New Years resolutions

Every January we procrastinate over New Years resolutions before finally deciding if we have any or not. One of the more popular ones is taking part in Dry January where we abstain from alcohol for a month. Other popular ones include quitting smoking and going for daily walks.

Admirable as they are a new resolution is becoming more popular and that is doing a digital detox. Some of you might be wondering what a digital detox is, well it's where you voluntary step away from digital devices for a certain period. The digital devices I mentioned include computers, smartphones, and social media.

The main reasons why people partake in a digital detox is to reduce stress, improving focus and to reconnect with the real world and real-life interactions. This will improve your mental health and physical health because constant connectivity turns into offline engagement. Notifications from some of your favourite or distracting apps won't disturb you.

The Brick

So, if undergoing a digital detox is one of your New Years resolutions then help is at hand courtesy of Brick, a small, magnetic handheld device. What Brick does is it allows you to choose what apps you can and can't access, whilst allowing you to receive phone calls and text messages from your native text messenger app on your phone.

The Brick is easy to setup, you just scan the QR code on the box the Brick came in, and the Brick app downloads on to your phone. Once the app is installed you follow a few simple steps to set the Brick up. The next step is deciding which apps and websites you want to block when Brick is turned on, and you can block up to 50 apps and websites.

The beauty of what Brick does is that once you have set it up, you need to have the Brick beside you before you can unlock it. As it is magnetic, a great place to place it is on your fridge. Once you have turned Brick on and left it behind, you will notice your phone receiving a lot less notifications and if like me you have a smartwatch, they won't appear on it either. You will notice a timer which will tell you how long the Brick has been turned on and you can also check your Brick usage to see how long you have used it daily.

You can also setup various modes which will block different apps and websites, and it will help determine how you will use the Brick. For example, if you setup work mode, LinkedIn and any app you use for work won't be blocked. If you setup nighttime mode, this will be very handy if you sleep with your phone nearby. Because if you wake up in the middle of the night, you can make sure apps that you would normally scroll through such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or X can't be accessed unless you get out of bed and go to where your Brick is to unlock your phone.

One great thing about the Brick is that it can be used by multiple users in your family, which means you won't have multiple Bricks lying around and you won't be wondering which Brick is yours. Another great thing about the Brick is that you can setup various modes to start at a certain time. For example, if you finish work at 5:30 every day, you can setup a mode which will disable any apps that you use for work purposes. Once any mode you setup kicks in, it can't be unlocked without using the Brick.

Verdict

To me the Brick is a no brainer as it can be used by multiple users, your phone battery will last longer, and spending less time staring at your phones screen is a good thing. Having used the Brick over numerous days, it's nice to take wee breaks from your phone. Using your mobile phone a lot is an addiction that the Brick will help you break, and it does the job it is designed to do, which is reduce your screen time. So, why not make the Brick your New Years resolution?

Where you can but it

You can get the Brick from their website and right now they have reduced it by 15% so it will only cost €55.76 plus shipping.

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