I’m Kayla, and I like hard resets. The kind that scare you a little. So I tried “extreme monk mode” for 30 days last winter. It wasn’t cute. But it worked in ways I didn’t expect.
If you’re curious how another experimenter handled a similarly intense sprint, take a peek at what happened when someone else went extreme monk mode for 30 days.
I’ll share the real stuff—what I cut, what broke, what healed, and the tools that got me through. You know what? It was both too much and just right.
Why I Did This To Myself
By January, my brain felt loud. I kept doom-scrolling at night. My work sprints dragged. I said yes to too many things. My screen time was up, my mood was down, and my pants were snug. Not my finest season.
I’d read Deep Work by Cal Newport years ago and loved it. But I let it slip. So I set rules that felt strict on purpose. I wanted to see what focus could do when it wasn’t a theory.
The contrast was helpful after reading about a more balanced 30-day reset in this honest take on full monk mode—what helped and what hurt.
Research on the practice backs it up—according to the World Economic Forum, adopting a “monk mode” sprint can significantly boost productivity when distractions are stripped away (source).
My Rules (The “Extreme” Part)
- Wake at 5:30 a.m. Lights out by 9:30 p.m.
- No social media. Phone on grayscale. Widgets gone.
- No alcohol. No sugar before noon. Black coffee only.
- One hour of deep work, twice a day. Headphones on.
- Daily movement: 45-minute walk or gym. No excuses.
- 10 pages of reading. Paper book if possible.
- Journal one page. Keep it plain and honest.
- One “big thing” at work. Finish it before lunch.
- Two social windows a week. That’s it.
- Sunday reset: plan, groceries, laundry, long walk.
If it sounds strict—yep. That was the point.
The Setup (Tools That Kept Me Honest)
For extra accountability, I also skimmed guides on Monkify, which aggregates focus tools and minimalism tactics in one tidy hub.
- Forest app to block my phone and grow silly trees.
- Freedom on my laptop to block news and feeds.
- Notion for my “One Big Thing” and a tiny habit board.
- Streaks app for a simple chain. Green boxes make me happy.
- Bose noise-canceling headphones. Life saver.
- Paper index cards for to-do triage. One card per day.
- Kindle at night, lamp with warm light. No blue glow.
- Garmin watch to track steps and sleep. I ignored the “Body Battery” when it yelled at me, but it did help.
I also set my iPhone to grayscale. It made Instagram look like old bread. I didn’t want it. That helped more than I expected.
Dating apps were off the table too; the endless swipe is engineered to tug at dopamine, and the lure of risqué profile photos can derail a focus sprint—if you’re curious why the swipe-and-scroll loop feels so magnetic, this breakdown of Tinder nudes explains how visual temptation drives engagement and shares practical pointers for keeping your attention (and camera roll) in check. Likewise, classifieds-style hookup boards can become a surprise rabbit hole when you’re supposed to be in deep work; a quick scroll through Backpage Winter Park reveals a curated directory of local personal ads along with safety tips for meeting offline, giving you insight into how easily time (and focus) can slip if you don’t set boundaries.
Week 1: The Crash and the Click
Day 1: My alarm hit at 5:30. I wanted to throw it. I got up anyway. I wrote my page. It was messy. I wrote, “I don’t want to do this,” three times. Then I made black coffee. Bitter, then fine.
At work, I blocked Slack for 90 minutes and did a backlog review. I shipped a spec that had been haunting me for two weeks. That felt like magic. Or maybe it was just quiet.
Day 3, I got a headache around 3 p.m. Sugar cravings. I ate almonds and cursed the almonds. That night, I slept like a rock.
Turns out some people double down on monk mode by sleeping less, which blew my mind after reading this short experiment that tested monk mode with reduced sleep.
Day 5, my friend texted, “Drinks?” I said, “Walk?” We did a night loop with beanies on. We laughed more than usual. Winter air helps. So does no bar noise.
Week 2: The Boredom Wall
The work wins continued. I finished a user guide that I had been dragging through mud. I built a content calendar that actually matched our deadlines. A small miracle.
But boredom hit. I stared at walls. I reached for my phone out of habit and found… nothing. That empty feeling? It was loud. I walked around the block. I called my grandma. She told me to “wear socks” like it was the secret to life. Maybe it is. My feet were warmer and so was my heart.
Saturday, I slipped. I watched game highlights for 40 minutes. It felt like eating frosting with a spoon. Sweet, then blah. I logged it. No shame, just facts.
Week 3: Quiet Confidence, Weird Joy
By week three, the mornings felt smoother. My focus came on faster. I could sit and write for 45 minutes straight with no itch. I finished a pitch deck in one session. That never happens for me.
I also noticed tiny joys. Hot showers felt kinder. The sound of my kettle made me smile. I know that sounds cheesy. I don’t care. The world felt less sharp, more round.
I added a little strength plan: three sets of push, pull, squat, twice a week. Simple, clean. My mood rose. My sleep got deeper. My Garmin would buzz “Good night.” I’d smirk, like, “Thanks, watch.”
Reading about someone who stretched monk mode to 90 days made me wonder how far the benefits (and discomforts) could go—here’s a deep dive into a full three-month monk mode.
Week 4: The Tradeoffs Show Up
The hard part hit here. A birthday dinner came up. Everyone ordered wine. I had seltzer with lime and a steak. I felt proud and also kind of left out. Both can be true.
Also, my strict social windows made me miss a last-minute hang with my sister. That didn’t sit right. She said, “I just wanted fries and a rant.” I heard her. Extreme can cut the wrong way.
It reminded me of a popular YouTube creator’s take—Hamza’s 30-day monk mode—and how he balanced social trade-offs with discipline.
At work, though? Wild. I cleared a month of nagging tasks. I cleaned my inbox to zero for the first time since… college? My brain felt like a clean desk. I’m not saying I’ll keep it that clean. But now I know what it can look like.
Real Wins I Didn’t Expect
- My skin got calmer. Less sugar, more water, more sleep. The trio works.
- My grocery bill went down. Simple food, home meals, fewer “treat runs.”
- I read two books. Actual paper. I remembered more. I underlined with a pencil, like a nerd, and felt proud.
- I became less reactive. Slack pings didn’t rule me. Meetings felt lighter because my big work was done before lunch.
The Parts That Kind of Stunk
- I missed the silly stuff. Memes with friends. Short reels. That micro-fun matters.
- I felt rigid. Plans are nice; people are nicer. I had to adjust.
- The “no sugar before noon” rule made me odd at team bagel day. I wanted the blueberry. I ate eggs. It was fine, but I missed the joy.
What I Changed After Day 30
Here’s the thing: I kept the core, but eased the edges.
- Social apps stay blocked on weekdays till 5 p.m. Nights and weekends are open.
- One drink on a date or a birthday is okay. No guilt.
- I keep two deep work blocks on Mon, Tue, Thu. Wednesday is for meetings and small tasks. Friday is float.
- I allow one “silly scroll” session on Sunday. Timer set. Done.