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Internet contains answers to any question. Social media are full of all kinds of information, from breaking news to Game of Thrones reviews and to hot celebrity gossip. It’s so easy to postpone what you’ve been working on, just because a friend just shared the most adorable cat video on Facebook.
If you don’t want to be a victim of circumstances, we recommend that you gear up with the best software resources for blocking the Internet and boosting your ability to concentrate. Here is a list of 7 helpful productivity tools. Some of them are free, and others require a small monthly or annual subscription fee.
Blocking Websites on Your Device
1. Freedom
This amazing software can run as a web application when you use your browser. It blocks websites and apps that you want to block on your computer, tablet, or phone. Another advantage is an option to add multiple devices and create scheduled sessions across all devices. You can get started with seven free sessions. After the trial period, it’s $6.99 a month with monthly subscription or $2.42 a month with annual subscription.
Web, Mac, PC, iOS
Price: $6.99 or $2.42 a month
2. Self-Control
It is praised to be the best application for blocking certain websites. Simply adding websites to The Blacklist and setting a timer does the job. And you can’t change your mind later. Restarting your device or deleting the application will not be enough to unblock those websites.
Mac
Price: Free
3. Focus Booster
This app’s main objective is to focus on a task instead of reducing destructions. Users can list their tasks and work through them in 25-minute increments, which is also known as the Pomodoro Technique. Focus Booster will track your activity and create daily productivity graphs.
PC, Mac
Price: Free, or $5 per month for a Professional version
4. Focus Lock
This app is excellent for those who can’t put their phone away. Simply add distracting apps into the list and set the timer. The apps won’t be available for the time period you specified.
Android
Price: Free
Blocking Websites Through Your Browser
5. StayFocusd for Chrome
StayFocusd works by creating time-wasting periods, during which all or only some websites will be accessible.
Price: Free
6. LeechBlock for Firefox
LeechBlock lets its users create six lists of websites and setup various allowed times for them.
Price: Free
7. Mindful Browsing for Safari
Mindful Browsing will show a pop up every time user is trying to access a blocked website.
Price: Free
Who said finding focus is easy? That is why it’s important to use all available resources to create the conditions you need to concentrate and work efficiently. We hope this list will help you check off all your to-do items from your list every single day.
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Very cool apps! They sound helpful for everyday life:) I will definitely look into these!
Thanks, Erinna! 🙂
Your blog is really amazing. It’s helpful content.
Thanks for your kind words, Priyanka! 🙂
These are great tools! It’s so easy to get distracted and I will definitely look into these. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Sarah! We are glad this was helpful to you.
This is great! I’d always heard you could block sites to keep focused but I never knew how! Thanks for breaking it down 🙂
Nicole, thanks! These tools just add another layer of control.
I love FlowTimer for this. Whereas it doesn’t block your access to anything, it uses the Pomodoro technique, and it’s easy to stay focused for 25 minutes when you know you can do whatever you want afterwards!
Susanna, thanks for the recommendation. There are several free and paid apps that offer the Pomodoro timer. Really helpful!
Thank you for this awesome list!! Some days it’s hard to get into the groove of productivity. I will be sure to check these out!
Sydney, thank you for stopping by!
Great article! Some of these apps would also be really good to put on kids devices to limit time and sites etc. I might try a couple on my screen obsessed son!
Thanks, Star! I didn’t think about this! Your comment made me smile – imagining your son’s face when he discovers he is blocked. 😉
Distraction is really becoming a huge problem and it’s good to know of the options available out there. I had no idea blocking software was even available!
Tania, absolutely! Technology can be our friend in maintaining a sane and productive working environment.
I had no idea about these. Wow, what a great idea. I will certainly check some of these out.
Tonya, thanks!
Wow! I didn’t know such software existed. These are really helpful for when you have to focus and also for children. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment, Lyka!
Wow these are great and I didn’t even realise they existed. I love the app on chrome Stayfocused which lets you only access some websites. Need to get a few of these apps up and running .
I love the Pomodoro Technique. I think it is very good and works well. I am going to try out the Blacklist too and add so many sites to it!
I definitely think this post was made for me. I am the biggest procrastinator and I get distracted so easily. I’m definitely gonna pass this on to some of my college friends too! Thanks for the information!
Great apps and great tools. Never thought in this way. Thanks for sharing. I will look into this matter.
These are great apps! For me, when I really need to get something done, I practice the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and don’t do anything else but the task at hand. After that, you can do whatever you’d like for 5 minutes. It’s worked wonders for me! z
I can definitely get a bit distracted so i like using a fidget spinner def helps focus a bit. But I seriously need to check out Self-control and Focus Lock asap. Thanks for the recommendations!
Just what I need to read at the moment. I have found recently I am really easily distracted.
These apps look like life savers! I need to download one of these sometime. I don’t think I’d want to pay for one but it looks like you’ve shown some that are free as well so that’s great!
I get distracted SO easily when I’m working. I’m definitely going to have to try some of these!!
Louise x
This is really helpful for students as they get distracted whenever any pop-ups comes on their screen. I found all the 7 tools very effective and would share it with my kids and tell them to follow.
This is such a good post because I have ADHD and productivity can be an issue sometimes! Thanks for sharing. I am going to pin this as well!
I’m in desperate need of a social media break! #3 and #7 are just what I need to buckle down and focus, stop myself from checking my facebook newsfeed for the 10th time. Definitely going to try those two first!
Seems like some great tools for productivity! I wonder how Inwoukd deal with them Self Control tool haha
These all sound great. I love the idea of setting time limits on distracting apps so you can concentrate on more important tasks.
Oh this apps are cool! It will be useful to everyone. I will check this out.
I just read your post. I know that life has many distractions. I do my best. I would probably be leery of using some of these. I would worry that I wouldn’t be able to unblock certain sites again like the one. But these might be worth giving a try if I ever find myself too distracted from the world.
Yeah, these aren’t something a person with good self-discipline would need. And even though, I have a pretty good self-discipline, I tend go deep into the task and loose track of time
All these tools sound great to reduce distractions! I’ll check out these.
Ana, glad they seem interesting 👍
Hi Tanya…
Thank you for sharing this article..Great article! Some of these apps would also be really good… These are really helpful for when you have to focus and also for children… Thank you again
Thanks for stopping by, Prady!