u/AdImpressive291

For years, my work pattern looked like this:

1. Could not start working, anxiety builds
2. Finally get started and gained momentum
3. Enter hyperfocus mode, fatigue builds, could not stop
4. Work way past my capacity and crashed into burnout or depression
5. Spend weeks to months to recover

Last March, while I was in a gym trying to recover from depression, a thought popped into my mind: Why I barely get hurt at the gym but constantly collapse from work?

Here is the reflection of things I did well at the gym:

• Rest between sets
• Clearly define what to do
• Adjust workload based on physical conditions
• Know my limit and avoid exceeding it
• Gradually increase the training load/weight
• Not setting goals, but trust the process

So I decided to borrow these ideas into my work life, see if I can build consistency.

I first built a tiny Apple Shortcuts app (2nd screenshot), which asks me how long do I want to work/break and a daily goal. Followed by a focus session timer that prompted me to define what I'd work on, ran a countdown, asked for a reflection afterward, and logged everything to Notes app.

I used that rough version on 116 days since last march (3rd screenshot) — mostly on the days when I felt lost, overwhelmed, depressed, avoidant, or stuck in perfectionism. (I always forget about the app on good days)

I found it extremely useful when I felt lost or do not want to start. I guess it is because, the system reminds me to come up with the first tiny step, which in most cases are good enough to get me going.

To share this solution to others (Shortcuts app somehow cannot be distributed), I turned the shortcuts app into a MacOS app (also planning for a Windows version).

To make the native app even better, I added a dashboard to visualize the work data (efficiency, feelings etc). The idea is, by observing the pattern of your work, it might be clear that taking a day off is the better strategy for productivity in the long run.

The app is called Focura. (1st and 4th screenshots)

It helps me plan small work sessions, take breaks, leave a next-action note for future-you, and notice when focus turns into overwork.

I’d love feedback from people who experience the same loop or similar products.

If anyone wants to see it: 

focura.io

For years, my work pattern looked like this:

1. Could not start working, anxiety builds
2. Finally get started and gained momentum
3. Enter hyperfocus mode, fatigue builds, could not stop
4. Work way past my capacity and crashed into burnout or depression
5. Spend weeks to months to recover

Last March, while trying to recover from depression at the gym, a thought popped into my mind: Why do I barely get hurt at the gym, but constantly collapse from work?

At the gym, I naturally rest between sets, adjust workload based on my condition, avoid exceeding my limits, and trust consistency over intensity. I realized I almost never approached work that way.

So I started experimenting with a workflow inspired by gym training:

plan work → focus → reflect → rest → repeat → leave a note for future-you before stopping.

The attached video shows the current flow.

This app works surprisingly well for my own brain, and I’m curious whether people here experience something similar and want to give it a try.