Every week, I work with dozens of students in executive function coaching sessions. That’s a lot of projects to keep track of, schedules to manage, and questions to answer. But one question keeps coming up from nearly every single student I have the honor of coaching: Do you have any recommendations for ways to reduce distractions on my phone?
As adults, we might think that kids are “obsessed” with their phones, but I often hear something very different. Many of the high school and college students I work with, share with me that their phones have a “dark side”: nearly endless distractions, constant updates/reminders/notifications, and mindless processes that seem to vacuum time away into nothing. Students often tell me that they sometimes hate their phones, because it seems that there’s nothing really productive about them, but they need to be able to check essential apps for school. The problem seems to arise during the pick-up: though a kid might pick up a phone to check the school app, the first click will likely be on something else that’s distracting.
So, that’s where the ask comes from: What really is out there that truly helps with productivity and reduces the “doomscrolling” we all engage in, at some point?
I always share with my students that reducing screen time is one of my biggest personal goals, and it’s something I’m constantly working on. I share with students and families that during the lockdown of the pandemic, I was GLUED to my phone, racking up screen time that sometimes exceeded 8 hours per day. When the lockdown ended, and routines were returning, my phone use didn’t go down. I was locked into a really bad set of habits, and I was soon mired in the problems those habits created. I was losing hours for both the things I needed to do (my work, things around my house) and the things I love doing (knitting, spending time with my family, chatting with friends, playing video games, reading). So, I started hunting for the best apps out there to supercharge productivity. These are, therefore, not apps that I’ve seen advertised; rather, these are vetted, because I use these every day and also regularly recommend them to my students.
Since the lockdown, I’ve put a lot of effort into achieving my productivity goal, and I now limit my daily screen time to 3 hours or less. I love that my phone isn’t distracting me, and I also appreciate that when I pick it up, I have some apps that help me track my productivity while keeping me motivated. All of the apps listed below have both free and paid versions. The discussion of the apps focuses on the free version, because that’s what I tend to use. Paid features might unlock more of what you personally want out of an app to help with productivity, but by starting with the free version, you can see what you’d like to customize!
Opal App
Opal is an app that helps you gain control over the way you use your phone. Using Opal, you identify apps that are particularly distracting. You can also use Opal for a while, without any blocks, to identify which apps “suck away” the most significant amount of time, because Opal tracks — down to the minute — how long you spend on each app.
I use the free version of this app. The free version allows you to lock down up to two distracting apps. It also allows you to create time blocks to block these apps, and you can set up an “instant block” that you can access at any time to regain focus.
On my phone, I have identified my two biggest “time vacuum apps.” I lock these from 9-5 every single weekday. I have also set up an automatic block that will unlock after 10 hours. This is a great option if I’m “doomscrolling” at night and want to avoid picking up my phone to access an app. It’s also great to use on my off days, so I don’t waste my downtime on something like social media. All of these features are available in the free version, and it’s the only version I use. I also appreciate that Opal provides me with a daily and weekly view of my screen time, allowing me to make better choices in the future. Opal helped me reduce my screen time from a minimum of 8 hours/day to a maximum of 3 hours/day.
Focus Friend App
Focus Friend is an app designed to help with phone distractions, developed by Hank Green. It’s a very cute app that’s part productivity helper and part virtual pet. When you open Focus Friend, you meet a cute kidney bean with an issue: This bean loves knitting, but it often gets distracted. By using a timer on the app, Focus Friend temporarily locks your phone, and your new bean buddy gets to knit.
Focus Friend allows you to block your phone for up to 2 hours, with two options: You can fully lock your phone (can’t access anything), or you can toggle the “deep focus” mode that allows for some essential apps, such as the maps app, the web browser, and the app to make phone calls. You can also unlock additional features that allow you to customize “deep focus” to allow apps that you personally need/, without being distracting.
I have purchased the full version of this app and customized it to allow me to access my audiobook and music apps, while blocking everything that’s a “time suck.” Focus Friend is also a “virtual pet” type app. The bean (I named mine Beatrice) will give you what it knits, and you can use those little socks and scarves to decorate its room with furniture, posters, plants, and other goodies.
Although this app is relatively new, my students have responded positively to it and are using it frequently. They appreciate that they can toggle the block in increments of up to 2 hours, which makes it an ideal way to achieve significant focus for studying. It can also be paired with a Pomodoro timer to create a way to block some of that almost “reflex-like” phone pick-up use. If they happen to, unthinkingly, pick up the phone…well…they can’t access anything. I personally use Focus Friend at night, when my phone will distract me from reading or winding down to sleep.
Finch App
Finch is a self-care virtual pet app where you adopt a little lonely bird who needs someone to help it grow. Finch starts off with general self-care goals: get out of bed, stretch, brush your teeth, and go outside. But the real power of this app comes when you identify goals that you want to hit every day. They can be productivity goals or personal goals. As you hit them, you report to your little bird (mine is named Niobe), and you can use the “energy” from your completed tasks to “feather the nest” or to buy little clothes and accessories.
I’ve set mine up with personal daily productivity goals, such as completing all of my writing tasks, hitting deadlines, and using my standing desk during each hour. The app features various modules that offer helpful tools, including calming breathing exercises that you can follow.
You can also join with friends who use it if you need some real-life accountability help. I actually use Finch with a friend of mine, as we are each other’s “accountability buddy” for some of our goals as new homeowners (like not spending a ton of money on cute Halloween decorations until some of the more essential things are paid off/paid down!).
I have students who use this to keep track of goals, such as turning in work, making time for meals, taking daily reading/study hours, and getting enough sleep. Finch, like other apps, offers a paid version; however, the free version allows for extensive customization of goals, making it a great way to track things within the free app.
Coaching Students to Focus Smarter and Study More Effectively
In today’s tech-heavy world, it’s no wonder that focus can feel harder than ever to find. Between constant notifications and endless online distractions, even the most motivated students can struggle to stay on task. Through personalized, one-on-one support, our executive function coaching program helps students build the focus, organization, and study strategies they need to thrive both on and off their screens.
Ready to help your student take back their focus? Schedule a free call today.
About Our Guest Author
Rachael Moss is an Executive Function Coach & Professional Development Specialist at Educational Connections.
She previously worked as a teacher at both the high school and college levels.
Rachael holds a Master’s Degree in Literature and another in Secondary Education, English from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.