Which tool should I start with?

Start with the AI Fatigue Quiz if you've never taken it — it gives you a tier score and personalized recommendations. If you already know you're fatigued, the Daily Check-in and 30-Day Checklist are the best daily-use tools.

Are these tools free?

Yes. Every tool on The Clearing is completely free. No account, no tracking, no data collection beyond localStorage for your personal progress. The Dispatch newsletter is also free.

Do I need to use all of these tools?

No. Pick the ones that fit where you are right now. The 30-Day Checklist is a structured plan if you want a protocol. The Journal is for reflective processing. The Timer is for reclaiming deep work. Start with one.

How is this different from a productivity app?

These tools aren't designed to make you more productive. They're designed to help you recover — to get back to being the engineer you want to be, not just the one shipping code. The goal is rest, boundaries, and craft recovery.

Can I track my progress over time?

Yes. The Daily Check-in saves your entries in localStorage on your device — you can review your past 14 entries. The 30-Day Checklist tracks completion. Neither sends data to any server.

What if I'm not sure I have AI fatigue?

Take the AI Fatigue Quiz. It takes 2 minutes and gives you a clear score: whether you're holding up, experiencing some fatigue, have real fatigue, or need to take a real break. It's the best starting point.

🌿 The Clearing Recovery Toolkit

Your free AI fatigue
recovery toolkit

8 interactive tools built specifically for engineers experiencing AI tool overwhelm, skill erosion, and the quiet exhaustion that doesn't have a name.

Free Tools

Tracking / Accounts

3k+

Engineers Helped

Take the AI Fatigue Quiz → Browse All Tools

Which tool is right for me?

Not sure where to start? Pick the description that fits you best right now.

Start here — you don't know what you have yet

Take the AI Fatigue Quiz first. It takes 2 minutes and gives you a clear score: 🌿 Holding Up / 🌤 Some Fatigue / 🌧 Real Fatigue / 🌑 Need a Real Break. That's your starting point.

🎯 AI Fatigue Quiz — Start here 📊 Severity Index 🧠 Type Calculator

You know your tier — now build your practice

Great. Now you know where you stand. The 30-Day Checklist gives you a structured protocol for the next month. Pair it with the Daily Check-in to track your day-to-day state.

✅ 30-Day Recovery Checklist 📝 Daily Check-in 🛤️ Recovery Guide

You want something you can do every day

The Daily Check-in is a 5-second state readout you do once a day. The Journal gives you reflective prompts. The Explanation Requirement is a daily practice that rebuilds the learning loop.

📝 Daily Check-in (30 sec) 📓 Recovery Journal 💬 Explanation Requirement

You can't focus — deep work is gone

That's the attention residue problem. The Pomodoro Timer starts you with 25-minute focus sessions and a structured break. Pair it with No-AI Blocks to rebuild your capacity for uninterrupted work.

🍅 Pomodoro Deep Work Timer 🚫 No-AI Block Practice 🧠 Attention Residue Explained

All 8 tools, at a glance

Every tool is free, private (localStorage only), and built for engineers by engineers.

🎯

AI Fatigue Quiz

Find out where you stand

5 questions. 2 minutes. Gives you a tier score (🌿–🌑) with personalized recommendations for your exact level of fatigue.

Best for: First visit, or checking in after recovery work.

⏱ 2 min ✓ Free

📝

Daily Check-in

Your 30-second daily readout

Answer 5 questions about today's energy, focus, mood, and AI usage. Track your patterns over time with a 30-day dot calendar and past-entry review.

Best for: Building self-awareness. Takes 30 seconds. Do it every morning.

⏱ 30 sec/day ✓ Free

📓

Recovery Journal

Reflect, name, process

8 structured reflective prompts for processing AI fatigue experiences: naming the loss, identifying triggers, tracking patterns, and reconnecting with craft.

Best for: When you're processing a hard week or reconnecting with why you became an engineer.

⏱ 5–15 min ✓ Free

🍅

Deep Work Timer

Reclaim your focus

A Pomodoro timer built for deep work. 25-min focus / 5-min break cycles with ambient sound options, session tracking, and long-break reminders after 4 sessions.

Best for: Rebuilding attention capacity. Start with one session. Build up to 4.

⏱ 25–90 min ✓ Free

📊

Fatigue Severity Index

Score your fatigue precisely

10-question clinical-style assessment with weighted scoring across 4 dimensions: cognitive load, emotional exhaustion, skill erosion, and identity loss.

Best for: A detailed picture of where your fatigue is coming from. Good before starting the 30-day plan.

⏱ 5 min ✓ Free

🧠

Fatigue Type Calculator

What's driving your fatigue?

Not all AI fatigue is the same. This calculator identifies your primary fatigue archetype: Cognitive Overloader, Identity Eroder, Skill Atrophier, or Velocity Addict.

Best for: Understanding the root cause of your fatigue so you can target the right recovery practices.

⏱ 3 min ✓ Free

✅

30-Day Recovery Checklist

Your structured recovery plan

A month-long structured protocol across 4 phases: Awareness, Reduction, Reconnection, and Integration. 30 concrete daily actions with localStorage progress tracking and a print-ready version.

Best for: Engineers who want a structured plan. Works best if you do one action per day.

⏱ 10–20 min/day ✓ Free

💬

The Explanation Requirement

Rebuild the learning loop

Before accepting any AI-generated code, explain it out loud — in plain English — as if you're teaching someone. If you can't explain it, you don't own it yet.

Best for: Daily practice. One of the most effective interventions for skill atrophy and identity recovery.

⏱ 5 min/session ✓ Free