In Pen Review

My “Fancy” Non-Fountain Pens

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
My “Fancy” Non-Fountain Pens

Over on Patreon, I talked a bit about shopping my own collection this year rather than buying MORE pens. So, I’ve been digging around in my cupboards and drawers and finding some gems.

I found a whole box of “fancy” non-fountain pens. I’ve been collecting refillable ballpoint, rollerball and gel pens mostly made out of metal for YEARS. These are pens designed to be upscale alternatives to disposable and plastic pens. I had to ask myself, “Why am I not using these?”

From left to right: Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel Pen, Filofax pen, Parker Jotter (Susan Wirth embossed), Cross Century II, Zebra Sharbo-X, Baron Fig (silver), Baron Fig x Erasable, Baron Fig Retractable, Carand’Ache 849, Cross Classic Century and BigiDesign Ti Arto EDC

So, I went through what I had and see why I haven’t been using them. I tested all of them, made sure they had refills and I even put them on a scale to see which was the heaviest.

As a lefty with a light touch, I’ve always struggled with traditional ballpoint pens. I don’t like how hard I need to press to get ballpoint ink on the page and, since I am often pushing, rather than pulling, they can choke and no ink comes out at all. Most of my “fancy” non-fountain pens have had their original refills replaced, modified or hacked to accept finer and more gel-based refills.

The whole array of pens include:

Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel Pen: The only metal pen that I have that  includes unique colors of gel ink. Mine is the Brown Gray with a brown matte exterior and a dark brown ink color. I love all the color options available for the Sarasa Grand Gel Pens so I will probably acquire more of these over time.

Filofax pen: This pen was originally shipped with a planner as an extra and had an erasable ballpoint refill but I swapped it out with a gel refill (Ohto Flash Dry Gel PG-105NP). If I had kept the erasable refill in the pen, the soft rubber at the tip can be used as an eraser when the tip is retracted. It’s just a simple, slender black pen. Essentially, its the little black dress of pens.

Parker Jotter (Susan Wirth embossed): Swapped out the standard ballpoint refill with the Ohto Flash Dry Gel too. The model I have was given out as a memorial to Susan Wirth but similar metal or plastic models are available. It takes the classic Parker-style refill and there are lots of options for this type of pen. And its an aesthetic classic!

Cross Century II Matte Blue: I had my Cross Century II engraved with “The Well-Appointed Desk” many years ago. I really liked the look of the old classic Cross pens but I get burned by their very proprietary refills and how limited those refill options are. This model does allow for a Porous Point refill in fine which is once of my favorite style pen anyway but I wished more colors were available beyond blue and black. (Deep shame… I thought I lost this pen at some point so I bought a second one. It’s on my studio table but also has the Porous Point refill but in black.)

Zebra Sharbo-X: I am missing one refill in this multipen as it hold three tools. I have a D1 ballpoint refill and an 0.5mm pencil in this pen. I probably haven’t used it much because it needs another refill to be fully functional. It is similar width and weight as many of these other “fancy” pens but features the multipen option which I love so I’m glad to rediscover it.

Baron Fig Squire Classic (silver): I happen to have the original release of the Baron Fig Squire. Initially, I didn’t use it alot because I am one of the few humans on the planet that does not like the Schmidt P8126 Capless rollerball refills so I needed to swap it out. I discovered the 3D printed adapters from Tofty that would allow me to swap in a Pilot Hi-Tech C Coleto 0.3 refills. Game changer for me!

Baron Fig x Erasable Squire (Limited Edition): This is the same pen as above but looks like a pencil thanks to the gang at Erasable. I even used the same Tofy adapter and Coleto refill. Both of the Baron Fig Squires really are lovely pens and I feel bad for neglecting them for so long.

Baron Fig Squire Click Retractable: The Squire Click is a little slimmer than the standard twist model Squire which I find a little more comfortable. I put a Ohto Flash Dry refill in this pen and think it’s going to get a lot of use in the next few months.

Caran d’Ache 849 (Brut Rose): This is such a classic, beautiful pen. But the standard Parker-style “Goliath” refill does nothing for me. I found an “off brand” gel refill I’ve had for sometime called Premec which is a gel refill in a Parker-style body. I haven’t been able to find anymore of the Premec refills and this is my last one so I will probably swap it for a Tofy adapter and a D1 refill. It’s a classic retractable pen and if you have a favorite Parker-style refill, it will fit in this pen. There are so many color options and special editions of this pen that if you don’t have one in your collection yet, it’s only a matter of time.

