mellow

One hour

2026-12-09T00:00:00Z

It's an ordinary Tuesday. You get home. Your smart glasses have already ordered the pastry an influencer mentioned during your lunchtime scroll. Dinner arrives. Your TV recommends three new shows based on the one you haven't finished. Your phone reminds you about the sale that's ending in six hours.

Somewhere in all of that you were supposed to have an evening.

One Hour restores your original settings.

No commitment.
No notifications.
No algorithms.
No idea what you're doing next.

Our mission

At One Hour, we believe every person deserves access to one uninterrupted hour of un-monetised existence per day.

We are committed to protecting this essential resource for future generations.

The solution

Disconnect™

We identify every device, service and platform competing for your attention.

Remove™

We temporarily remove non-essential inputs.

Exist™

You decide what happens next.

Testimonials

Thousands of people have successfully completed their first hour.

“I spent 60 minutes doing absolutely nothing. It was terrifying at first. Then I remembered I used to do that every day.”

— Klockis, Verified Human

“I didn't realise my refrigerator had opinions until it stopped sharing them.”

— Frostig, Verified Human

“I finally had an evening that belonged to me.”

— Trådfri, Verified Human

Pricing

First hour	Additional hours
$0	$34/hour
Includes: - Silence - Boredom - Unoptimised time - A chance to make your own decisions	Subject to availability

FAQ

Will I still receive notifications?

No. We believe your devices should respect your boundaries. For one hour.

What happens during my hour?

That's entirely up to you. We know this may feel unfamiliar.

Can I use One Hour for more than one hour?

Yes. However, extended exposure to uninterrupted personal time may require adjustment.

One Hour is not responsible for increased self-awareness, spontaneous hobbies or remembering things you actually enjoy.

My last thought

2026-07-13T00:00:00Z

Only hearing a few shouts from the local birds muted by the rumble of the window frame caused by an A/C unit actively fighting the outside heat, politely interrupted by the 0700 alarm, 0710 alarm, 0714 alarm, 0716 alarm until silence... the silence is haunted by your lockscreen confirming what the window already showed you, and a sleep score of 68, as if exhaustion needed a number.

"Buzzzzz"

Do you think of bees? Or a mobile, i.e. your mobile vibrating with the utmost of importance—alongside the other 19 badge-surrounded reminders of "missed" somethings.

A.I., please proofread the above. are there too many thoughts?

Thinking...

X Cancelled

perfection, inconsistencies, the world in all caps

My last thought was

Magic

2024-11-28T00:00:00Z

About 6 months ago, I received an email from Vercel that they were updating their pricing. The announcement instilled confidence that my current hobby plan would remain free, however the email suggested that one of my apps will go from being exactly free to ~$100/month. For context, this was a simple hacker news frontend, not American Healthcare. From a quick glance, it appeared this had to do with an excess of edge function invocations. What even is an edge function? And that's the problem. Vercel abstracted away the need to know. My ignorance will cost me money.

So time is now running up and I'm rushing to find a self-hosting alternative to Vercel—a pretty wrapper around AWS. I'm a software engineer because I enjoy solving problems and enjoy deeply understanding how things work. Over time, though, this has been stripped from us either for capitalistic gains or to maintain control (or sometimes over zealous simplicity¹).

A fun journey, indeed. With an endless number of options, it comes down to which provider has some sort of billing cap. It's boggling how few of options allow this. My bank account is not deep enough to have an uncapped invoice. I'll stick to the flat $4/month please.

A home grown tomato will almost-always taste better

This may only be the start. Stay competent, or not. Maybe do more yoga and gardening.

¹ Some tools introduce so much abstraction that entire guides and documentation are needed to understand them. Worse yet, these abstractions sometimes replace simple, builtin methods with overly complex alternatives. That's just unnecessary.

