6 Mac Tips and Tools to Help You Concentrate on Your Work

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We all suffer from our multitasking, but do not despair, this is normal. Stanford University conducted research in 2009, according to which it was found that people who often multitask, cannot concentrate, have poor memory, and have difficulty switching from one task to another. Therefore, in fact, multitasking is not that cool and in the end, instead of the expected productivity, you will be distracted, more tired and will not be able to do any of the tasks you take on well.

The problem of concentration while working in OS X is quite acute, and even if you set yourself only one task, it can be quite difficult to complete it, due to the many distractions. In this article, I want to share with you a few applications and tricks that will help you focus and work effectively on the task at hand.

* * *

OmmWriter - write without distraction

Everyone who often has to write some texts knows firsthand how hard it is to tune in to a working mood and not be distracted during work. But it has become an even bigger problem since our "typewriters" learned to go online. A good option for a full-screen writing application is OmmWriter, which, thanks to its minimal interface and pleasant background music, will allow you to completely detach from the outside world and focus solely on the text.

OmmWriter has quite flexible settings. We have seven gorgeous backgrounds, seven ambient melodies (very well chosen by the way) and seven keyboard sound schemes (if you like the sound of clicking keys). Of course, if you are used to working in silence, you can turn off all sounds.

OmmWriter cannot be called a text editor in the usual sense, however, it still has minimal options for formatting (italic, underlined text) and exporting files (.omm,.txt,.pdf). According to the developers themselves, OmmWriter is perfect for putting your thoughts on paper and creating a draft. Later, if you need to use complex formatting, you simply grab the draft from the OmmWriter and export it to a full-fledged word processor.

A big plus of OmmWriter is its availability for various platforms. There is a version for Mac, Windows and even iPad.

In addition to OmmWriter, there are also a large number of "writing" text editors, which I wrote about on the pages of MacRadar earlier.

SelfControl - block emails and websites

If you often find yourself updating your mailbox instead of actually working on a task, it's time to give SelfControl a try. This is a free open source application that allows you to block access to the Web for email (incoming / outgoing servers) and certain sites. You just have to add them to the "black list" and set the blocking time on the timer.

Once the SelfControl timer has been started, it will in principle be impossible to disable it. Restarting or even uninstalling the application will not help - until the set time has passed, you will not be able to access blocked sites.

Focus Booster: Manage Time

Focus Booster is based on the Pomodoro time management system, which breaks the work on your task into intervals (usually 25 minutes), separated by short breaks. This approach will allow you to work productively, but at the same time less get tired and get down to business with a fresh mind every time.

Focus Booster has a nice interface and is "sharpened" for the use of the Pomodoro technique. We only need to set the duration of the working intervals (from 2 to 90 minutes) and breaks (from 1 to 30 minutes). A running timer cannot be paused, so you will have to more or less stick to the schedule and less distraction.

Focus Booster is available for both Mac and Windows. In addition, you can always use the online version of the timer. Accessed

Bonus

It is not always possible to work in full screen mode, as well as to disable access to mail and websites. However, this is not an excuse to be tempted to read new tweets or reply to incoming messages as soon as you hear the notification sound. Here are some tips on how to turn off annoying notifications for popular apps and services.

Turn off incoming sounds in Gmail chat

Press the "gear" in the upper right corner and go to the "Chat" tab in the settings. In the "Sounds" section - put a tick in front of the "Mute sound" item.

Disable Facebook notifications

On the Facebook page, open the settings (the "gear" in the upper right corner), select the Notifications section in the side menu and select "On Facebook" in the "How do you receive notifications" item. Here we uncheck the box next to the item "Sound notifications when new messages are received"

Silencing Facebook chat

Click on the "gear" in the Facebook chat and uncheck the box next to the item "Chat sounds"

* * *

In fact, no matter how much you want it, you cannot completely avoid distractions. After all, there is no application that will save you from Vasya from the next department, who considers it his duty to retell you every new episode of your favorite TV series or a button to turn off the noise of children who are wailing outside the window. Nevertheless, using the tools and tips in this article, you can at least get closer to your desired goal.

How do you increase concentration when you need to focus on an important task, dear readers? Share your tips and secrets in the comments.