Cross Classic Century: As mentioned with the Cross Century II, the Classic Century uses a very limited range of refills — mostly classic wide ballpoints. So, the model I use has the 0.5mm mechanical pencil instead of a ballpoint. I love how slender these are and how classy they look.

BigiDesign Ti Arto EDC: This pen was a Kickstarter project and BigiDesign has since made many other designs but this pen is still unique. The version I have does not have the telescoping end so I cannot make my pen any shorter. I can however, thanks to the clamp style mechanism (like the teeth that hold a drill bit in an electric drill), use any of 100s of different refills. I love that I can choose one of my favorite refills, Sakura Ballsign 0.4mm, but it is the heaviest pen in this group weighing in at 32gms. All the others came in around 15-20gms. It’s also a much more utilitarian design than the mid-century mod chic of a Cross Classic Century, Caran d’Ache 849 or a Parker Jotter.

From left to right: Fisher Space Pen, Parker Jotter, Ballograph, Zebra Retractable Telescoping, Kaweco Dia (?) ballpoint, Cross Classic Century, Cross Capped pen (Townsend?) and Ohto Horizon

There are even more in my collection but these either did not have refills or suffered from crappy refills:

Fisher Space Pen: This is another classic design. When I found one in lime green, I knew I had t have it. I absolutely loathe the pressurized ballpoint refill that Fisher sells as a companion to this pen so I have a Tofty adapter that will hold a D1 refill. I just need to purchase a case of D1 gel refills and I will have this little beauty back in rotation.

Parker Jotter #2 (teal and plastic barrel): Just like the one shown above, this is a classic but I ran out of good refills so it currently has a sub-par KAKO gel refill designed to fit a Parker-style pen. I bought a box of these refills and they are not good.  Or at least very inconsistent. So, another Parker-style gel refill will be added to my shopping cart.

Ballograf Epoca: This is a European classic like a Parker Jotter. The original ballpoint refill was too wide from me and i have not replaced it yet. The refill looks similar to a Parker-style but is flat on the end so I may need to modify a Parker-style refill in order to work with this barrel. I think this would be a great as a “car pen” with a Parker-style Jetstream refill would be the best option for this pen.

Zebra Retractable Telescoping: Conceptually I like this pen but the one I have is broken. I should throw it away since the housing is janky but I have a hard time throwing away pens. It would not be expensive to replace this and is a great tuckaway design for a bag pocket, in a project bag, or in the cupholder in your car.

Kaweco Dia (?) ballpoint: I received this pen as a gift with my name engraved on the cap. It looks like a Dia II but there are slight differences. That said, I’ve never really used this pen. Its a little bulky for me and uses a standard Parker-style refill. So, its a little ho-hum for me which is why it languishes in a drawer. It is a kind gift and my name is on the side of it so no one else is really going to want it.

Cross Chrome Capped: I am not sure which model this pen is. It is a slim, embossed, capped pen. It looks classic, vintage and fancy. It suffers from the same issue that the other Cross pens do — shitty refill options. I am on the hunt for options that might allow for a fine gel, emulsion ballpoint or similar to fit in this little beauty.

Cross Classic Century: I was on a Cross Century kick for awhile and came across little beauties like this plaid design. It’s another Cross pen that needs more refill options.

Ohto Horizon: I wanted to love this pen. Modern, soft hex, extra fine ballpoint and just differnt but the refill is awful for me. I can barely get it to write and even swapped out with a new refill just in case it was a refill issue. Nope. They are awful. So this pen will continue to live in a drawer.

After testing, refilling and playing with all of these pens, I realized that I missed the more luxurious experience of writing with a “fancy” non-fountain pen. I think several of these are going to move into my daily rotation. I am surprised to rediscover the Baron Fig Squires and the BigiDesign Ti Arto as well as my dainty classics: Caran d’Ache 849, Parker Jotter and Cross Classic Century. I want to get the Fisher Space Pen back into working order and the Zebra Sharbo X its additional refill so it is a genuine contender.

