The Internet has become an inevitable part of everyone´s lives. Many of us cannot even imagine our everyday lives without peeking at our feed. But even though it provides us with unlimited information, it can also be a big distraction. Especially for us younger generations, the internet and social media alone can take up most of our day if we are not careful enough. Things can get rough. And let us be honest, you would rather spend your time looking at Instagram, scrolling through TikTok and other similar apps, than studying.
Many tools on the market can even help you get better grades and results. Examsdigest is one such tool. It helps aspiring IT professionals focus and learn everything they might need in their profession later on. Another big distraction would be apps like Netflix, YouTube, and other similar apps, where you can watch movies and videos and completely lose track of time. It Is very easy to lose focus, with our phones constantly on, receiving numerous notifications.
In today´s article, we would like to give you a few useful online tools that can help you focus better on the task at hand. In our opinion, the tools we will mention in this article are some of the best. Still, it’s on you to decide which one to try. Since not everyone is the same, no two people have the same strategy for eliminating distractions and keeping focus. So if you’re ready, let’s start with our list.
1. SelfControl
This is a free tool that allows you to disable certain websites for a certain amount of time. That means, if you are having a hard time distancing yourself from Facebook or Twitter, for example, SelfControl will allow you to “block” that website for an amount of time you decide on.
Your browser will work like it has no internet connection, and with that keeping you from spending your time on unnecessary sites. You can try hard to turn the restriction off, but it won’t work no matter what you do.
With that being said, even rebooting your computer and numerous restarts have no purpose. This tool does not completely block your access to the internet, but only to certain apps you decide on. This is a great tool that can force you to do work that requires your focus.
2. Focus
This is another tool with the main purpose of helping you not lose focus on irrelevant stuff. Since we use our computers both for work and entertainment, it is hard not to get carried away. Focus was designed for Mac users and is one click away in your menu bar, so turning it on is as simple as it could be.
This tool is very similar to the one above but is optimized for Mac users. It can block out websites, web-browser in general, but also apps like games and similar. It even lets you schedule out your time. You can plan out your day, week, or weekend and be as productive as possible. The statistics feature allows you the see the among of productivity you have made over the day, week, or even months.
They offer three plans- “Productivity,” which costs $19. The second plan is “Professional” and costs $39, and the last plan is $129. You can check out the features given in each of these plans on their website and decide which one works best for you.
3. Time Out
Another app specifically designed for Mac users, but for the opposite reason. In this article, we are not only talking about how important it is to only work and study. Contrary, it is as important to have some time to yourself and relax, whichever way you want, and Time Out lets you do just that.
You can set a certain duration on your PC, and after that time is up, your screen will fade and will remain faded for the amount of time you have previously set up.
In that time, you should take a screen break, relaxing your eyes, stretching, and changing your position in general. It is not natural for a person to sit numerous hours in an uncomfortable chair, mouse in their hands, and string at a screen. This tool prevents just that.
4. Timely
Timely is perfect if you want to see all of the things you have done in a day, what you had in your planner and did, and what you might have skipped. With that being said, it is the best reflection on what you do in a day, showing you how productive/unproductive you were. With this tool, avoiding distractions is also a possibility, making sure non-relevant things do not get in your way of having your job done in a certain time.
5. Brain.fm
Music can help us in many ways, from instantly changing our mood to making us focus on certain tasks or even making them more fun. Brain.fm helps you by setting a certain mood for you; whichever you decide helps you focus better and finish your tasks on time. Their website even shows tests run on people’s brains and the effects of music on our brains.
This tool does not only help you focus but also helps with relaxation, sleep, and meditation. The sound is categorized for each purpose: focus, relaxation, and sleep. In each of these categories, you can choose a certain ambient. For example, rain focus, thunder sleep, forest relax, and many more. This tool is definitely worth giving a try.
6. FocusWriter
FocusWriter is perfect for those who use Word for writing only, using the most basic writing tools and not needing a whole bunch of editing on your texts. FocusWriter lets you focus on how you are writing it and not letting any additional distractions get in your way of creating an amazing text. When you open this tool, not much is there, only a background and the text you are writing, a toolbar with the most basic tools is visible only when hovering over the top of the window.
7. RescueTime
RescueTime is another tool that appreciates your time and makes sure you are not spending it the wrong way. There are three options to choose from; you can get the software alone, software for your whole team, or even a 4-week master class on improving your productivity. This tool gives you a preview of how productive you have been on a certain day, and if the day altogether was a good one, where you did more work and less slacking, or the opposite.
You can also turn off any kind of distractions that might occur, like social media and similar. They offer two plans when it comes to the software alone. The Lite plan is free but does not include all of the features the Premium plan does. The premium plan costs $12/month. Some of the features included are time reports, productivity reports, keyword filters, and real-time alerts.
8. HazeOver
For those of you having multiple windows open or just using too many monitors, let us introduce HazeOver. This tool allows you to focus only on the window you are working on, which means it fades any kind of distractions that might be going on simultaneously in another window behind.
Don’t get us wrong. There is nothing wrong with multitasking, but sometimes you can feel overwhelmed with all the notifications you might be receiving, and there is nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed. This tool also helps you with those late work nights by turning the brightness of the screen down, making it easier on the eyes.
Conclusion
With this tool, we are finishing today’s story of tools that might help you focus and get your job done better and faster. All of these tools are, in our opinion, some of the best ones you can find out there, but they might not have the same effect on everyone. Make sure you know what works best for you and find your focus trigger. We hope this article has been both interesting and educational and has helped you find a tool that’ll aid you in your future.