11 Apps to Help You Find Your Focus
Sometimes, it feels impossible to focus with (seemingly) hundreds of things pulling at our attention at any given point in time. You know what we’re talking about: the “ding!” on your phone whenever you get a new text message, that annoying little red button reminding you how many new emails you’re getting, and the endless supply of content readily available for consumption on a daily basis—just to name a few.
If you’re having one of those days where you can’t seem to find your focus, these 11 apps will help you reclaim your brain and get busy working on the things that matter most (even if sometimes, that means actually getting some sleep!)
Sound-Based Apps to Help You Focus
Noisli 2.0: Improve focus and boost your productivity with ambient noise. Use this to drown out annoying noises to better concentrate, enhance productivity, or create a pleasant environment for relaxing or sleeping. There’s also a timer so you can pair this with time management methods, such as the Pomodoro technique.
Brain.fm: AI-generated music that dramatically improves focus, relaxation, and sleep. The cool this about this tool? You can listen for just a few minutes and almost immediately feel the results. If you want to track longer-term progress, Brain.fm allows you to do that, too.
Headspace 2.0: A meditation tool to improve your stress, worry, lack of focus, relationship problems, addictions and more. The promise: use this app for 10 minutes a day, and your brain will literally change, reshaping itself to become more focused, creative, less anxious, and generally happier. We can get behind that. :-)
Noizio: Ambient background sounds for your Mac, on fleek. Whether you want to feel like you’re sitting next to a fireplace, or hanging on a beach, or listening to calming rain, this app has the sound for you. Use it to relax, concentrate, and drive your productivity.
Distraction-Blocking Apps to Help You Focus
Panda Focus Mode: Enter your most important daily tasks, and see them whenever you open a new tab. This is totally a guilt tactic when you start mindlessly browsing the Internet, and we like the tough love.
Hocus Focus: This app will automatically hide application windows that have been inactive for a certain period of time, leaving only the applications you’re using visible. It’s a great way to keep your screens clutter free and your mind focused on the task at hand.
f.lux: Adjust your computer’s display to adapt to the time of day. Say goodbye to overly bright screens when you’re doing late night work, or when the sun is out full blast in the middle of the day. This app will keep your eyes from straining too much throughout the course of the day.
Freedom: This tool reduces digital distraction across all of your devices. If the entire Internet is distracting you, you can block the whole damn thing, if you want. You can start sessions one at a time, or plan your “distraction-free” time in advance. Easy-to-use app that will help you stay focused if you find yourself frequently distracted by social media and websites (ahem, Reddit).
Focus: This is similar to Freedom, but works specifically for Mac. Schedule times when you’d like to block certain websites so you can stay focused on your most important tasks without the distraction of procrastination-inducing sites.
Forest: An app that uses gamification to help you focus on what matters most in your life, from doing deep work, to studying, to spending undistracted time with friends and family.
Happy focusing! :-)
Check out the full collection of apps and tools that will help you stay focused this week on Product Hunt. 🙏
