect until the predetermined time.
Ms Alegre states that she utilizes the Freedom application instead of switching her phone off when she has to be reachable on the phone, but wants to avoid being sidetracked. There are other applications that offer similar blocking technology, such as ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest.
Due to the abundance of social media platforms and devices vying for our attention, more and more individuals are in search of solutions to resist the temptation to constantly monitor notifications and browse through their social media feeds.
An approach to productivity labeled "monk mode" has experienced a dramatic increase in usage this year. It consists of focusing on a sole task with no interruptions from technology or other elements.
The phrase "monkmode" has become increasingly popular on TikTok, with videos bearing the hashtag #monkmode receiving over 77 million views - a number that was nearly 31 million in the month of May.
Ms Alegre attributes her success in authoring her published work, Freedom To Think, to the Freedom app. The book, a work of non-fiction, was released last year.
She notes that her book covers the issue of focus in the current digital era and how modern technology is engineered to busy our minds and hinder our mental processes.
Grace Marshall, an author and productivity coach, acknowledges that it is difficult to disconnect from social media and the web in general, particularly due to the many investigations in recent years that have demonstrated their addictive qualities.
Ms. Marshall mentions that when we get a notification on a device, it creates an open loop that our brain wants to close. As a result, when we do so, we get a natural "dopamine hit" that is pleasurable.
Ms Marshall states that emails from work can also be detrimental. "[Technology] is instantaneous, with emails, and applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and messages. People commonly sense that they must promptly reply."
"Ms Marshall believes that workplaces should set guidelines for expected response times to emails or messages in order to safeguard people's work-life balance," she states. "It's not just about the efficiency and productivity, but also the mental health ramifications."
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Fred Stutzman, the originator of the Freedom app, states that he got the thought while he was in college and perceived that he was dedicating a lot of time to Facebook and inadequate amounts to his dissertation. This app has over 2.5 million people utilizing it globally.
He claims that it is not a "deficiency of our human capacities" which leads many of us to continually monitor our social media accounts.
Meta employs hundreds of PhDs and behavioural scientists to increase the stimulating nature of their apps, such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. This puts the regular person at a disadvantage.
Mr Stutzman remarks that he is glad to "employ technology to counter technology".
Freedom reported a considerable upsurge in its user base over the course of the pandemic, 50% growth in 2020, and the addition of 500,000 new users in 2021. It is said that Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are the platforms most frequently blocked.
Mark Channon, a productivity and mindset coach, recommends starting with small adjustments to one's routine if they wish to improve their focus without relying on apps. "For creating lasting change and establishing habits," he suggests, "start small."
If you do not wish to make YouTube viewing a habit, cultivate other habits that are beneficial for you. Being able to recognize and resist distractions is essential. As soon as you take a seat at your computer in the morning, ask yourself, ‘What is the most vital task for me to accomplish today?’ Then, be sure to adhere to your response.
Vladimir Druts, co-founder of FocusMe, considers it essential to give more consideration to social media addiction. As he states: "Drug addiction or gambling tend to be the main areas people concentrate on. But we often overlook how enslaved to our gadgets and electronic supports we have become."
Mr Druts considers monk mode to be an antidote to the present culture of seeking immediate gratification. He notes that "the trend nowadays is to find ways to make millions overnight; monk mode is a way to counter this mindset, and a reminder that progress is only possible if you are consistent and persistent with your efforts." It's going to be difficult to remember what's real and what isn't," he says.
Going forward, with the advancement of AI, Mr Druts predicts that tech interruptions will only escalate. "AI is augmenting the amount of material out there. It might be tricky to tell apart what is real and what is not," he said.
There will be a huge increase in the number of apps appealing for your attention. Monk mode will undoubtedly become increasingly popular.
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