I did a full 30 days of monk mode this spring. No half steps. I set rules, made a plan, and told two friends so I wouldn’t bail. Did it fix my life? No. Did it help a lot? Yes. Weird, right?
Why I Tried It
I felt scattered. My screen time was 4 hours a day. My writing was stuck. I was tired but also wired. My coffee got cold while I scrolled. You know what? I was just fed up.
I’d heard about monk mode from a video by Iman Gadzhi and a thread on Reddit. I also devoured this detailed breakdown of a 30-day monk mode sprint that laid out what worked, what flopped, and what actually stuck. For a more formal perspective, Forbes offers a concise overview of how to be highly productive by going into ‘monk mode’ that nudged me to test the concept myself.
My Rules (Simple but strict)
- Wake up at 5:45 a.m. (even on weekends)
- No social media (I deleted Instagram and TikTok)
- 60 minutes of deep work each morning before email
- Gym 4 days a week (20 minutes lifting, 20 minutes walking)
- No booze, no candy, no chips
- Read 30 minutes a night (Kindle only, blue light off)
- Journal 5 lines daily (Notion template)
- One treat meal on Saturday
That’s it. Not easy. But clear.
Tools That Saved Me (and my sanity)
- Freedom app to block sites from 6 a.m. to noon
- Forest timer for my 25/5 work blocks
- Notion for habit tracking and a short daily log
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones (noise off, lo-fi on)
- A cheap flip phone on Sundays (yep, I went there)
- Streaks app for the little wins
And because I wanted everything in one clean dashboard, I signed up for Monkify, which bundles habit tracking, focus timers, and community check-ins into a single “digital dojo” for monk mode.
Week 1: Ouch
Day 1, I got a sugar headache. Day 2, I almost opened Instagram six times out of muscle memory. My thumb just moved. I felt bored. Also twitchy. But I slept 45 minutes more on average. That part was nice. Reading about someone else’s slip-ups during their first week kept me from feeling like a failure.
A small win: I wrote 927 words on a blog post. My normal was 300. I used a Pomodoro timer and hid my phone in the pantry like a guilty snack.
Week 2: The first bright spot
I found a groove. I did my best work from 6:15 to 7:30 a.m. The house was quiet. My cat sat on the keyboard twice, which felt personal, but I kept going.
By Friday:
- Screen time: 1 hour, 12 minutes a day
- Words written: 4,600 for the week
- Steps: 8,300 a day (thanks to “fake walks” while I called my mom)
I read two chapters of Atomic Habits at night. I slept faster. No scrolling, no rabbit holes, no drama.
Week 3: The slump
I hit a wall on Day 17. Cravings came back. I wanted fries. And gossip. And everything fast and loud. I missed memes.
I almost quit after a long work call and a rainy Monday. I grabbed a Coke Zero, put on a baseball game in the background, and told myself, “You can be strict tomorrow.” Then I stopped. I took a 10-minute slow walk with no phone. That reset me. Not magic—just quiet. One writer’s honest take on how full monk mode both helped and hurt during his own 30-day push reminded me that the midpoint dip is normal.
I wasn’t perfect that week. But I didn’t break the big rules.
Week 4: The proof
The last stretch felt…clean. Not easy, but steady. I shipped a client report three days early. I cut a draft that wasn’t working, then wrote a better one in one morning. I even noticed the coffee tasted like chocolate again. Funny detail, but true.
I had a wedding on Saturday. I stuck to my treat meal. I danced. I drank sparkling water with lime. Zero shame.
Real Results (no fluff)
- Writing: from 300 words/day to 900-1,100
- Screen time: from 4h 12m to 1h 05m
- Sleep: +47 minutes a night, fewer 2 a.m. wake-ups
- Mood: fewer spikes, fewer slumps
- Gym: 14/16 planned sessions
- Reading: finished two books (Atomic Habits and Range)
Seeing the compounding gains described by someone who extended the experiment to 90 days makes me curious about a longer run.
What Surprised Me
- Boredom is loud. It passes at the 12-minute mark.
- Mornings are gold, but only if I set them up the night before. Clothes out, notebook open, mug ready.
- Saying “no” to small stuff made the big work feel lighter.
- I missed memes less than I missed texting my sister. So I added short, real calls. That helped.
What I’d Change Next Time
- I’d keep social on Sundays only, not zero. I like baby photos.
- I’d add a “fun hour” twice a week. Lego, guitar, or baking. Something with hands, not screens.
- I’d make a “bad day plan” card. Short nap, slow walk, easy meal, early bed. No thinking.
One temptation I didn't see coming was the urge for a little late-night flirting once the loneliness crept in. Scheduling that impulse kept it from hijacking my focus; dedicating a single 30-minute window on Saturday to browse an adult dating site like MeetNFuck offered a controlled outlet for social energy without wrecking the rest of my monk-mode rules. The platform’s straightforward, no-small-talk approach helps you connect quickly with nearby singles, so you can scratch the itch and then return to your goals.
For nights when you want something even more local and low-key, exploring a regional classifieds option such as the Backpage Meriden listings can put you in touch with people right in your neighborhood, letting you satisfy your social side without straying far from your monk-mode framework.
Who Should Try It
- You’re stuck and tired of your own excuses.
- You want to write, code, study, or create, and you keep getting pulled away.
- You like clear rules for a short burst.
Wider research, including the World Economic Forum’s exploration of what “monk mode” is and how it can boost your productivity, suggests that these focused sprints can benefit most knowledge workers, especially when adapted to individual constraints.
If you’re a fan of Hamza’s approach, this candid recap of following his exact monk mode rules for 30 days will give you a clear picture of what to expect.
If your job needs social media all day, try soft rules: block apps in the early morning, then allow them during work hours only. Keep your one treat window.
The Hard Parts
- It can feel lonely. Plan check-ins with a friend.
- The world keeps buzzing around you. FOMO knocks.
- Perfection thinking shows up. Don’t buy it. Win the day, not the story.
The Good Parts
- Time opens up. It’s wild.
- Your brain quiets. Not silent, but soft.
- You remember what you actually like. For me: early light, warm mugs, clean sentences.
My Bottom Line
I won’t live in monk mode forever. That’s not the point. But a tight 30-day cycle? I’d do it again. I kept two habits: morning deep work and no phone after 9 p.m. Those alone paid for the whole thing.
Would I recommend it? Yes—if you set simple rules, use real tools, and give yourself one small treat. Go strict, not harsh. Leave room for life. And if your coffee tastes like chocolate again, that’s your sign it’s working.