I’m Kayla, and I actually did this. I went full monk mode for 90 days. It wasn’t perfect. It was weird. It worked. And yes, I learned where it breaks.
If you’d like the blow-by-blow account—with daily logs, screen-time charts, and all the gritty details—you can read the full write-up here: my complete 90-day monk-mode breakdown.
Before we dive in, you can check out a helpful overview from Forbes on how “monk mode” can supercharge productivity if you want more context on why the concept has gotten so popular.
I’ll share how I got in, what rules I used, my real days, and where I messed up. I’ll also share a simple plan you can try this week. No fluff. Just what happened.
What “Monk Mode” Meant for Me
For me, monk mode means this: one big goal, fewer choices, quiet days. Fewer pings, more work. Think: a clean desk, a small set of rules, and a clear clock. Not a cave. Not a boot camp. More like a season.
I started in March, when the rain made it easier to stay inside. I wanted to ship my UX portfolio and write three case studies. That was my North Star.
The Rules I Set (And Kept Most Days)
I wrote five rules on a sticky note and stuck it on my door.
- One goal only: UX portfolio. No new side quests.
- Phone stays in the kitchen from 8 a.m. to noon.
- Social plans: one night a week, max.
- No alcohol, no news scroll, no YouTube rabbit holes.
- Sleep by 10:30 p.m., wake at 6:30 a.m. every day.
I realized that my late-night Instagram habit usually spiraled into staring at thirst-trap posts and nude selfies—if you want a quick primer on why those images are so irresistible, this brief guide to nude selfies—lays out the psychology and visual hooks behind them, helping you understand how a “just five minutes” scroll can morph into a full-blown distraction cycle.
Similarly, if your boredom scroll tends to shift from social media over to local personals—maybe you’re in North Carolina and catch yourself poking around Cary listings—taking two intentional minutes to browse a vetted hub like Backpage Cary can surface every legitimate option in one tidy place, sparing you from sketchy pop-ups and letting you quickly decide whether you truly want to meet someone or simply close the laptop and go to bed.
Tools that helped:
- Freedom app to block sites on my laptop.
- Forest for 45-minute focus blocks.
- Focusmate for body-double sessions.
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for noise.
- A cheap kitchen timer. Loud, but honest.
You know what? The timer mattered more than the fancy stuff. If you crave an all-in-one focus cockpit, check out Monkify—its combo of site blocking and streak tracking would have saved me from installing three separate apps.
How I Entered Monk Mode (Day 0 to Day 7)
Day 0, a Sunday: I cleared my desk. I closed 23 browser tabs. I put my phone in a shoebox and left the box on top of the fridge. Silly, but it worked. I told two friends and my mom, “I’m going quiet for a while. If I ghost you, I’m not mad. I’m focused.”
Day 1, I wanted to quit by 10 a.m. Muscle memory is strong. I kept reaching for my phone, like a twitch. Freedom blocked Instagram. I got mad at an app. Then I laughed. Then I opened Figma and wrote a boring header. Small wins count.
Day 3, I hit my first wall. Rain. Low mood. I wanted ramen and Netflix. I used Focusmate for two hours. Just seeing a stranger on my screen kept me honest. I shipped one wireframe. Then I took a 20-minute walk, no music, just rain. I came back calmer. My brain felt like a snowplow had cleared a lane.
Day 7, I went to a coffee shop with foam earplugs and my Sony cans over them. Double quiet. I wrote a case study outline in one sit. I also skipped brunch. My friend teased me, but she got it. I told her, “Give me 12 Sundays. I’ll buy pancakes after.”
My Daily Routine (Most Days, Not All)
- 6:30 a.m. Wake, stretch, tea. No phone.
- 7:00 a.m. 10-minute walk. I look at trees. Sounds corny. It helps.
- 7:30 a.m. Plan three tasks on an index card. Just three.
- 8:00 a.m. Deep work block (Forest timer, 45/15).
- 10:00 a.m. Snack. Stand. Refill water.
- 10:15 a.m. Deep work block.
- Noon Lunch. Phone check for 20 minutes.
- 12:30 p.m. Admin or light tasks. Email. Figma tidy.
- 2:00 p.m. Focusmate session if I’m dragging.
- 3:00 p.m. One more 45-minute push.
- 4:00 p.m. Walk, light lift, or yoga. I used Down Dog app.
- 6:30 p.m. Dinner. Read on my Kindle Paperwhite.
- 9:30 p.m. Shower, stretch, notes for tomorrow.
- 10:30 p.m. Lights out.
Did I nail this daily? Nope. But hitting 80% still moved the needle.
Real Wins (Numbers, So You Know I’m Not Guessing)
- Wrote 31,400 words across three UX case studies.
- Cut screen time by 41% per week (iOS report).
- Shipped my portfolio by week 11.
- Slept an average of 7 hours 28 minutes (Oura ring).
- Said no to 9 invites. Said yes to 4. Felt rude once. Survived.
Work felt cleaner. Fewer tabs. Less noise. My brain stopped buzzing at night. I even saved money, because I wasn’t out late buying mocktails and fries.
A recent World Economic Forum piece highlights how this kind of focused “monk mode” approach is spreading as a data-backed way to boost productivity, so it’s not just me seeing these gains.
The Hard Parts (Let’s Be Honest)
- Loneliness sneaks in. By week 4, I missed my people. I felt flat on two nights each week.
- Rigid rules break you. One day I binged three hours of YouTube. After, I felt gross. I reset with a walk and one page in my notebook: What happened? What do I need? Usually it was food or a nap.
- Tight shoulders. Sitting that long hurts. A lacrosse ball under my shoulder blade saved me.
- Partner friction. My spouse wanted movie nights. I blocked Friday for us. That helped a lot.
I thought monk mode needed zero fun. That was wrong. It needed small, planned fun.
How To Enter Monk Mode (My Simple Starter Plan)
Curious about a condensed trial run before you commit to the full season? Here’s a look at how Hamza tackled a 30-day monk-mode sprint: Hamza’s 30-day experiment.
- Pick one clear goal for 30 to 90 days.
- “Finish my portfolio.”
- “Write 20,000 words.”
- “Apply to 30 roles.”
- Set five rules you can keep.
- Phone home base, sleep, social limit, site blocks, one focus block each morning.
- Create a start and stop ritual.
- Start: tea, timer, headphones, one index card.
- Stop: write tomorrow’s three tasks, close the laptop, put phone away.
- Tell two people.
- Text: “I’m in monk mode for 6 weeks. If I’m slow to reply, it’s on purpose.”
- Use two tools max.
- Example: Freedom + a kitchen timer. More tools can be a trap.
- Do a weekly review on Sunday.
- What worked? What broke? What one tweak will I try next week?
Odd Little Tricks That Worked For Me
- Same hoodie and jeans each morning. Fewer choices, less fuss.
- One mug I love. Sounds silly. Feels grounding.
- A cinnamon candle when I start. Brain smells, brain knows.
- Rule of Three: only three tasks per day. Everything else is bonus.
- Put snacks on a tray at 9:55 a.m. If it’s ready, I don’t go roam.
A Quick Case Study From My Week 6
Tuesday. I hit a snag. A recruiter wanted a new layout by Thursday. I felt the panic rise. I wrote one line on a sticky note