The Bread Factory method: productive without coffee

Over the past six months, I’ve really tried to focus on myself. And on how I can keep myself busy with things. You can take that very broadly, yes. And honestly, I don’t want to go into a whole story about it, but actually, I do. Why else would I write a blog about it?

There are a few things I’ve learned. And I’d like to write them down for myself. As a kind of time capsule for later. But also to share. Because I know I find satisfaction in doing that. So why not? And who knows, maybe it can help you too?

Body doubling is a productivity technique where you work alongside someone else, either physically or virtually, to boost focus and motivation through each other’s presence. Sounds silly, but that’s exactly what drove many people when they were required to work together in an office. And I didn’t realize I missed that.

Okay, I get super distracted when I see other people. And of course, I want to chat and crack silly jokes. Which, from experience, is great for team vibes. But in that situation, I don’t get much work done. Enter: co-working streams.

How I actually get a lot of work done: body doubling on Twitch. Heads up: what I’m about to explain might sound a bit weird. But hey, give it a try, maybe it’s your thing. Maybe not. Up to you.

On Twitch, there are quite a few co-working streams where you see a person (the host) just sitting there. Doing their work. And you watch. Along with other people. Sometimes there are around 100 viewers. Sometimes just 5. It doesn’t really matter. But you all have the same goal: getting shit done. Or, as I like to say: getting that bread.

On Twitch, you can use a command (like !task or !quest) in the chat to share what you’re working on. It gives you a little boost to get stuff done.

I often watch ffotzy (definitely follow her on Twitch), as mentioned above. But I also host these streams myself sometimes, under the name The Bread Factory (’cause we’re getting that bread. Get it?).

Streamers usually work with a Pomodoro structure: 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break/chatting. No one’s really judgmental about what you’re actually doing, but you feel a certain pressure. A pressure to get your work done. At least, I do.

I can only recommend it. Want to give it a try? Feel free to drop by on my Twitch. But no pressure. And doing nothing is totally fine too.

I don’t drink anymore. Well, I actually haven’t drunk in a long time. I’ve been alcohol-free for about two years now. It’s a trend I see more often, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about that. But to be honest? It helps me soooo much.

No hangovers, no blurry nights, and I feel sharper throughout the day. Okay, I’m the worst person when it comes to making comparisons. Especially when it’s about things I can put side by side. But with this, I can definitely say my quality of life has improved tremendously.

As a big bonus, I also pretty much only drink water and don’t need coffee to snap out of my morning mode. What I do drink, and highly recommend to everyone, is Qallo.

Simply put: Qallo makes a powder that you mix with water to boost your focus and energy. No crash, just staying sharp while working on that one thing. Or two things. Or multiple things. Or just ALL THE THINGS AT ONCE. No, that’s not true. That’s counterproductive. Don’t do everything at once—just one thing at a time so you can smoothly check off that list.

I don’t have a discount code, and I’m not getting paid for this mention. So this is purely out of love for the product.

Aside from the Twitch stream, I’m practically not on social media. Because I barely have any social media accounts. I say practically because I do have an Instagram page for KZEN KALM. I’d like to promote it in some way, and unfortunately, as far as I know, that’s the only way to do it on a surface level. And yes, I also have a LinkedIn page. That one’s for professional reasons. Because, you know, you’ve got to make money.

So, I actively avoid it. Especially in these difficult political times. (Yes, they’re difficult for me.)

It stresses me out. I don’t need to know what other people are doing because then I want to copy that and do it too. But deep down, I don’t really want to. I’m too susceptible to that. And I want to actively counter brain rot.

I think it’s smart to be aware of how those timelines are designed. They’re made to get you hooked and keep you scrolling so platforms can make more money from ads. They really don’t give a damn about your mental well-being. And my mental well-being is fragile. Yes, I’m openly sharing that I’ve dealt with depressive symptoms over the past six months. With a strong support system and a solid action plan for myself, I managed to pull through. But that definitely wouldn’t have happened if social media had played an active role in my life.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with scrolling through timelines. Although it’s healthy to realize what you’re getting: a short burst of happy hormones and a mild addiction. You do you.

I can keep this short. Just turn off your mailbox, Slack, Teams, and notifications altogether for a bit and get to work. That’s what I do sometimes. And again: do whatever you want, I honestly don’t care that much. I just want to make it clear that you choose what you do.

Simple as that (get it?).