Productivity apps accidentally burn you out.
I realized most productivity apps assume you have unlimited energy.
Every app kept pushing me to optimize more:
more tasks,
more streaks,
more focus sessions,
more notifications.
At some point I noticed I wasn’t becoming more productive.
I was just becoming mentally exhausted.
For me, it hit while trying to constantly optimize App Store screenshots, onboarding flows, analytics, conversion rates… while balancing a 9–5 job and studying.
And honestly, it started making me feel guilty whenever my energy dropped.
That made me realize:
maybe productivity apps shouldn’t only adapt to your schedule…
maybe they should adapt to your energy too.
That idea eventually turned into an app I’ve been building called Coast: Focus Energy Timer, a focus timer designed around mental energy and burnout prevention instead of endless grinding.
Still early, still iterating, but the mindset shift alone has already helped me a lot.
Curious if anyone else here has felt this with traditional productivity apps.