Brain Stacking — Build Focus and Reduce Screen Time

Written by: Kaleena Quintero

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Time to read 1 min

Focus is a muscle, and it can be hard to build when you choose short media over sleep, or when you take in too much information throughout the day without a second to process it.

Your Focus isn't gone; it just needs to be retrained.

Instead of grabbing your phone and scrolling mindlessly, you can combine multiple brain-stimulating activities to create what’s known as “brain stacking.”

It’s a trend we can get behind, especially because of the importance of analog tools and how they can enhance your experience of being present and intentional with your actions.

Person sitting at a white table with open art books featuring flower photography, pencil sketches, and colorful abstract art.

What is Brain Stacking?

Brain stacking can be when you combine different activities throughout the day or stack several activities together in a 10-minute session.

For example, let's say you want to create art. You start by opening your planner and writing down the times you're available to fully focus on your project. On the blank pages, you can jot down technical details, like the dimensions of your canvas or the materials you'll need. 

Person writing in the weekly layout of a Blackwing planner with a Blackwing Eras pencil featuring a pink ribbon resting across the page.


For your next brain stack, you look through art books for inspiration, finding color palettes you want to use or compositions you like. Then, you open your sketchbook and begin drawing, building on the ideas from the activities you just completed.

By stacking these activities together, you create a more intentional and immersive experience for yourself.

Person sitting at a white table sketching a mural with a black colored pencil in a Blackwing white spiral notebook, with an art book and Blackwing Colors 24-pack nearby.

You can repeat the same stacks or switch things up with books, pencils, paper, puzzles, and more. There are endless combinations of brain stacks to create and try.

Replace some of your phone time with activities that engage your brain and encourage creativity, rather than constantly consuming information you don't need.

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