Focus app for windows

What is focus app for windows?

In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining productivity can be a challenge. Distractions lurk around every corner, whether it’s social media notifications or the endless lure of the Internet. Focus apps have emerged as powerful tools to combat these distractions and help users maintain their concentration. One such app is the focus app for Windows, designed to boost productivity while simplifying task management. In this article, we’ll explore what the focus app for Windows is, its features, benefits, and how to set it up for optimal use.

Understanding the Focus App for Windows

The focus app for Windows is a productivity application that assists users in managing their tasks and minimizing distractions. By creating a structured environment, the app encourages users to concentrate on their work and accomplish their goals. Unlike traditional task managers, this app incorporates techniques like the Pomodoro Technique and time blocking, which are scientifically proven to enhance focus and efficiency.

Features of the Focus App for Windows

The focus app comes equipped with several compelling features designed to enhance productivity:

• Task Management: Users can create and organize tasks seamlessly, setting priorities to ensure that critical items are addressed first.
• Time Tracking: Keeping track of how much time is spent on various tasks can provide insights into productivity patterns, allowing for better time management.
• Focusing Techniques: The app often includes built-in techniques, such as the Pomodoro Timer, which encourages users to work in short bursts followed by breaks to sustain energy and focus.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Benefits of Using the Focus App for Windows

Integrating a focus app into your daily routine can result in significant improvements in productivity and work-life balance. Some notable benefits include:

• Enhanced Concentration: By minimizing distractions, users can achieve deeper and more sustained focus during work hours.
• Better Time Management: With tools for tracking and managing time, users can identify inefficiencies and allocate their hours more effectively.
• Improved Work-Life Balance: By establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time, users can reduce burnout and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Setting Up the Focus App for Windows

Getting started with the focus app for Windows is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you download, install, and configure the app for optimal use.

1. Download the App: Visit the official Microsoft Store or the app’s website to download the focus app for Windows. A popular choice is Focus To-Do, which combines task management with the Pomodoro Technique.
2. Install the App: Follow the instructions on-screen to install the app on your Windows device. This typically involves clicking “Install” and allowing the app to complete the process.
3. Create an Account: Once installed, create an account or log in if you have one. This will help you save your preferences and tasks across devices.
4. Configure Settings: Customize the app settings to align with your productivity preferences, such as notification preferences and focus time lengths.

Customization Options

One of the key strengths of the focus app for Windows is its customization capabilities. Users can tailor the app to fit their unique productivity styles through options like:

• Custom Time Intervals: Adjust the length of work and break periods to suit your comfort level.
• Theming: Change the app’s appearance to create an environment that is visually appealing and stimulating to you.
• Task Categories: Create specific categories for tasks, making it easier to manage projects and responsibilities.

Integrating with Other Productivity Tools

The focus app can work in tandem with other productivity tools to streamline your workflow. For example, it can integrate with calendar applications to sync deadlines and reminders. Additionally, users can connect it to note-taking apps for a comprehensive organizational system. This interconnectedness facilitates a more cohesive approach to managing tasks and time.

Practical Tips for Maximizing Productivity with the Focus App

To truly harness the potential of the focus app for Windows, you’ll want to incorporate some practical strategies into your routine. Here are a few actionable tips:

Establishing a Routine

Routines are critical for maintaining productivity. The focus app can assist by helping you create a daily schedule that includes:

• Dedicated Work Hours: Set specific times for focused work using the app’s scheduling features.
• Consistent Breaks: Implement regular breaks to recharge your mind, making it easier to return to work refreshed.

Utilizing Time Blocks

Time blocking is a technique that involves allocating specific blocks of time to various tasks. The focus app can facilitate this by allowing you to:

• Plan Your Day: Divide your workday into blocks dedicated to specific tasks or projects.
• Limit Distractions: Use the app’s focus features to prevent notifications from distracting you during these blocks.

Conclusion

The focus app for Windows is a powerful ally in the quest for improved productivity and personal development. By integrating features like task management, time tracking, and focusing techniques, this app encourages users to adopt effective work habits and minimize distractions. Setting it up is a breeze, and customizing it to fit your personal style makes it even more effective. With practical tips like establishing a routine and utilizing time blocks, you can maximize your productivity and achieve your goals. Embrace the focus app to unlock your potential and foster a more balanced, productive life.

