Apps for Focus
8 APPS FOR STAYING ON TASK
Do you have trouble staying focused? Yeah, me too. In fact, while researching this article, I found myself drifting off to other tasks that definitely needed to be done right away (plot twist; they did not, in fact, need to be done right away). It's hard to say how much time we waste just worrying about how much time we waste. If, like me, telling yourself, “I have to focus!” feels more abusive than helpful, you're probably dealing with an interruption to one of your executive functions. And while your smartphone use can be a symptom of an attention problem, it can also become part of the solution.
Our executive functions govern all our task management skills, from deciding what we need to do next to staying focused on that task until completion. Everyone has executive dysfunctions sometimes (although some of us, like people who live with ADHD, deal with more persistent distractions). The urge to check our smartphones quickly becomes part of our executive functioning loop. Of course, there's nothing wrong with enjoying our friends, whether in meat-space or cyber-space, but when these social cues get mixed into our daily tasks, it can feel like we're trying to solve advanced calculus in a crowded cafeteria. The good news is that there are ways you can retrain your brain, or at least redirect your focus, to limit how often those social urges disturb your ability to stay on task.
The magic sauce for staying focused involves a mix of reviewing how you've been spending your time (without judging yourself), deciding how you'd rather spend your time, and creating the time and mental space for you to accomplish your priorities. If this sounds too simplistic, think of decluttering your brain like decluttering your house; first you have to sort through everything, then decide what you need to get rid of, and finally organize what you've kept in a way that promotes your desired daily flow.
With all that in mind, I've tested three different categories of apps for you: Time Allocation, Task Prioritization, and Focus Maintenance. Any mix of the three should help you promote a more sustainable mental flow that will lead to greater periods of focus. I've even included an awesome app that combines all three categories so that you don't have to jump from one app to another while trying to stay on task! So, let's dive into some low-stress solutions to the high-stress problem of getting focused.
TIME ALLOCATION APPS
Toggl (30-day free trial; $9/month)
If you've ever used a timesheet app, then this will sound familiar; Toggl tracks how much time you spend on daily tasks. What sets Toggl apart from other time-sheet apps is the Siri and Calendar integration. You don't have to stop working to switch tasks; just tell Siri to switch for you, and Toggl starts a new timer. Your Calendar sends schedule reminders through Toggl so that you can stay focused until it's time to leave. There's even a browser extension that monitors your web use, syncing it all to the same account.