Finch: How a Virtual Pet Makes me Happier and More Productive

I’m from the era of Tamagotchis and Neopets — which basically means I’m haunted by a trove of forgotten virtual pets I’ve failed. 

(Sorry to all the pets I forgot to feed… it wasn’t you, it was me.)

So why is Finch, an app where you take care of a little virtual bird, actually helping me live a happier, more productive life?

Well, it flips the script: Finch is a self-care / productivity app where you raise a tiny virtual bird that “grows up” when you take care of yourself or accomplish a task. 

You do real-life tasks, your bird gets happier and bigger, and your brain gets a little dopamine cookie (or in this case, rainbow gems that make Mario-esque coin sounds when you earn them. Clink clink clink!). 

So, you don’t feed your Finch omelets or potions… you feed yourself. 

You don’t give them water — you drink water. 

Their health and happiness is powered by your health and happiness.

But what’s really fascinating is the psychology behind why it works. Because somehow, this silly little bird has kept me on a 53-day streak of using this app — which is maybe the longest I’ve done anything this consistently in years.

And as someone who tends to hyperfixate, I figured: why not lean into it? Let’s break down the actual science that makes Finch effective, especially if conventional habit trackers and shame spirals don’t work for you.

Because I genuinely believe it can help a lot of people!

But first, what is Finch, and how do you use it?

How Finch Works

I can’t tell you how many tactics I’ve tried to “trick” myself into being a productive member of society. 

Checklists, habit trackers, cutesy calendars, or my third new day planner of the year — you know, the one that will FINALLY change everything.

Nothing works for more than a few days, once the dopamine from my purchase and imagining my “new me” wears off. 

Finch however, doesn’t ask anything of you upfront. 

You don’t have to imagine a “new you,” dedicate yourself to daunting life changes, or force yourself into new habits. 

You just have to look at it and think, “That’s a cute bird. I wonder how cute they’d look in this hat.”

Because it’s really that simple. 

Essentially, Finch is the epitomized gamification of self-care driven by dopamine. And what are we if not simple little dopamine machines? 

Right when you open the app, it asks how you're feeling on a scale from bad to good, with a little affirmation to perk you up.

Naming your mood is really good for your mental state, no matter what your mood is, but we'll get into that later. 

Then it opens your list of goals. The app provides some baseline goals for you, but you can add any goal you want. 

My favorites are "Literally survive the day" and "Step outside once". Yeah, I do need reminders for those unfortunately.  Or at least a little treat for doing them. 

You can even select 1 goal per week you really want to focus on, and connect it to a micro-pet egg. Every time you complete that specific goal, your micro-pet gets 1 day closer to hatching. After you complete it 7 times, your Finch gets a tiny pet of its own. How cute is that?!

Once you hit a certain amount of goals for the day, your Finch goes on an “adventure” — they can explore deserts, forests, or cities… mine is in the Galapagos Islands right now. I thought they should get to know their roots…

Anyway, you also have quests, which are like bigger tasks, but not overwhelming ones. You can do a breathing exercise (for gems), a short reflection (for gems), or simply pet your Finch (for gems). 

Finally, you use your hard-earned rainbow gems to shop for cute little outfits and pieces of furniture for your bird’s nest. That’s the best part.

I like to start the day with my baseline goals to get my Finch going on their adventure (think Get out of Bed, Brush Hair, Brush Teeth, Change Clothes), then I look at the shop. There are new items in the shop every day.

I’ll see a purple disco ball for my Finch’s nest, a cute little tropical smoothie for them to carry around, or adorable teddy bear slippers.

Then I’m ready to tackle my other goals to get those gems — and get my Finch those slippies. 

So now that you know how it works, let’s talk about why it works so well for mental health (especially for serial habit-abandoners like myself).

Why Finch Works

It comes down to the way our brains are wired. Finch taps into several psychological principles that are proven to support mental health — especially for people dealing with depression, ADHD, autism, or just garden-variety executive dysfunction.

First up: behavioral activation. In therapy, one of the gold-standard treatments for depression is to get people doing tiny activities, even when they don’t feel like it. Mood follows action, not the other way around.

My therapist explains this as the “3% game.” Or, “what can I do in this moment to feel just 3% better?” That way I’m not facing the darkness of the Big Sad unequipped and weak, I’m focusing on lighting one tiny tea candle at a time to illuminate my pathway out. The goal is to just do something, anything!

Finch makes that process less intimidating by rewarding you for even the smallest steps. 

You drink a glass of water? Boom, your bird gets a little happier. 

You get a micro-accomplishment, a digital high-five, and some hydration.

Then there’s externalized care. It’s often easier to do something for someone else than for yourself.

You might not drag yourself outside just for you, but if it helps your bird go on an adventure to the Galapagos? Suddenly it feels possible. 