2020 has been a rough year for most of us. The concept of routine became inane and it became tough to stay laser-focused at getting things done. As we hopefully enter 2021 – a new year, it is essential to make a difference in lifestyle to stay productive. If you often find yourself procrastinating at work or during your study sessions, here’s a list of apps that could help you regain focus and concentrate on tasks that matter the most at the moment.

We’ve compiled the list focusing on both mobile platforms and desktop platforms. In addition, the article includes a few practical tips that may come in handy when you’re trying to stay productive. You can use the table of contents button below to easily navigate between sections.

What exactly is a focus app?

A focus app is an app that helps you eliminate distractions. It serves as a tool to help you prioritize tasks so that you get work done instead of mindlessly scrolling through the internet. Based on the name, one must not confuse focus apps with meditation apps or habit tracking apps. While a meditation app is to deal with mental health issues and relax your body & mind, a focus app is for those times when the situation demands a burst of productivity.

Apps for Focusing on Android and iPhone

1. Forest

Forest is a great app that guilts your way to productivity, especially if you’re someone who cares about nature and the environment. In the app, you’re supposed to plant a tree and make sure it doesn’t die. The tree dies if you switch to another app and you will get a warning screen urging you to switch back when you enter a distracting app.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

You can grow different species of trees and set focus time ranging from 10 minutes to 120 minutes. Moreover, with the app’s pro subscription, you can plant real trees, get detailed statistics, whitelist useful apps, unlock an ad-free experience, and more.

Pricing: Free with in-app purchases on Android, $1.99 with in-app purchases on iOS 

Download Forest (Android, iOS)

2. Engross

Engross is a productivity app inspired by Francesco Cirillo’s pomodoro technique. The app lets you set work timers and break timers, manage a to-do list, and create/manage events with its built-in planner. You even have the option to break down work and break times into sessions for better management. One unique aspect of Engross is in the way it handles accountability.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Whenever you’re going off track, you can tap on the ‘Hit me when you are distracted’ button to keep track of the number of times you got distracted during a work session and jump right back in. Combined with the premium subscription, you get detailed statistics, app whitelist, white noise, the option to write comments or notes on sessions, and more timer themes.

Pricing: Free with in-app purchases on Android and iOS

Download Engross (Android, iOS)

3. Focus To-Do

Focus To-Do is another app that helps you with task management. With Focus To-Do, you can set focus timers starting from 1 minute to 480 minutes. The app has built-in white noises such as tic-tac, countdown, wind with crickets, rain, cage, library, to name a few.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

What I liked the most about Focus To-Do is how it blocks apps. Instead of entirely locking you out of a distracting app, Focus To-Do vibrates your phone to warn you. The app’s premium subscription unlocks cloud backup, detailed statistics, new white noise sounds, and more.

Pricing: Free with in-app purchases on Android and iOS

Download Focus To-Do (Android, iOS)

4. Focus Keeper

If you want a simple Pomodoro app with the sole purpose of increasing your work productivity with work and break sessions, Focus Keeper is what you should be looking at. It has a satisfying clock ticking sound during your work session and you are treated with a bell sound to indicate that the work time has ended.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

However, you can disable the sound by swiping to the left from the bottom area of the app. While this app won’t block other apps, it is useful to keep track of your time. You can view your usage pattern as charts for the last 14 days or 30 days.

Pricing: Free

Download Focus Keeper (Android, iOS)

5. Focus Mode and Screen Time

Focus mode and Screen time are two underrated features on both iPhones and Android devices. While these are not apps that you download from Play Store or App Store, these built-in digital wellbeing features offer the basics of what all the other apps are capable of. You can set daily app timers to lock yourself out once you exhaust the time limit. Moreover, you can view a visual representation of the apps you use the most and track your usage habits.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Coming to focus mode, you can use the feature to block distracting apps during a specific time of the day. I personally use Android’s Digital wellbeing feature to disable social media apps during my work hours. You can access digital wellness features from Settings -> Screen Time on your iPhone running iOS 12 or newer. Similarly, you can access Android’s Digital wellbeing from Settings ->  Digital Wellbeing & parental controls. You can also try out these Digital wellbeing apps from Google.

Apps for Focusing on Windows and Mac

6. Freedom

Freedom is a must-have productivity app on your Mac and Windows machine. You can use Freedom to play ambient sound, block websites, apps, or even block internet access with the click of a button. You can also set blocklists of select websites and apps or add exceptions to useful websites. With Freedom’s premium feature – advanced scheduling, you can schedule a future session that starts automatically. There’s an option to create recurring sessions too. Thanks to the cross-platform nature of Freedom, you can use the app across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS (via browser extension).