In the end, I have discovered a whole world of pens I’d been neglecting. Since most are filled with a black ink refill, I think including one with any notebook I have going would be a great way to get more use out of these. I can keep one with my Commonplace journal, one with my go-everywhere pocket notebook and one by the bed with my notepad. I might drop one in my monthly pen pouch instead of carrying an old plastic pen. It’s time to class up the joint a little, don’t ya think?

Do you have any “fancy” non-fountain pens? Have I inspired you to dig them out of a drawer and put them back into rotation?

If you’re having trouble finding refills, remember to use our refill guide and JetPens “recommended refills/parts” is always a great option to cross-reference refills.

DISCLAIMER: Some items in this review were provided free of charge for the purpose of review by the links provided above and other links are affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

In Tools

Video Review: BGM Clear Stamp Record Sheet

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Video Review: BGM Clear Stamp Record Sheet

I wanted to try out the BGM Clear Stamp Record Sheet as a new way to organize information in my planner or journal. The set includes an assortment of tracker-style stamps to track habits or activities.

There are also a check box stamp, “to Do” and “Check” words, Monday-Sunday letter stamp and a few common icons like a barbell for exercising, water, book, pill and clock.

To use these stamps, you will need a clear block to use each of the little stamps. Once used, the stamps can be replaced on the carrier sheets to be used again later.

The lines are smooth and fine and the stamps make clean impressions, even on the first try.

I used the Sun-Star dot é pen pens to mark each day on the chart.

I like the idea of being able to add trackers on my weekly overview pages in my planner.

I really like tracking projects that I try to do on a daily basis through the whole month.

I had a lightbulb moment with the stamp above — it would be perfect for planning dinner menus or maybe if you do different type of training throughout the week: weights on Tuesday and Thursday, cardio on Monday and Friday, Yoga on Wednesday. A way to mix up the different parts of a project on each day.

Overall, its a great little set that makes short work of gridding out your planner without having to spend time drawing your own grids.

Products shown:

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Other items come from our shop. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Digital Declutter: Step 4 The Music

Author AnaPosted on 6 Comments
Digital Declutter: Step 4 The Music

In my process of Digital Decluttering, the biggest point of concern for me was music. I have always been a music lover. Over the years I’ve accumulated vinyl, CDs and cassettes, made mix tapes for friends and then fell in love with portable music devices (yes, I even had a Minidisc player!) and finally iTunes.

Since the rise of streaming music and curated playlists, I felt like I was spending more time collecting new playlists and songs than I was actually listening to music and that’s not on accident. The apps are built to keep you scrolling. The casino-like vibe of Spotify and Apple Music lend themselves to endlessly scrolling for the next new album, playlist or collection. When you add in the addition of “radio stations”, curated playlists by other artists, audiobooks and podcasts, its easy to get lost in adding various content to a TBL (to be listened) rather than actually enjoying a song, album or book.

For scale, the iPod 5th generation next to my Apple iPhone 15 Pro. The iPod is so much smaller, lighter and more pocketable. The protective black rubber case is a lint magnet though.

There is a theory in the digital minimalism/detox community that recommends going back single use devices like music players, ereaders, cameras, a watch, etc instead of depending on your phone to do all those things. If your phone is your watch, if you pick it up just to check the time and then see 15 notifications its easy to get hi-jacked by the urge to check the notifications. The same thing can happen if you pick up your phone to play some music or queue up an audiobook. “Notifications! Must check!”, then 20 minutes have passed and you no longer remember why you picked up your phone in the first place. Or maybe this is just me?

I bought an iPod

This could just be a me problem but it had become a big problem. So, I did the unthinkable. I bought a refurbished iPod, started re-ripping the mountain of CDs that I had stored in the basement and started to rebuild my music collection from scratch. I started with an empty Music library (not matched or connected to my Apple Music streaming account) and added tracks and built new playlists. It was daunting but after a couple of hours, the process became cathartic. I didn’t need the whole album, just the tracks I really liked. I was able to build different sorts of playlists then I had created in the past.

The iPod I purchased was a rehabbed 5th generation with a new battery and a larger harddrive than iPods originally had. I am pretty sure the harddrive is a flash drive which will make the iPod a little more resilient but I will still try not to drop it.

The experience had the vibe of moving house. At first packing and unpacking is daunting but then you get into a groove and start making decisions about what you don’t want to pack up and drag to the next place and what you had forgotten you loved. The process of building a new music library was my version of moving house.

