After we absentmindedly checked social media for the fifth time instead of being present with our friends during a game night, we decided to try something new: Launch the same focus timer we use for deep work—but on a Friday night.

It worked. Focus Friend helped us stay in the moment and shut out digital distractions, all thanks to the cartoon Bean, who feverishly knits whenever you leave your device alone.

In just the first five minutes, our Bean (we named it Beanie) managed to knit four pairs. If we tapped the Stop Focusing button, all of the stitches would unravel—and we didn’t want to do that to our new friend!

Every conscious decision we made to be present was also a chance to spiff up Beanie’s home. We swapped the socks and scarves it knitted for plant-filled windowsills, flowery pink garlands, and space-themed bookshelves.

But this wasn’t just about flexing our decorating skills. Beanie opened our eyes to all the opportunities around us to be more present. Gamifying our focus time meant it wasn’t just for urgent work projects anymore. More focus could also help us enjoy a walk in the woods or a meal with loved ones.

Who would have guessed that creating the living room of our Bean’s dreams was the motivation we needed to stay in the moment? This app taught us that the secret to finding balance (and joy) in a distracting world is simply a lot more focus...and a lot more socks.

Your Bean will make itself at home while waiting for a focus (and knitting) session to start. Watch as it kicks back on the plushy frog-themed couch.

Focus Friend’s Hank Bean skin is modeled after YouTube creator and author Hank Green, the app’s cofounder. (The John Bean skin is modeled after his brother, John Green.)

Hank Green and Bria Sullivan launched Focus Friend to help students shake distraction in a joyful way. “We all need to take our attention back, and I’m loving that we figured out how to do it in a way that isn’t about virtue or judgment but is just cute and fun,” Green says.