Introduction
I know, I know. We’ve all seen one of Opal’s ads while doomscrolling Instagram at 1 AM. They seem like they’re promising you a life full of double rainbows, fairies, and endless sunshine for the price of half your screentime. A little drastic? Maybe. But Opal works pleasantly well for those who just can’t hop off Reels, TikTok, or maybe even LinkedIn during important hours. However, I find that Opal has some creative uses that go beyond simply imprisoning your apps. With Opal, you can bop it, twist it, and pull it. Let’s see what I mean…
What Is It?
Opal is a focus app that helps you stay off distracting apps and be more intentional with your time. No need to delete your apps. Just block them with Opal.
Block apps and websites during scheduled focus sessions
Create different modes and times for block (work, study, sleep)
Optional “deep focus” modes that are hard to override.
How Do You Use It?
Now here’s what I meant from before.
Bop It
Run productivity experiments like blocking neutral apps such as email, calendar, or even Google and see how your day gets better or worse. Or block distracting apps either in the morning or night to see when you’d like to spend your time online more. You try something for only a day (bop it), and if it doesn’t work, you can try something else (drop it).
Twist It
Instead of using Opal as a “punishment” by making the focus disabling distracting app, use it as a reward. Make pleasure apps feel like a reward by making them only accessible during a part of the day. Treat it as if blocked apps are the norm and when they’re unblocked, it’s like a gift for yourself. It’ll take time to adjust to, but after that you’ll feel 10x as productive.
Pull It
Have only the apps that help you for the task that you’re doing enabled. If you’re at the gym, enable only Spotify and Fitbod. Studying for a test? Quizlet and ChatGPT (😉). Basically, use Opal to pull your attention to the task at hand. No more calculating your macros while studying for that 50%-of-your-grade final tomorrow.
What Does It Replace?
It’s no secret now that Opal is an absolute weapon for being your most productive self. But you can always save time by losing the alternatives, and time is productivity.
Manually enabling Screen Time every time you want to concentrate
Janky Chrome Extensions that break down or don’t work on mobile
Locking your phone in another room (Will miss your calls/texts or need the important apps)
Willpower alone:
“You underestimate my power!” - Anakin
“Don’t try it.” - Obi-Wan