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Pricing: Free with in-app purchases

Download Freedom (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome extension)

7. Serene

Serene is a visually pleasing app to avoid distractions. The macOS app can block websites and apps. You also get additional features such as a day planner, to-do list, and focus music. Although the app is exclusive to macOS, the developers have revealed that a Windows app is on its way. Meanwhile, you can utilize Serene’s browser extensions available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to block distracting websites.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Pricing: Free with in-app purchases

Download Serene (Mac, Chrome extension, Firefox add-on)

8. Mindful Browsing

Mindful Browsing is a simple yet useful browser extension to stay away from distracting websites. Unlike Serene that takes a stern approach, Mindful Browsing asks if you really want to visit a distracting website. You can either choose to use the website for 10 minutes or close it. In addition, you can add a productive task to get reminded of it. You should check this out if you want a gentle reminder to focus on your work.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Pricing: Free

Download Mindful Browsing (Chrome extension)

9. LeechBlock

LeechBlock is yet another browser extension to block websites, but it is highly customizable. You can define a total of six sets of blocked websites and choose when to block them. Interestingly, there’s an option to apply a filter (blur, grayscale, invert, sepia) to make the page less appealing instead of entirely locking it. The developers have also added a setting to close the tab instead of blocking the page.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Pricing: Free

Download LeechBlock (Chrome extension, Edge add-on, Firefox add-on)

10. Pomodoro Timer Web App

Last, but certainly not least, we have Pomodoro Timer, a web app offering from Francesco Cirillo, the creator of Pomodoro technique. All you have to do is create a new activity along with its description on the website and click on the Wind Up button. Once you have completed a session, you can take 2, 5, 15, or 30-minute breaks.

Картинка с сайта: beebom.com

Use Pomodoro Timer (Web App)

Tips for Focusing Without Apps

Now that you know all these apps, let’s discuss a few tips to stay focused even without apps. One habit I personally found to be effective is to log out after you use an addictive platform. The idea is to increase friction in the process so that you will have to put in that extra effort to use it. By introducing an additional step, you’re less likely to jump right back in. While you’re at it, I would highly recommend you set up two-factor authentication for the platform. This not only makes the login process lengthy but also offers an additional layer of security to your account.

If you have the budget, a great way to stay focused is to invest in a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones. This blocks out external noise, which in turn results in fewer distractions. You can then play ambient music, lo-fi chill beats, or anything that helps you calm your mind. You’ll find dedicated study/work playlists on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and other leading music streaming services.

Lastly, one aspect most of us often tend to overlook is setting the right mood. What I mean by this is to have a clean desk or work environment. It doesn’t have to be an expensive dream desk setup that you see in one of those YouTube videos. A minimalistic and functional table with proper cable management goes a long way in staying productive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why is my mind so distracted?

Your mind tends to get distracted when it is preoccupied with thoughts. You can take a step back and analyze your behavior and actions to regain control. If you’re preparing for an exam, you can follow evidence-based techniques such as spaced repetition, Mnemonic peg system, or Feynman technique to prepare better.

Q. What causes lack of focus at work?

One may lose focus at work if the task in question is either boring or has too much workload/pressure. An overwhelmed mind may end up skipping all the assigned tasks. If the issue is out of control, a prolonged lack of focus can be a symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Q. How does anxiety affect concentration?

People suffering from anxiety disorders usually have trouble staying concentrated. The best ways to deal with anxiety issues are seeking professional help and making positive lifestyle changes.

Q. How can I read without losing focus?

Thanks to social media and easy access to smartphones, the average attention span has dropped significantly over the years. You can read without losing focus by cutting down distractions, picking a topic that interests you, and taking occasional breaks.

Q. How do you block yourself from using an app?

You can use apps like Forest and Freedom to lock yourself out of distracting apps.

Q. How can I be more productive at work?

You can become more productive at work by prioritizing tasks based on urgency using techniques like Eisenhower Matrix, eliminating distractions, and following the Pareto principle (80/20 rule).

Stay Focused at Work and Beat Procrastination

That marks the end of our app picks that would help you boost your productivity. We hope this list helped you make meaningful changes to your routine and increase time spent on useful activities. If you’re using a focus app that isn’t mentioned here, do not hesitate to let us know in the comments and we will take a look and consider adding them in the future.