Before the abstraction, using a builtin method:

append_path('papaya')

After the abstraction, with the builtin method no longer accessible:

{
	performance = {
		adjust_paths = false,
		settings = {
			overwrite_defaults = false,
			paths = { 'papaya'}
		}
	}
}

Rolodex

2024-03-15T00:00:00Z

I walk into the local cafè, perusing the extensive tea selection pretending that today might be the day I stray from my usual espresso-filled beverage. "You must try this", the barista softly exclaims. I turn, noticing a familiar, friendly face that often greets me at this establishment. Without hesitation, I agree. I trust this other person to know if I would genuinely enjoy this thing—quickly learning I'm about to consume a freshly squeezed watermelon lime cold brew. I'm intrigued and pleased by the strange recommendation. This was someone sharing their passion with me.

Consumption versus creation

I maintain notes of these moments, although not as often as I would prefer. It's important to me to form my own positive opinions of people around me, contrast to the hyper-curated online profiles. When people approach me with a simple question or comment, it immediately switches my brain from being potentially judgemental to excited and comforted. My walls are dropped as if that micro interaction was the confirmation needed to realise the world is full of other sentient beings. Sonder.

Log

Snippets from my life encounters

- The one who makes the best vegan BLTs, sharing a contagious smile and glowful energy
- The one who encourages me to write, a blessing to both the real and the digital world
- The one who sits with me like a Parisian, appreciating each breath in this beautiful world
- The one who asked what my lil espresso was, sparking conversation of recent travels
- The one who has not yet been met, enspelling curiousity on what will be

Create connections. Grow relationships. You're not alone in this world.

Untitled

2023-10-24T00:00:00Z

I write, erase, and gaze upon the intricacies of the plants around me. I write, erase, and do some online shopping—all the way up until checkout, of course. Empty cart. Again. This isn't quite good enough. Good? Short sentences and then long to give a sense of dynamism. Google the word "dynamism" to ensure it's actually a word. Time to read what we have so far. Starting a sentence with "I" is not usually my favourite. I write, erase, and write.

A clear head at last. The topic today is... drinking water. I need to refill my water. Done. Now to drink. Drunk? Drank. I drank the drink to get drunk. English is a strange language, indeed. I see a sheep among the sheep. Okay, I gotta jet. I don't have a jet, but I gotta jet.

We're back. We are, as in I am. Every single word. A distraction. A mix between goofily humming decade-old songs and getting lost within each and every thought. Contemplating what to eat for lunch while simultaneously mourning the two mass shootings that will likely happen today (on average, source). Worrying that my posture right now isn't quite healthy while praying for the far-too-many families being ripped apart at our borders. Wondering if my phone is new enough while scrolling past crying headlines: "Another War", "It's Too Late to save the Planet", "More Hate and Further Divide", "27 Beauty Products You'll Instantly Become Attached to Because They're That Good".

Distraction keeps us from asking questions. Distraction keeps us from fighting for the well-being of others. One day I'll fight. But today, I'm just too damn distracted.

A small, please

2023-02-23T00:00:00Z

My favourite drink is a dry cappuccino. I'm not quite sure what the "dry" part means yet but the specificity invokes a sense of illustriousness. Why is it, then, that my most ordered drink is a latte? Let's dive into this riveting phenomenon, also expressed as "quality over quantity".

Drink	Size	Price
Cappuccino	177 ml / 6 oz	$4.25
Latte	591 ml / 16 oz	$7.00
Latte with flavour	591 ml / 16 oz	$9.00

Prices gathered from a local café. Oat milk is the only milk offered and is reflected in the higher cost.

Working from home is synonymous for many with working from a coffee shop. A daily cappuccino would cost around $1,500 a year. While affording this is a privilege on its own, bumping up to a flavoured latte would cost more than double the cappuccino at around $3,200. This of course varies per person but if you could enjoy a smaller, still delectable coffee, the cost-savings becomes quite the obvious choice.

Value is difficult to quantise and varies between person. Upsizing a medium soda to a large may yield a cheaper-per-ounce beverage at the cost of glucose inundating your sodium-dependent hexose transporters.

For those who are not caffeine-dependent, we see these persuasive price tiers throughout the profit-hungry, people-destroying system of capitalism. Let's indulge. Or not?