Adding music to the iPod

I filled the new iPod with the songs, artists and playlists that I loved. I started jamming out to tunes. However, there was a little hitch. As a result of streaming services, I had not purchased any music — physically or digitally– in almost a decade so my new MP3 library is definitely showing its age. There are some artists and albums that have been released in the last decade that I would like to have on my iPod that I will have to purchase but so far I am loving just listening to music without an app recommending a “if you like this, you might like these…” or “people who listen to this artist also like…” for every track.

The other hitch is that some songs and albums I purchased through the Apple iTunes store back before 2009-ish are now listed as “purchased AAC” or “protected ACC” files. This means, in some instances, Apple no longer includes the album in its catalog (for example The Creatures Hai!). I can’t even purchase a full digital copy. I am still learning what these various classifications mean within the Apple Music world and how this will affect my ability to use this music on my ipod. Will I have to input a password to access the tracks? Mostly, I am super annoyed that even purchasing music through an online service doesn’t mean you truly OWN that music. It’s making a strong case for buying physical media.

“But that’s so expensive?!!?” If you remember in my subscription post on Digital Detoxing I talked about how much money I am saving by cancelling streaming services. I am using some of this money to pay artists for their music through services like Bandcamp (Bob would like me to remind folks of Bandcamp Fridays where 100% of the sales of songs and albums go directly to the artists) and then actually own the files. All these online services will change their formats and methods of delivery at some point and I don’t lose the music forever or get locked out of it like the “protected AAC” format.

Wired Earbuds or Not?

The IEMs I purchased are called Kiwi Ears and retail for about $25USD. Not great but okay sound. Very comfortable to wear.

I did need to acquire wired earbuds to use with the iPod. I bought a budget set of IEMs (in-ear monitors which is a fancy term for better-quality earbuds — this is a whole separate geek-out category. After years of using bluetooth cans and AirPods, the wire of the IEMs was a little distracting and meant I needed to put the iPod in my pocket while I move around. Ladies, you know what I’m gonna say here — most women’s clothes don’t have enough pockets or large enough to hold more than a coin so carrying the iPod around with me is my only real challenge. When I go out for a walk, since its currently chilly, I put on a giant, ugly AF anorak but it has a big pocket to carry my keys and iPod with me easily.

Anorak • A short weather-proof hooded jacket or parka (the term is borrowed from the Inuit of Greenland) – but also a nerd, someone obsessed with a boring hobby, like watching trains or being obsessed with soccer statistics. (Anoraks have a lot of pockets for holding the notebooks, pens, etc. that such people would use.) — From USAToday

When working at home, I use the playlists and ripped CD music from my laptop and use my wireless headphones so I don’t have to figure out how to carry the iPod from room to room. I’m so spoiled by working from home that my wireless headphones work in every corner of my house including all the way out into the yard without losing signal. Using the AirPods or wireless headphones,  I do occasionally get those pesky notification beeps and boops but since its mostly business hours that I do this, it’s not too bad.

Conclusion

The bottomline, for me, is that listening to my own music that I have collected and selected and made my own playlists is a surprisingly liberating experience.

I like that when listening to my iPod, I don’t get notifications of texts, spam calls or incoming email. I can focus on what I’m listening to or doing while I’m listening. It allows me to pause and check my notification when I need to or want to and not everytime they pop up. I didn’t realize until I started this process the stress response I get from endless alert pings. Not being constantly dinged, buzzed or vibrated is reducing my stress levels in ways that are unexpected.

I will probably tip and out of Apple Music’s streaming service every now and again for new music but my goal is to make contentious choices and not listen to curated playlists. After reading the Mood Machine book, I am skeptical of the streaming music services. They are not really trying to find the best recommendations for me, they are trying to get us to spend more time on the service and listen to the music that serves them best which can sometimes be from the big publishers and not indies as well as the ever-encroaching similar sounds created by Muzak-like companies and even AI.

In Link Love

Link Love: Already Prepping for Shows

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Link Love: Already Prepping for Shows

If I’m already preparing for pen and stationery shows for 2026, does that make me a Pen Show Prepper? Just kidding! But I am already being asked and/or invited to participate in a variety of shows so there is lots of planning for travel, hotels, tables, workshops and more. As such, I updated the Pen Show Schedule this week with some new dates and fresh links. If you see anything that needs to be added or updated, give me a shout.

