Summary
- Hatch Restore 3 mimics sunrise, enhances sleep, and offers a $5/month Hatch+ subscription.
- Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station charges Apple devices faster for $110, or a $32 alternative.
- The Brick app blocks distracting apps by physically tapping the phone onto the device for improved productivity.
I, like many other older Gen-Zers, have a problem: I’m addicted to my phone. I can’t get away from it. Every five seconds, I tap my phone screen to see what the time is or if I happen to get a super important Instagram message from someone (spoiler alert: I never do).
The problem has become so bad that I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night just to look at my phone, which I obviously charge right next to my bed. One day, when I was scrolling on my phone during the third hour of working on an article that should’ve only taken me one hour to write, I decided enough was enough. If I’m not going to have enough self-control to put my phone down while I’m working, I’ll need to search for other devices to help.
What is Apple Screen Time and how does it work?
Apple’s Screen Time looks to address your digital health. Here’s everything you need to know.
I tried downloading different apps meant to help with productivity and screen time. I even tried putting a limit on my screen time for each app, but everything was too easy to overhaul. After one month of testing out different ways to limit my screen time, I think I finally cracked the code. The Hatch Restore 3, Anker 622 Magnetic Battery Phone Stand, and Brick are the perfect three items that reduce my screen time while I work and before bed. If you’re looking to do the same so you can stop and smell the roses, here are my top recommendations for products to reduce your screen time.
This all-in-one productivity app will change the way you use your phone
Anytype can be a home for notes, contacts, tasks, and much more across phones, tablets, and computers.
1 Hatch Restore 3
Wake up with the sun no matter where you go
Hatch Sleep
I’m starting off strong here with my favorite product on the list: the Hatch Restore 3. I only got the Hatch alarm clock at the beginning of January, and now I can’t live without it. The Hatch Restore 3 is Hatch’s newest alarm clock, and is built for a phone-free night of sleep. One unique feature of the alarm clock is its ability to recreate a “sunrise.”
Using the Hatch app, users can set their alarm, choose a sound to wake up to and choose the color of their personal sunrise. Once your alarm is set, you can put your phone away and catch those z’s. In the morning, a half hour before your alarm is meant to go off, the “sun” will slowly begin to “rise.” When it’s time to wake up, the tone will gradually begin to play and the light will fully be shinning.
Hatch Restore 2 didn’t fix my mornings, but it’s a nighttime game-changer
It might be pricey, but the viral Hatch alarm completes my nightstand tour, morning and night routines, and combats my mid-day slump.
Hatch users can stick with the basic version of the app without the Hatch+ subscription, but I think it’s the Hatch+ subscription that truly sets the alarm clock apart from the competition. The Hatch+ subscription gives you access to Hatch’s full library of sounds, meditations, and even stories to set your own “unwind” routine before bed. When I went to Nashville to visit friends, I had a hard time falling asleep without the clock becaue of this particular facet of my new sleep routine.
I set my unwind routine to be a 15-minute pop culture podcast called “I’ll Scroll 4 U” which leads into a sleep meditation which then fades into a soothing harp sound. The Hatch+ costs $5/month, which is an annoying fee to pay when the alarm clock itself already costs $170, but it’s so worth it.
Hatch Restore 3
Hatch Restore 3 is Hatch Sleep’s latest alarm clock, which allows users to avoid using their phones completely at bedtime. The alarm clock allows users to set custom chimes and to “rise with the sun” as light begins to rise thirty minutes before it’s time to wake up.
2 Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station
Charge your phone away from your nightstand
A trick I’ve discovered to keep myself off the phone while I’m sleeping and working is to charge my phone using a phone stand on my desk rather than a charging cord on my nightstand. Using a phone stand kept far away from me proves the power of the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.”
The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station is my favorite phone stand I’ve ever owned. The charging stand has the ability to charge three Apple devices at once — at a shockingly fast rate, too. According to Anker’s website, the stand can charge an iPhone up to 20% in just 15 minutes, and it can charge an Apple Watch to 47% in 30 minutes.
Anker’s folding MagGo wireless charger is a sturdy device for niche users
The 6,600mAh Anker MagGo power bank with foldable stand is a neat design serving a niche purpose.
The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station comes along with a hefty $109 price tag, but if you’re in need of a durable phone charger, then I highly recommend it.
If you’re looking for cheaper alternatives, the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery Phone Stand costs $32 and still charges your phone at a fast speed.
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station
The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Stand can charge three devices at once at a speed faster than before.
3 Brick
Block out distracting apps
After seeing the Brick all over my TikTok and Instagram feeds, I needed to try it out for myself. The Brick is meant to be a more fool-proof way to block distracting apps on your phone while working. When the small cubic device arrives, you don’t need to charge it or anything, simply scan a QR code, download the Brick app and set what apps you want to block. Then, you need to tap your phone with the Brick device to temporarily block all desired apps until you tap your phone to the Brick again to unblock them.
When I first began using the Brick, I didn’t think it would actually stop me from scrolling on social media. However, having to physically tap my phone to the device proved to be revolutionary for my productivity. It may seem like hyperbole, but no amount of screen time managing apps have come close to helping me stay on track as the Brick has. Of course, occasionally I’m still desperate enough to unblock Instagram, but using the Brick makes me think twice before doing so.
Brick
Brick allows users to create custom lists of apps they want to block to increase productivity. To block and unblock the apps, users need to tap their phone to the device.
