Wellness
Its helped me lock in.
Staying off your phone often requires a Herculean effort.
Its also why you might need to be guilt-tripped into giving it up.
The virtual trees wither and die if you use your phone.
As the timer ticks down, a little seed grows into a tree.
If you use your phone, nothing gets added to the forest but a sad, withered stump.
The app has several motivating features.
you could also add a competition factor by sharing your forest with friends.
That way, you see who has the most trees.
Its all the more reason to focus.
Why Does It Work?
Gamified apps, like Forest, use reward-based psychology to encourage positive habits, she tells Bustle.
Growing a virtual forest provides a sense of accomplishment and taps into our intrinsic motivation to nurture.
Even though your digital tree isnt real, it feels bad to let it die.
And the eco-friendly angle might also reel you in.
If I forget and pick up my phone, the screen says, Stop phubbing!
or Dont look at me!
or it gives me a very stern, Put your phone down.
Its a cute reminder, especially since I seem to grab my phone absent-mindedly every few minutes.
(The struggle is real.)
Its nice to have these chunks of focus time while I work.
While Forest is a productivity app, its also been helping me focus in other realms.
The Takeaway
Check out my forest!
(Ignore the withered stump.)
Source:
Jeanne Cross, licensed therapist, owner ofEMDR Center of Denver