Financial manipulation

What if we settled on the entry-level devices. The non-pro marketed devices. The more-than-a-year-old devices. My grandmother is at the top of her friend group's Words with Friends leaderboard, playing on an iPad from 2018. A yearly (base model) upgrade would net marginal gains while costing around $1,500 between then and now. Start increasing the specs and that $1,500 turns into $3,000. Just like our coffee!

I am no saint. Visiting Apple's flashy website showing off a new lemon colour for their iPhone 14 is damn tempting. My addictive personality goes from wanting the latest and greatest to getting rid of a smartphone altogether. The new features do not impress. A new colour, however. A new box to tear into. These dopamine inducing experiences create a toxic desire that at times seems impossible to resist.

Things are temporary

Every year is new. Every year we are sold an idea of an innovation that will change your life, for a cost. Buy this trendy couch with a lifetime warranty for only 400% above market average. This is value though isn't it? Buy it for life! The problem is, "life" is only until something better is released.

Positively, this isn't a one or the other situation. There are fairly priced, used items out there. Quality desks, chairs, appliances, and so much more. Extend the life of existing products. Show them love, as many of these items were made with such.

Good gravy

As a closing remark, remember this tale. There was a couple who discovered these cubes of gravy. The simplicity of it all. One day, this gravy was on sale for nearly half off. We they bought the entire shelf. Now left with 30 cubes or so of gravy, the couple is filled with joy for the future.

3 years later, the gravy finally expired, with 24 cubes remaining of the initial 30. The adoration of gravy not only faded naturally with time but was prematurely diminished due to the fixation on wanting to use the newly bought gravy. Wasted food. Wasted money. A passion no longer. Good gravy, no longer.

Balcony garden

2022-07-19T00:00:00Z

Our garden lives on a two square meter balcony and consists of tomatoes, baby pumpkins, and lettuce all housed in fabric grow bags. This is the first time we've tried to grow anything edible. There's something calming yet exhilarating about the process of waking up, walking outside, and seeing real growth. We did this.

Seeds in small places

Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce

Moved a large portion to 19 liter fabric grow bags

Plants in fabric grow bags left to right: 2 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce. Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 1 full of scraps

We nibbled on a small piece of lettuce and that got us excited for absolutely anything that comes out of this. My goal is a single tomato. Patience.

Aspirational bamboo sticks added to the two tomato plants and one baby pumpkin plant.

Blooming

Plants progressing through their life; the baby pumpkin plants especially.

The growth was rapid and our hopes were high. The baby pumpkins were flowering and overtaking the balcony. The lettuce was invoking thoughts of a salad in the near future...

Lettuce leaves spread out drying on a towel.

Unfortunately, the tomatoes all rotted through the bottom and not one baby pumpkin saw the light of day. Despite this outcome, the joy of cultivating a little garden and having something to nourish us at the end made the effort worth it. We will learn and grow for next time.

Chopsticks

2022-07-10T00:00:00Z

I'm obsessed with restriction. Choosing to have only one all-black outfit stopped the constant inner-voice nagging me to buy that new shirt with a pattern or colour that felt like me. Removing animal products from my life has naturally narrowed down my selection of food, cleaning supplies, and other possessions. These restrictions, whether artificially or ethically imposed, encourage me to live a simpler life while reducing decision fatigue.

Restrictions should be healthy and enjoyable. Deprivation will quickly cause you to fall back to old habits.

According to a study about mindless eating, the amount we eat increases when distracted. Personally, enjoying a meal while watching Friends (~22 minutes runtime) or Grey's Anatomy (~48 minutes runtime) is one of my favourite pastimes. Because my cravings match the length of my current show, I end up filling any extra time with larger portions, salty chips and mayo, or a dark chocolate sweet.

Some people may be strong enough to simply eat slower with a fork. My weak self-control treats a fork like a power-tool for consuming. Replacing a fork with a pair of artisanal, handmade chopsticks not only made me enjoy the process of eating more, but physically slowed me down. Now lunchtime feels like driving a manual car, necessitating a blissful and intentional focus.

