6 apps and plugins to help you stay focused while working from home

Look, I fully recognize that, due to the coronavirus outbreak, I’m lucky to be able to work from home. But I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s a struggle.

I’m someone who loves a routine. I miss my commute, my cute little desk, greeting my co-workers, and randomly annoying them throughout the day. 

I also miss my ability to focus on writing stories for long periods of time. You know, without getting sidetracked by hunger, laundry, TikTok, that random Keeping with the Kardashians episode I never got to watch, etc.  

While you might not have the same distractions as me, I think we can all agree that working from home makes it very easy to get sidetracked. 

But, as with anything in life, there’s an app for that.

Here are five apps and plugins to help you stay focused on your work throughout the day. 

Forest sounds really innocent and cute in theory, but it gets kinda dark if you don’t focus.

Available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store, the purpose of the app is to plant trees while staying focused. The longer you stay focused, with the app open, the more the tree grows. But if you break that concentration and leave the app, your tree literally dies.

I told you it gets dark. 

As you continue to use the app, you’ll unlock new types of trees and achievements to help expand your personal little forest. 

And, if you need an extra push, there’s also a collaborative feature where you can plant trees with friends. If one of you gets distracted and leaves the app, you’ll kill everyone’s plants in addition to yours. Talk about teamwork. 

Forest is also available as a Chrome plug-in to use on your computer. You can blacklist websites that are super distracting (I’m looking at you, Twitter) and whitelist ones that you specifically need for work. 

Now, go ahead and plant some happy lil trees. But please, don’t kill them just to answer that text message. It can wait.

I am someone who constantly has over 10 tabs open at once, so Hocus Focus sounds like a nightmare for me. But it’s also an app my chaotic brain would very much benefit from.

The app hides windows that are inactive for a certain period of time so you can only view one window. That way, you’re not switching back and forth between different tasks. 

You can set different time limits for each app installed on your computer, like iMessage, Spotify, or Slack, to disappear when you’re not using them.

It’s also customizable to what you’re doing. You’re able to set up different profiles that trigger Hocus Focus to hide specific apps depending on what you’re doing. 

For example, if you don’t want to get distracted by different Slack channels blowing up on your screen while editing photos or videos, it’ll hide the Slack app when it recognizes you’re in Adobe.

While Hocus Focus is only built for MacOS, you can use it with both Chrome and Safari. 

Let’s face it, we’re going through a very chaotic time right now. 

One second you’re filling out that spreadsheet for work and the next you’re on Twitter for an hour reading headline after headline about what’s going on in the world which then sends you into a full blown panic attack. 

Mindful Browsing, a plugin built specifically for Chrome, interrupts those sessions with some beautiful photography instead. Like the ocean, or some trees, or a sunset. 

It’s super easy to setup. Simply type in the websites you want to be mindful of spending your time on and then type in what you’d rather be doing. 

Like, going for a walk, taking some deep breaths, slamming your laptop shut and throwing it out the window, letting out a good cry, you know, the usual.

You can either click “Yes” and continue to torture yourself by browsing or opt for that suggestion you made for yourself when you first set the feature up. 

To be honest, we probably all need to install this one.

Freedom is an app that’s available on both Android and iOS along with Mac and Windows. Your settings sync across all devices, to make it easier when you’re switching from your computer to your tablet.

There’s no limit to the amount of apps and sites you can block, so go crazy. If you’re indecisive, you can also choose from the pre-made list. There’s also the option to schedule exactly when you want them blocked, like during the weekday between 9 to 5.

And, if you’re feeling really brave, the “block the internet” feature literally keeps you from accessing the world wide web. So, there is no getting around all those sites and apps you blocked by maybe accessing something similar. 

It’s not free, though. While you can start with seven free sessions, you’ll have to upgrade once you’re out. It’ll cost you $29.99 for the entire year.

Another Chrome plugin, Motion intervenes in real-time to remind you when you’re on a distracting site. 

When the pop-up appears, you can either close the tab or use it for exactly one minute (which triggers a countdown). You’ll also have the ability to request more time if you need it. 

It’s a good option for those who need access to the same apps they consider distracting. That way, you’re still provided access without getting too carried away. 

And if that’s not enough, you can also use it to create Focus Sessions. It’s where you set a task for a certain amount of time, that then appears on every single page you open until the session is over. You know, as a reminder that you’re supposed to be working on something. 

Motion provides you with a report of your activity from the previous day, too. If there’s a site you spent way too much time on, you can mark it as distracting to help reduce the amount of time you’re on it each day.

When working from home, it can be really tough to disconnect. I mean, work has literally become the same thing has home. I literally can’t even tell what the difference is anymore.

Anyway.

Focus Keeper, an app available on Android and iOS, is built to help prevent you from burning out. Rather than blocking certain apps or sites, the app times your productivity sessions and separates it with breaks. 

When you choose a task you want to get done, set the timer to 25 minutes. When the timer is up, you’re rewarded with a five minute break. That’s when you can scroll through Instagram, check your Snapchat, do whatever the heck you want. 

Once you’ve completed four focus sessions, you’ll then be able to take an even longer break of about 20 to 30 minutes. 

But it’s also customizable, so you can set the session for longer periods of time with longer breaks. Either way, it’s meant to get you into the habit of making sure you’re getting things done and taking those well deserved breaks in between.