3 great apps to keep you focused when you need it
The following apps are designed to get you focused and reduce distraction. You will be amazed how much you can get done if you can learn to ignore distractions for short periods at a time.
To use the following apps, you need to have a small goal in mind – eat my dinner without interruption, study one page of notes without getting distracted, etc. Remember that we cannot be focused all day – set yourself up for success – do not set a timer for more than about 30 minute if you are doing school work (your brain needs a break every once in a while) – also, let others know you are trying to focus and set up your work space to be distraction free.
Pomodoro – Pomodoro is an Italian word for tomato. This is not one specific app but a technique. The Pomoodoro technique is a time management technique that helps you plan for short bursts of activity followed by short breaks (realizing that we are not robots and do not have endless energy or time). The pomodoro technique is great for people who often find themselves derailed by small distractions but need to do a big task or multiple small tasks that you cannot seem to get done. You are rewarded with breaks as you work. Using an app that uses the pomodoro technique looks like this:
- Work 25 minutes = 1 pomodoro, take a 5 minute break
- Work 25 minutes = 1 pomodoro, take a 5 minute break
- Work 25 minutes = 1 pomodoro, take a 5 minute break
- Work 25 minutes = 1 pomodoro, Long break – reward yourself!
Search in your app store – Pomotodo is a good one – if you go through their tutorial you can decide if you want to use their time management and organizational strategies as well. There are a lot of apps out there that use the Pomodoro technique and are
Forest App – If you are concerned about our environment, this might be the app for you – the app will plant a tree each time you sit to focus. If you set the app to “no distractions” – and you get distracted, your tree will die. Once you grow enough trees in the app, the company will plant a REAL tree for you. (There is a new SleepTown app for those who cannot put their phone away at night!).
Study Bunny works as a focus app by giving you some motivation as a cute little bunny studies along with you. You are rewarded for keeping focus by getting gifts for your bunny and feeding them carrots. Super fun and somewhat relaxing (you can watch the bunny study along with you!). You can add a to-do list in the app and make flashcards which can help with studying. You can also earn white noise (like a crackling fire) and music (some cool lo-fi mixes and others), if that would help you study. Highly recommend for animal lovers.