On our list of shows we’ll be attending “for sure” so far for 2026 are the Chicago Stationery Fest, the Chicago Pen Show and the St. Louis Pen Show for sure this year. Those are the only shows I have confirmed at this point. The Well-Appointed Desk will for sure have a table at the CSF and St. Louis Pen Show and I will teaching workshops are the Chicago and St. Louis pens shows. I am still waiting to hear if tables will be available for the Chicago Pen Show. As soon as I know for sure, I’ll let you know.

There are many other shows we would love to attend but costs, time and distance is going to make it challenging to determine if I will be attending others. Often, I help with other shops but I don’t know yet if and where I might be able to lend a hand. I’ll keep you all posted if you’re curious where I might land next. I always like a chance to meet and talk with other pen and ink lovers.

Are you planning to attend any shows this year? Let me know in the comments.

2026 Planner Set-Ups and Plans:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Planners, Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Make 2026 our best year ever by joinining our Patreon. Get a bi-weekly podcast, free printables, digital wallpapers, newsletter and more. Your patronage supports this site. Without our Patrons, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Planners & Organizers

A New Notebook: My Year in Yarn 2026

Author Laura CameronPosted on Leave a comment
A New Notebook: My Year in Yarn 2026

This year I decided to jump with both feet (and a lot of pens) into a new notebook. A few months ago I purchased My Year in Yarn 2026 ($34.99). For those of us who aren’t sure where to start in building artistic spreads, I thought this journal is a good mix of planner, diary, log and fun.

The book is generally written for knitting and crochet, but I find it could apply to most fiber arts. The first part of the book is dedicated to a 2026 Vision Board and Monthly Spreads. While the monthly spreads can appear a little differently, all includes areas for important dates, monthly goals, notes and ideas, a to do list, and number of projects finished. There’s also a habit tracker in slightly different format for different months. I chose to add exercise to mine (which isn’t fiber related at all), but it could be anything. I’ve added a few stickers and may add more color to the pages as well.

The second section is full of challenges and trackers.  There are WIP trackers (works in progress), a Yarn Bingo card you can design yourself, a 30 day organization challenge, and a few others. There are opportunities to write in details or just color if you so choose. I think this section is one of the two that made me most want this book. I look at other folks creative layouts for tracking habits and challenges, and I wanted a bit of the work done for me so I could just do what I love most – knit and spin and sew!

After the tracker section, there’s an index for projects and a 2-page spread for each project you work on this year (30 in total). Each page is rife with details about patterns and yarns and needles used, along with spaces for notes and other fun illustrations. This is the second most important part of this book. I often make projects that I remake again, or want to refer back to. I’m never good about documenting all the details in one place, what modifications I made, what I might do differently in the future, etc. This book has all those blanks just ready for me to fill in!

Finally, at the back there’s space for lists, supplies and some free pages for sketching or taking notes that don’t fit in elsewhere. Here’s where I can track what I buy and use during the year, patterns or yarns I might want to purchase later, and any other ideas for future projects. Also measurements – keep your loved ones’ measurements close for gift knitting opportunities!

I’ve only been using the book for a few weeks, but so far I’m enjoying it. Probably the biggest negative (for me) is that the paper isn’t super fountain pen friendly. There’s not a lot of bleed, or show-through, surprisingly enough, but the ink dries really slowly and smudges all over the pages. So for now I’m mostly likely going to use my gel pens with this one (and oh do I have the motherlode of gel pens coming – stay tuned!) Otherwise I’m finding this a new and fun way to keep track of my hobbies and what I create. I’ll be sure to come back in a few months and let you know if it’s still working for me!

DISCLAIMER: This journal was purchased with my own funds and all opinions are my own. Please see the About page for more details.

In Planners & Organizers

My Planner: A Comforting Lack of Change

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
My Planner: A Comforting Lack of Change

Review by Tina Koyama

For many years, I used to change to a different planner every year. Either the current one wasn’t meeting my needs, or I just got tired of the format, cover or paper and wanted a new view. Several times, I even changed planners mid-year because I couldn’t wait until January. After I retired and had more time to obsess about my stationery needs, I started making my own planner so that it would meet my needs exactly.

No matter how excited I was (and I always was) to start a new planner, the transition from Dec. 31 of the old planner to Jan. 1 of the new one was a jarring jolt. Even when I loved the new one, it still took a while to become familiar enough with it that it felt comfortable and right (and sometimes the right never came, which usually prompted a mid-year change).