If you’re having trouble focusing these days, you’re not alone.

While working from home and from coffee shops has its set of benefits, it is also hard to stay focused on the task at hand and be productive when the internet is full of engaging content and distractions galore! How are you supposed to get anything done? 

Luckily, there are plenty of apps, websites, and extensions to help you focus and boost productivity in a variety of ways. Some tools work as time-blockers; while others help you get in the zone. it’s worth experimenting with various tools to find out what works for you because there’s definitely no one-size-fits-all solution. 

Highlighted below are the best focus apps, websites, and extensions that will help to get work done a little easier.

1. ClickUp

Need to boost your productivity and distractions from disconnected systems?

This is what ClickUp is for.

ClickUp is an all-in-one project management and productivity platform built to help teams improve their focus at work by bringing all their work and collaboration into one centralized place.

Its powerful integration capabilities allow users to connect their most-used apps together and operate them without leaving ClickUp, while the hundreds of customizable features help teams across industries manage their time, projects, and deadlines more effectively.

Use features like the global time tracker to help with time blocking, a Chrome Extension to easily access five key ClickUp features, and a Workload view to see your team’s work capacity to ensure they’re not under or overwhelmed with tasks that could affect their productivity and focus at work.

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux

Top Features

• Global time tracker to help teams estimate and track time from anywhere
• Choose from 15+ different ways to view your tasks, including Calendar and Workload view
• Consolidate all your work in one hub; connect ClickUp to over 1,000 work tools
• ClickUp Chrome Extension to easily access time tracking and Notepad features, create tasks and emails, and capture and markup screenshot

Price 

• Free Forever Plan
• Unlimited Plan ($5 per member/month)
• Business ($12 per member/month)
• Business Plus ($19 per member/month)
• Enterprise (Contact Sales for pricing)

Start with ClickUp today for free and set your focus time.

2. Forest

Forest is one of the best focus apps that is available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store. Forest is also available as a Chrome extension to use on your laptop or computer. Forest gets you to grow your own forest by staying focused daily and gradually turning your hard work into a land of lush forest. Forest allows you to blacklist distracting websites and whitelist ones that you need for work. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: iOS, Android, Google Chrome. 

Top Features:

• Intuitive and interactive tool makes staying productive fun. 
• Allows you to collaborate with your friends and encourages team productivity. 

 Price:

• $2 for iOS and Google Play, or free as a Chrome extension.

3. Noisli

Annoying noises form a major chunk of distractions and the inability to focus. Noisli helps to mask distractive and annoying noises with background sounds in order to keep you sane, improve your focus and boost your productivity. While there are two paid versions of Noisli, there is a free plan that offers an hour and a half of streaming a day, three curated playlists, 16 sounds to mix with, and the ability to save five favorite combos. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: iOS, Google Play, and desktop

Top Features:

• You can mix and match different high-quality sounds to create the perfect working environment. 
• Choose from curated Playlists for various situations.

Pricing:

• Free or $10 a month or $24 a month (for business teams) 

4. Freedom

If you often find yourself distracted by all the different social media platforms, news sites, and everything that the internet has to offer, then you should consider the cross-platform app Freedom. With Freedom, you can block everything from websites to apps to the entire internet. If you’re not sure which websites or apps to block, you can also choose from a pre-made list. 

Format: 

• Web-based (Chrome, Firefox,  Edge, and Opera) 
• Mobile (iOS and Android)

Top Features:

• Blocks distracting sites or the entire internet across all your devices at once
• Lock Mode stops you from quitting a block session
• Schedule specific times when you want to block certain websites 

Pricing: 

• 7-day free trial
• Monthly Plan ($6.99/month)
• Yearly Plan ($29/year)

5. Focusmate

As the name suggests, Focusmate prompts you to choose a time for work and when you want to be productive and then connects you with a focus mate for a 50-minute session. The idea is to harness the power of virtual co-working by connecting you to other professionals who have committed to being accountable for finishing their most important work. 

Given that 95.5% of users reported a significant increase in productivity, makes Focusmate one of the best focus apps out there. 

Format: Web-based format works best on Chrome for desktops, Chrome for Android and Safari for iOS (iPhone/iPad). 

Top Features:

• Uses virtual co-working to enhance work commitments and boost productivity. 

