If you haven't heard about Clearspace, some stats to get you started:

• #3 product of the day on @ProductHunt

• Backed by Ycombinator (startup-accelerator)

• Founded by 2 software engineers @rbfasho and @_oliver_hill

Clearspace has 2 main features:

1. Block and limit distracting apps on your phone

2. Use physical exercise for guilt-free scroll time

My problem: I am not in control of my time

Relying on willpower to stop compulsive phone use is useless

Trying not to open my phone and social media apps is super difficult

We've all been there → 5 minutes magically turned into 1 hour of scrolling

I'm not against social media and tech

I don't want to use a dumb phone

I want to grow an audience on social platforms

Social media and tech are great for certain usage

The problem arises when I'm getting sucked into it

The endless scrolling happened for a long time, resulting in:

• Low attention span

• Can't get into a flow state

• Inability to reach deep focus

• Very poor quality of deep work

Meaningless and unfulfilling existence

Clearspace solved 3 specific problems I faced:

1. Enforcer mechanism to stop doom-scrolling

2. The ultimate friction layer for screen time

3. Better reward system for scroll time

Let's dive into each👇️

1. Enforcer mechanism to stop doom-scrolling

Relying on willpower to stop doom-scrolling is a suicide mission

You can't compete with social media platforms that exploit human psychology

Clearspace offers a more effective approach by blocking out distracting apps entirely

In my case, I try to limit the usage of:

• Twitter

• YouTube

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

I can't open these apps anytime I want anymore

Enforcing me to stop my compulsive scrolling habit

2. The ultimate friction layer for screen time

Friction → a buffer layer that confronts impulsive actions of screen time usage

Using Clearspace makes opening an app feel irritating

And that's exactly what I aim for

Excluding the effortless sensation social media give

Clearspace uses layers of buffers through:

• Quota for apps

• Breathing exercise

• App time usage limitation

Forcing me to ask myself a fundamental question:

"Do I really want to open this app now?"

Most of the time, the answer is no

3. Better reward system for screen time

You can do a challenge on Clearspace to turn physical activities into screen time usage:

• Push-up to scroll

• Step to scroll

For a number of push-ups/steps → rewards in the form of scrolling time

I have tried both of the challenges, and it switches my reward system

Before: opening social media to get cheap dopamine

Now: completing a push-up or walking steps first to open social media

I get a dopamine hit from the physical exercise, not from opening the apps anymore

Bam - That's all!

I'm a big believer in techs and apps that actually help you live a better life

@getclearspace is one of them

Give it a try!

They offer a 7-day free trial:

https://www.getclearspace.com/