In 2020, all of that changed: I began using an A5 Leuchtturm 1917 weekly planner (I reviewed it here at the Desk). Although it still wasn’t perfect (surely I’m not the only one whose Saturdays and Sundays are just as busy as the rest of the week, and those days deserve unshared spaces?), it was close enough.

The following year, I got another one just like it, and again in successive years. The only change I made was the cover’s color. On Jan. 1 this year when I began my seventh consecutive year of using the same planner, I thought about how comforting and familiar it is to see the same paper, layout, typeface and format – almost like turning the page of a book I’m reading.

Although the transition from one year to the next is traditionally a time for aspiring to self-improvements, I stopped making resolutions and related nonsense decades ago. I prefer to make incremental goals all along. I also see the passage of time as a seamless continuum. Using the same planner year after year is as seamless as that continuum can be in paper form.

OK, I’m done waxing philosophical about my planner, but before I go, I wanted to show my latest hack. Leuchtturm planners used to come with an old-school address booklet (sadly, it disappeared last year). In my 2020 review, I showed how I had hacked that booklet into a month-view calendar. The next year, I turned the address booklet into perpetual birthday and personal holiday lists (the latter are important occasions such as National Ballpoint Pen Day and National Doughnut Day).

Address booklet modified to be a perpetual birthday calendar with custom tabs

I made index tabs for the months, and on each facing page I wrote the dates I want to remember each year.

When I set up the coming year’s planner, I use it for reference. The booklet’s back cover tucks nicely inside the planner’s back pocket.

Address booklet tucked into back pocket.
Cover of address booklet, in back pocket.

tina-koyamaTina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by The Well-Appointed Desk for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Digital Declutter: Step 3 Apps and ScreenTime

Author AnaPosted on 5 Comments
Digital Declutter: Step 3 Apps and ScreenTime

The next phase in my Digital Declutter is analyzing and changing my relationship with my phone.

Make it boring

I found advice on YouTube from other Digital Minimalists/ Declutterers that the quickest and easiest way to make your phone “boring” is to change the home screen icons to black and white. It is very easy to do and if you add in changing your home screen background to black you would be amazed at how uninteresting your phone becomes. If you need even more “blah” you can turn the whole interface black and white which mirrors most of the look of a LightPhone or other simplified phone. There are also launchers that can be added to remove the quick access to many apps and make your phone look “dumb”. Ryder Carroll walks through how he simplified his phone and when I found the video, I realized that it’s not just me who wants to spend less time on my phone. Other stationery folks want to break away too!

Delete the problem apps

I started by removing some apps (or rearranging them) on my phone. I removed YouTube from my phone so I would be less inclined to watch videos while I ate my lunch. I also hid a lot of apps that are time wasters (for me). It is possible on iPhone to remove apps from your home screens so they are only available in the library (the last swipe page of the home screen).

Create personal Downtime

The last step I’ve taken is trying out the ScreenTime tool on my iPhone. For years, I didn’t “think I had a problem” so I had never turned ScreenTime on. Even now, I don’t need a number to tell me I spend too much time looking at my phone. What I wanted was some of the other tools that are in the ScreenTime app including the Downtime option. What this function does is allow you to “lock” certain apps at certain times of the day. For me, I tend to spend the most time scrolling thoughtlessly in the evenings so I set my ScreenTime to block Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, etc from 7pm until 7am. I left apps that I might need access to like my language app (that’s GOOD time wasting) and Libby so I can listen to audiobooks or check out an ebook when needed.

The phone function and chat are still accessible so I can stay in touch with real people. In ScreenTime, you can even set who can reach in your Downtime so you can curate a list of close friends and family and block the non-important texts.

I can override the Downtime functions when needed but the moment of pause allows me to decide if I want access and then the window asks if I want access for a minute, 15 minutes or until the next day, allows me to decide if I need to look something up is necessary or just disruptive.

My Wrap-Up

I am definitely more aware of how much I pick up my phone now. And I like forcing myself not to scroll Instagram or Reddit in the evening. Picking up my phone is often a nervous habit and I realize that now. I will continue to keep track of how much time I spend on my phone and try to make more conscientious decisions about how I spend my time.

Are you tracking your phone/internet usage? Do you doomscroll? What are you doing to change your habits?