Price: 

• Free for 3 sessions (50 minutes each) every week. 
• For unlimited sessions, upgrade to Turbo for $5 per month. 

6. RescueTime

RescueTime is a productivity reporting tool joined with website blocking features. While you can’t use RescueTime to block applications, you can use it to see how much time you’re spending on certain apps and websites. The reporting features make RescueTime stand out as a productivity tool and make it one of the best apps for focus. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: 

• iOS and Mac Desktop
• Android
• Chrome Extension 

Top Features:

• Analyzes and reports on your online activity. 
• «Productivity Pulse» score makes managing time an intuitive activity. 

Pricing: 

• 14-day free version
• 12-month price at $6.50/month or 1-month price at $12.00/month

7. Focus

As funny as it may sound, Focus is one of the best apps for focus. Focus helps keep procrastination at bay as it is based on the Pomodoro technique. This time management technique is a method that uses a timer to break down work into intervals. The idea is to focus on a single task for a specific period of time and then take a short break to revitalize yourself. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: iOS (iPhone, iPad & Apple Watch) and MacOS.

Top Features:

• Focus allows you to split work time into 4 intervals of 25 minutes, each separated by a short break.
• You can customize the length of the intervals and breaks in the app to fit your needs.

Price:

• Monthly at $4.99/ month
• Yearly at $39.99/ year

8. Mindful Browsing

Built by Steven Skoczen, to help with his own mindless browsing, Mindful Browsing seamlessly and beautifully interrupts mindless browsing to get you back to focus on the tasks at hand. Mindful Browsing takes a slightly gentler approach to avoid distractions as compared to website blockers and is easy to set up. 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. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: Web-based (Chrome Extension)

Top Features: 

• You have the option of inserting self-care reminders.
• Gently nudges you to get back to work.

Price:

• Free; mindfulbrowsing.org

9. Motion

Motion is one of the best focus apps that helps to get work done by intervening in real-time to remind you when you’re on a distracting site. What makes Motion unique is that while browning a distractive website, it shows a pop-up which you can either close or continue to browse for exactly one minute (which triggers a countdown). Motion also allows you to create Focus Sessions and provides you with an activity report from the previous day. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: Chrome Extension

Top Features:

• All-in-one browser plugin that cuts a major chunk of distractions to keep you in a state of focus all the time. 
• Motion’s smart scheduling system gives you blocks of time to focus.

Price:

• Pro plan costs $19/Month.

10. Focus Keeper

Focus Keeper helps you keep your productivity at an all-time high while avoiding burnout. Like Focus, Focus Keeper uses the Pomodoro technique which involves blocking your time into slots of 25 minutes of work with short breaks in between. Focus Keeper uses a simple and customizable user interface and also tracks your productivity. 

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Simply set the timer to 25 minutes when you choose a task you want to get done and when the timer is up, you’re rewarded with a five-minute break. 

Format: App available for iOS.

Top Features:

• The timer is customizable to set sessions for longer periods with longer breaks.
• Helps to get in the habit of staying focused and taking breaks. 

Price:

• Free or $2 for the pro plan.

11. Hocus Focus

Hocus Focus helps your brain from straying by automatically hiding applications you’re not using. Hocus Focus is a Mac menu bar utility that helps to keep your desktop clutter-free by hiding your inactive windows for a certain period of time, leaving only the applications you’re using visible. By hiding the applications and multiple windows that you’re not using, Hocus Focus helps to create a distraction-free desktop and helps you stay focused on the stuff that matters.

Картинка с сайта: friday.app

Format: Web-based for MacOS (www.hocusfoc.us) 

Top Features:

• You can change Hocus Focus’s window hiding behavior based on the work you’re doing.

Price:

• Free

Why Can Focus Apps Help You?

While “productivity” has become a buzzword in the world of remote teams, there’s no denying that being productive and getting things done is a very satisfying and happy feeling. However, to be productive, you need to stay focused on the task at hand. And staying focused in a world that’s filled with distractions can be challenging. 

By relying on the focus apps and tools mentioned above, you can boost personal productivity and develop the powerful habit of staying focused. Whether it’s background noises or blocking websites or gentle nudges, it’s wise to try a few of these tools out to determine which focus app is best for you. 

Additionally, a great way to stay focused is to write down all your goals and break them into small and manageable steps. You can use the Friday daily planner, to begin with, and use a focus app to eliminate distractions.