It’s a quick answer to the ever-paralyzing questions “why bother” and “what’s the point?”

Caring for an externalized creature bypasses self-criticism and doubt, and sometimes even fear, so your task becomes “nurturing” rather than “self-discipline.” 

Then there’s my favorite, dopamine design. Gamification (points, streaks, rewards) plays right into our brain’s reward system. For ADHD brains especially, this is huge. 

The cute outfits, silly accessories, and rewarding sounds provide novelty and stimulation that boring habit trackers can’t.

It’s why I abandon a planner after three days, but I’ll happily log in to earn my Finch a new unicorn bed. 

Lastly, Finch builds in self-reflection and self-compassion. The mood check-ins, affirmations, and journaling prompts aren’t just cute features, they’re based on cognitive-behavioral strategies that help reduce rumination and make you more aware of your emotions.

Naming your mood literally helps your brain regulate it. 

Instead of feeling lost in a cloud or an overwhelming sea of emotions, you can pinpoint where you’re at, and where you want to go from there. 

So instead of sitting with your spiraling thoughts, or opening a social media app to doomscroll, you can check in on your cute little birdy who is always so happy to see you, and farm some dopamine, self-compassion, and a sense of accomplishment. 

Oh, and one more cute feature — you can connect with your friends! Your friends can find you on Finch and visit your home (or nest), go on adventures with you, or you can share goals together. You simply choose a goal you want to share with a friend, and your “goal buddy” will get notified whenever you complete it, motivating them to complete it too! 

You can also send them little notes like “Outfit Love” or “Hugs” or “Dance” to brighten their day. It’s been such a cute way to stay in touch with my friends and spread a little happiness.

All in all, Finch has helped me build tiny habits like sharing 1 song a day on the Fearless Far and Wide Instagram page. (15 days in a row so far, woo!)...

Changing my clothes first thing when I wake up — so I don’t end up working remotely in my pajamas until 1pm…

And doing little things like saying 3 affirmations for myself, naming someone who cares about me, or learning 1 phrase or word of a new language.

After all, those tiny things that don’t seem to make a big difference at the moment… add up to become big life changes over time. 

So now I know: The best way for me to build healthy habits is to trick myself into it. And if it can work for me, it can work for you, too!

Here are my typical goals that end up making my days pretty dang fulfilling and productive:

Productivity

Turn off notifications for 1 hour

Write down my goals in the morning

Try a focus timer for deep work

Name one thing I accomplished at the end of the day 

Complete a task before lunch

Spend 5 minutes tidying my home

Listen to a focus playlist

Check my work reports 

Clear my inbox 

Calm

Do a mindful breathing exercise

Name how I’m feeling right now 

Take a short walk without distraction 

Take 3 deep breaths

Take a stretch break

Nutrition

Eat a healthy meal

Skip that drink tonight

Take supplements

Drink protein (I love clear protein)

Movement

End my day with wind down stretches

Perform a 3-minute exercise I enjoy

45 minutes of spin

Put on Apple Watch for workout

Step outside once 

Gratitude

Write one thing in a gratitude reflection

Literally survive the day

Self-Kindness

Read 3 simple affirmations for myself

Do 1 thing that makes me happy

Look in the mirror and say “I can do it”

Name one person who cares for me

Red light therapy

Take your medication

Hygiene

Floss my teeth

Brush my teeth (x2)

Nighttime skincare

Morning skincare

Connection

Compliment someone

Give someone a warm hug

Message a friend

Ask someone how their day is going

Learn 1 French word or phrase 

Other Goals

Get out of bed

Drink water

Tell myself “I just need to do my best when I’m overwhelmed” (shared with my dear friend, Paulina!)

Change clothes 

Yep, it’s a lot – but you know what, it keeps me busy! 

It all comes down to creating a life you love, filling up your time with things that recharge you and make you happy, building habits that are good for your mind and body…

And hatching all the cute micro-pets along the way.

How to Try Finch

If you want to see what I’m blabbering about, the Finch app is free on both iOS and Android. You can use a good chunk of its features for free: mood check-ins, daily goals, adventures, even a decent wardrobe for your bird.

That said, there’s also a Finch Plus tier if you want the full experience, or just more rewards: more quests, extra customizations, expanded reflection prompts, and basically all the bells, whistles, and sparkly disco balls you could ever want for your little bird. It’s a monthly or yearly subscription, but you can start with a free trial to see if it’s your thing.

So whether you’re curious to test-drive it for free, or you’re the type who immediately needs your Finch rocking teddy bear slippers and a unicorn bed (hi, it’s me), you’ve got options.

And knocking off my “compliment someone” goal for the day before I go…

You’re beautiful, and I hope you have a wonderful day!