I never really saw the appeal in smartwatches. Sure, they looked cool sometimes, but I never understood why anyone would willingly strap another screen to their wrist after spending all day glued to their phone and laptop already. Even though they’ve been around for years, the thought of purchasing one never actually crossed my mind.
Well, until a couple of days ago. I initially wanted to get an Apple Watch to complete my ecosystem, but I ended up picking a smartwatch from Xiaomi that offered all the same features I cared about without the hefty price tag — the Redmi Watch 5. I’ve been wearing it daily for almost two weeks now, and one thing I certainly didn’t expect was just how much it would help with productivity.
I don’t pick up my phone to “quickly check notifications” anymore
Breaking the notification habit
Most smartwatches, including all the big names and the one I picked up, connect to your phone and mirror any notifications you receive, messages, and calls right on your wrist. Initially, this was the biggest reason why I thought a smartwatch wouldn’t be right for me. I get distracted easily, and I tweaked my iPhone’s notification settings years ago to disable lock screen notifications entirely.
I assumed that having all my notifications appear right on a screen on my wrist would have a similar effect, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Since I got my smartwatch, my screen time has dropped drastically.That’s simply because I don’t pick my phone up every few minutes to check my notifications and see if I received an important message or alert. I can simply flick my wrist and check the notification instantly. If it’s important (which half the time it isn’t), I then pick up my phone to respond.
Otherwise, I can just dismiss it and keep going, without ever breaking my flow. Before my smartwatch, I’d pick up my phone every couple of minutes, head to WhatsApp, Messages, Gmail, or whatever app had a notification. Just a couple of seconds later, I’d be scrolling on Instagram or TikTok.
Before I’d know it, my quick notification check had turned into minutes of mindless scrolling, and I’d lost all track of time and the task I was working on. Keeping my phone in another room (or locked in the cupboard) always helps me focus better since I’m often too lazy to get up just to use it. However, I’d sometimes hesitate to do so, as I feared I would miss something important. Now, this isn’t an issue at all!
I use my watch to manage time and tasks
Everything I need, right on my wrist
Beyond receiving notification alerts and calls, smartwatches also come pre-installed with a bunch of utility apps. The apps that I’ve been using the most on my smartwatch are the timer, alarm, stopwatch, and reminder app.
One thing I do to keep focused on a task is either start a timer or a stopwatch (if I don’t know the length of the task) and tell myself I’ll only take a break when I’m done with the task. It’s satisfying, and weirdly convinces me to keep going. With my smartwatch, I can do the same without ever touching my phone. I just set the timer or start the stopwatch right on my wrist. When the timer goes off (if it’s a timer), my watch vibrates gently on my wrist.
Typically, I’d pick up my phone to do this, and it would lead to the same rabbit hole I mentioned earlier. What starts as a quick task often ends up in minutes of scrolling or distractions. I also get notified of reminders and calendar events directly on my wrist, so I never miss an important task or meeting.
I don’t sleep with my phone next to me anymore
Starting my day the right way
Similar to being able to set timers on a smartwatch, I also set alarms directly on my smartwatch. This has been transformative for me. I don’t think I’ve ever used a traditional alarm clock, and like most people, I used to sleep with my phone next to me every night as I set alarms.
The biggest disadvantage of setting alarms on your phone is that you end up picking your phone first thing in the morning. After turning off my alarms, I would immediately start checking notifications, emails, and social media, which often set a distracted tone for the rest of the day.
With my smartwatch, I turn off the alarm right on my wrist and start my morning on the right note. In addition to changing my morning routine, it’s also had an impact on my night routine. Again, I don’t grab my phone right before I sleep to set alarms, which means I avoid the usual pre-bedtime scrolling and distractions. I’ve replaced it with reading a few chapters on my eReader, which is the perfect way to wind down and relax before bed.
A smartwatch has helped me move more and sleep better
More active, more rested
The reason I was tempted to pick up a smartwatch was that I wanted to start tracking my steps. At the beginning of 2025, regularly walking was one of the goals I added to my vision board. While I’ve successfully achieved my goal and walking is now something I do daily, having a smartwatch has made it even easier and more motivating. It allows me to see my progress in real time.
My Xiaomi watch has a feature similar to Apple’s Activity Rings, which shows me how close I am to hitting my daily step, calories burned, and movement goals. Just wanting to close those rings by the end of the day has pushed me to be more mindful of my activity. I’ll take the longer route to my class, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or go grocery shopping with my mom!
Since I got it, I’ve been going to the gym to use the treadmill every single day and have been hitting, on average, thirteen thousand steps a day. In addition to tracking my daily movement, I absolutely love monitoring my sleep. I have a terrible sleep schedule, and seeing my sleep patterns has helped me adjust my bedtime habits and stick to a more consistent schedule.
I regret not getting a smartwatch sooner
A smartwatch has hands-down been my most useful tech purchase this year. My only regret is not getting it earlier. Who knows how much more productive, active, and organized I could have been if I’d started using one months or even years ago?
