7 Ways to Use Freedom to Do the Things That Matter Most

Freedom was created by our CEO Fred Stutzman in order to help him avoid distractions and be more productive while writing his PhD. However, since releasing the new Freedom platform, our diverse and talented Freedom community has found many ways to use Freedom other than just to improve their productivity at work.

Instead of us coming up with ways to use Freedom, we figured we’d step aside and let our users share the many ways that they are using Freedom to live happier, healthier, more fulfilled lives.

PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK

• “In my first two hours of trying out Freedom I was blocked from the internet 4 times; from that point on I have been an avid user. I had no idea how often and how unconsciously my fingers directed me to my distraction sites (Twitter, FB, news) by habit rather than intention. Like keeping the junk food out of the house, Freedom removes temptation, and makes it so much easier for me to stay on the tasks that future-me will be grateful I got done.”
• “I’m a journalist and author. I use Freedom when I’m writing.I find it indispensable to achieving the concentration necessary to produce as a writer.”
• “I’m a freelancer and freedom is necessary for me to get things done. The equivalent for work without ‘freedom,’ in physical terms, would involve setting up an office cubicle in a bar full of friends. It is conceivable that someone would ignore the fun socializing surrounding them and focus on work tasks, but it’s intuitive that the spatial division of work from leisure is conducive to effective concentration.”
• “Freedom has helped me to stop stealing from myself. Since I get paid by the billable hour, I’d say that I had a positive ROI from buying a lifetime Freedom subscription within 48 hours.”

FOCUS AT SCHOOL

• “It is a miracle when I put Freedom on I am just all of the sudden able to write 500 words per 45 minutes easily. Best investment for grad students worldwide.”
• “We use freedom to help children not be distracted whilst doing homework, but still have access to the internet for research. Also to stop the permanent Instagram and Snapchat addiction.”
• “I am a college student with ADHD and I have really struggled not to waste copious amounts of time on the internet. This service has allowed me to access all my homework and study material while successfully blocking all the distractions!”
• “My fellow procrastinator: if you have four essays to submit by next week, this is the app for you.”

SLEEP

• “I set up my Freedom to begin at 10 pm and end at 1 pm. Since I have done that, I have consistently gotten a good night’s sleep and without the temptations of Facebook and Youtube. I am also able to get my freelance work done before lunch.”
• “I have been able to successfully shut off the internet on all my iDevices and Macs from 10 PM to 7 AM. It has helped me focus more on sleeping better and generally limit my use of technology before bedtime.”
• “At first I thought the app wouldn’t be much use to me but, how wrong I was! Using it has given me at least an extra hour of sleep (probably closer to two hours) per night because I block all internet access at 9 PM instead of deliriously and mostly aimlessly surfing the net until 10.30 or 11 PM with minimal productivity.”

BREAKING THE ADDICTION

• “I have been addicted to the internet since I was 13 (22 now). If you had asked me a year ago if I thought I’d ever get over my internet addiction, I would’ve said you’re crazy. The internet is my favorite pastime. All of the projects I gave myself became overwhelming. I felt like I could never be finished using the internet because I never ran out of things to do. My non-internet to-dos piled up for 3 years. I feared I would never get to them because of my addiction. I decided to take on this problem of my own accord and Google how to block the internet. That’s when I discovered Freedom. To me, it was clearly the best choice. I never pay for digital services, but this was a must. Now I don’t use the internet every other day. I can only use social media twice a week. I have been able to focus on other things. One of my biggest problems is gone for good.”

AVOIDING THE CONSTANT MEDIA BARRAGE

• “Freedom has put a stop to my mindless flicking through news websites. Now if I have time to look at my phone, I read an iBook, or I just put the phone down when I realize it was just picked up out of habit.”
• “Freedom app helps me get on with meditation instead of mindlessly thumbing through FB, the news on the American Election (in the vain hope there might be a silver lining somewhere), and the mind-numbing violence that occupies the front pages of my country’s newspapers. Thank you for the freedom.”

SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY/ MINDFULNESS

• “I don’t use freedom for work. I use it for after work at home with my kids. I used to unconsciously look at Facebook, Instagram, etc. constantly – much to the detriment of my family’s home life. I’ve only been using Freedom a few days but it’s stopped me from browsing social media mindlessly and has helped me be more present with my wife and kids. I’m hoping it will help me retrain myself to stop checking social media constantly and break the habit of mindless phone use.”
• “I am using Freedom not just to stay productive during my work time, but also to unplug from social media for Shabbat. It’s not practical for me to turn off my phone entirely, but using Freedom helps me stick with my intention to abstain from social media during the day of rest.”

MENTAL HEALTH

• “I have ADHD and I’m in nursing school. When I’m having trouble studying or writing, Freedom is like my “nuclear option” — a strange choice of phrase, I know, but a weapon of mass obstruction is sometimes what it takes to push out distractions and get my head back in the game, so to speak.”
• “In a few days, it has already significantly decreased my depressive feelings caused by checking Facebook too often!”
• “I’ve only had it about a week, and already my mental health is improving and my productivity is way up. By pre-scheduling sessions with Freedom, I also stop myself from the temptation of distraction when I know I’ll be most susceptible (like evenings and mornings). Little by little my habits are changing. Thank you for what you do, Freedom! I’m more mentally present and becoming more productive and aware of my own mental health.”
• “To be honest – I used this app to get through a break-up. Removing the temptation to check my social media sites even tho there was a high potential for seeing bad behavior and comments by others has been a great, stress-free option. I set up a 23h 55m block on repeat so I don’t have to deal with that nonsense. I also use it to focus on work and at-home projects. My house has gone through a major transformation! It’s also the BEST app for people with ADHD who have trouble focusing.”

ALL OF THE ABOVE

• “ I block the entire internet from my phone before bed so I don’t lose sleep mindlessly scrolling apps and online while in bed. I allow myself a small window during the afternoon to check my Facebook, if I miss it, I have to wait another 24 hours. It’s been a little rough not being able to check social media constantly but I’m feeling better. I’m getting more done in my life and feel I am now living in my home/with my family instead of the vast space of the Internet. It’s freeing. I see a light at the end of my Internet addiction tunnel and I really can’t say thank you enough. From, One honest-to-goodness internet addicted mama”

Are you using Freedom in a way not listed above? We’d love to hear how Freedom fits into your daily schedule in the comments below.