Top Apps to block internet distractions for writers
How many times do your mornings go like this?
You sit down to write just KNOWING it’s going to be a
productive session. You crack your knuckles, stare at the screen, and think to
yourself, I’ll just check my email first. After
all, everyone needs a bit of a mental warm-up before diving in to the real
work, and it’ll only take a minute.
So you check your email, tap out some overdue replies, watch
the YouTube clip someone forwarded you, read the cool article on writing that’s
landed in your RSS feed, follow the link at the bottom that leads you to
another pertinent article, browse the comments section, and compose a quick
tweet to share your findings. While you’re there you notice you have some new
Twitter followers you need to follow-back. You work your way through the list,
reading profiles and retweeting the best quotes you come across. Some of them
are really good. Might as well update your Facebook status while you’re at it.
The next thing you know you look up from browsing photos of your
second-cousin’s friend’s daughter’s wedding on Facebook and realize three hours
have passed.
Oops.
Haven’t you ever wished you could download some self-control
at the click of a button? The good news is… you can. In this age of technology
and distraction, many of us struggle with limiting the hold of the internet
over our time. But technology itself might just be our saving grace.
Here’s a roundup of the best free apps I’ve found to help
writers manage their time online. Click on the links to explore further.
1. Self Control (Mac
only)
This is one I’ve been using for a while. Its genius is in
its simplicity. If you’re sitting down to write for a 2-hour block and wish to
remain focussed and productive that entire time, simply set your self-control
timer for 2 hours. For that length of time, you will not be able to access any
sites you’ve blacklisted – Facebook, email, Twitter, or any other time-suckers
individual to you. I also blacklist some of my favorite writing blogs. Meanwhile,
you can still access the rest of the web for research purposes – brilliant!
Once started, the block cannot be undone until the timer runs out, even if you
restart your computer.
This app is based on the popular “Pomodoro” technique which
argues that the greatest productivity occurs by tackling tasks in 25-minute
intervals, followed by a 5-minute break.
Focus booster will run a timer at intervals set by you, with
a buzzer sounding at the end of a completed session. The color of the bar
changes as your time lapses, giving you a constant unobtrusive nudge to stay
productive.
3. Rescue Time
Many of us spend the majority of our time on the things that
are least important to us. You may think you don’t have time to write, but have
you ever wondered how much time you waste on the internet? This free app will
track and analyse how you spend your time on the web, including on mobile apps,
and rank your productivity accordingly. Knowledge is power! Find out how much
spare time you REALLY have.
4. Stay Focused (Requires Google Chrome)
The next step, once you’ve discovered how much time you
really are wasting online, is to restrict the time you spend on non-productive
tasks. Let’s say you want to spend no more than 15 minutes on Facebook each
day. With this app you can set a time limit, and once you’ve used up your
allotted time, the sites you’ve selected will be blocked for the rest of the
day.
You can also set this app to block time-waster sites at a
specific time each day. Say you decide you want to write from 9-11am each
morning, or 8-10pm each night. You can preset this app to block sites at those
exact times. Genius!
5. Concentrate (Mac
only)
Okay, so this one’s not free. I think it’s worth a mention
anyway.
Concentrate costs $29, but is more customizable than any
other app I’ve encountered in my research, and comes highly recommended. This
app allows you to tailor a series of actions to run every time you wish to
concentrate on a task. You can set your writing document to open, distracting
sites to be blocked, your Skype and iChat status to be set as away, even your
desktop picture to change – and much more – all at the click of a button.
So that’s it from me. Have you tried any of these
apps? Any others you’d add to the list? If you decide to try one of these for
the first time, let us know how you go. Wishing you productive and
distraction-free writing!
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalpPhotos.net
Karen Schravemade lives in Australia. When she's not chasing after two small boys or gazing at her brand-new baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website, on Twitter or getting creative over at her mummy blog.