L’appétit vient en mangeant.

Raccolta di ricette

2022-06-15T00:00:00Z

Aglio e olio

Un classico piatto di pasta con solo aglio, olio e un po' di sale. Gnam!

100 g (1 C) di pasta
200 g (2 C) di acqua
50 g (1/4 C) di olio d'oliva
1 o 2 spicchi di aglio, tritato

Preparazione

Aggiungete la pasta in una pentola o padella con acqua
Aggiungete una generosa quantità di sale all'acqua
Portate l'acqua a ebollizione leggera
Cuocete per 10-15 minuti oppure appena al dente, poi drenatelo
Soffriggete l'aglio nell'olio per qualche minuto
Amalgamate il tutto e buon appetito

Caffè

20 g i chicchi di caffè
350 ml di acqua
un po' di latte d'avena molto crema

Preparazione

Macinate manualmente i chicchi di caffè della tua torrefazione locale
Preparate il caffè in la caffettiera francese con acqua a 95°
Coprite e aspettate quattro minuti
Completate con il latte d'avena
Divertite nella tua tazza preferita

Tofu di lievito nutrizionale

È lievito, non leviosà!

360 g (12 oz) di tofu
30 ml (2 tbsp) di soy sauce
60 ml (4 tbsp) di lievito nutrizionale

Preparazione

Preriscaldate il forno a 220° C (425° F)
Scolate e premete il tofu
Tagliate il tofu a cubetti
Mescolate i cubetti in una ciotola con la salsa di soia e il lievito nutrizionale
Stendeteli su una padella antiaderente
Infornateli per 40 minuti, girando a metà strada

Cultivating Rosé Pine

2022-05-20T00:00:00Z

To enjoy the process of writing or the idea of having written

Grounded aesthetics

After reading a case against syntax highlighting, I was inspired to create a somehow-unique monochromatic colourscheme. After trying several shades of grey, I started to feel tied down. A hopeful search for earthy colours brought something beautiful to fruition.

Naturally growing community

A small group of humans discovered Rosé Pine shortly after its initial release. I baked a loaf of bread, they started a bakery. Our little theme was spreading like melted plant-based butter. Happiness. Thank you.

rosepinetheme.com

Philosophy

2022-04-23T00:00:00Z

Altruism

Putting others above yourself in a non-deprecating manner.

(ethics) Regard for the welfare of other people (as opposed to one’s own welfare) as the highest principle of action. While one could, in theory, describe altruism as a form of eudaimonism since it seeks to maximize happiness, eudaimonism is always taken to be a kind of individualism or egoism (and therefore in opposition to altruism).

Strictly speaking, Kantianism and other forms of deontologism are not variants of altruism since they emphasize conformance with duty or moral law rather than concern for other people. In general, altruism emphasizes either the intent to benefit others (see intentionalism) or the practical result that one’s actions do indeed benefit others (see consequentialism).

Often altruistic doctrines are forms of universalism, as in utilitarianism (which holds that the highest ethical principle is “the greatest good for the greatest number”). The popular meaning of altruism is loosely connected to the philosophical meaning, and usually refers to an attitude of benevolence toward other people.

Coined by Auguste Comte (1798-1857) from French autrui, descended from Latin alter: other.

Essentialism

A lifestyle seeking to exclude unnecessary distractions.

(metaphysics) The view that concepts have real existence; another term for Platonic idealism.

(epistemology) The view that all entities have intrinsic properties that can be discerned by reason (sometimes attributed to Aristotelianism but more akin to Platonism and neo-Platonism).

From English essential, having real existence or related to the intrinsic nature of a thing; derived from Latin essentia: being.

Intentionalism

Examining one's choices to build more mindful habits.

(metaphysics) The principle, common to many varieties of epistemological realism, that consciousness is always consciousness of a physical entity or some aspect of reality (and thus that “pure consciousness” does not exist, contrary to some forms of idealism).

From Latin intentionem: mental effort, attention, purpose.

Sources

List of isms