How Mi Band increased my Productivity?

I have been using the Mi Band 4 for almost two years. This wearable has helped me to significantly reduce smartphone usage and also helped me to keep track of all my fitness and sleep activities.

❗ This article is not sponsored by anyone.

This pill-like device is really powerful and has long battery life. In my daily usage, the device lasts around nine days.

This band was released in 2019, and since then, Xiaomi has released Mi Band 5 and now Mi Band 6. Both are really good. But I didn’t find the need to upgrade. Band 5 is just a minor update from Band 4. And Band 6 is slightly different with a bigger display and some cool new features.

I don’t want to go to the more technical side. This article is all about how I use my Band 4 in my day-to-day life and how this device increased my productivity and reduced my smartphone usage.

Alarm

I mainly use it for waking up in the morning. I have set some alarms in the band using the companion app, which can be toggled on or off directly from the band. This gave me one more reason for not using my smartphone before bed.

During the first few days, I didn’t notice the band vibrating in my hand. I even kept a backup alarm on my phone to overcome this. But after using it regularly and by changing the vibration pattern helped me to get used to it. Now it’s easier.

Timer

It is my most used feature on the band. I use it for

• Pomodoro technique
• Time Blocking
• While cooking
• During workouts for setting rest intervals

Music Controls

While doing work, I like to play some instrumental tracks in the background through Spotify or Endel. And the band lets me see which track is playing. Also, I can easily control the volume and skip tracks using it. This helped me to keep my focus on the work.

Also, I use it for listening to podcasts during workouts.

Unlock PC

It can easily unlock my Windows PC. But currently, I don’t use this feature since I’m a Linux user for more than a year.

If anyone reading this article knows how to implement this in Linux, please mail me or DM me on Twitter.

Notification

I use it for getting notifications from Todoist & Google Calendar. Getting task and calendar notifications in the band is so cool.

Reminders

I like adding my daily tasks to reminders, like

• Workouts
• Getting ready for bed

And most importantly, it reminds me of taking Break. Taking a break is really important if you sit before a screen for a long time.

Idle Alert

This is one of the cool features of Mi Band. When the band doesn’t detect any activities for one hour, it will notify you to take a walk. I like this feature a lot.

Conclusion

These are some of the ways Mi Band makes me productive. Also, it helped me to reduce my smartphone usage. This simple device can do a few things which you can do with your phone. If you are someone thinking of buying a fitness tracker, I highly recommend this device.