When doing work for either school or a job on a computer, it’s easy to get distracted, thankfully there are apps that help you focus and keep you productive.
SelfControl/ ColdTurkey
This app blocks any websites you find distracting for as little as 15 minutes and up to a full day. You can in no way access the site until the timer runs out. You can restart your computer or quit the application but you still have to wait for the timer to run down. SelfControl is the Mac version and ColdTurkey is the Windows version.
f.lux
If you’re on the computer all day, you know how much your eyes can hurt. This app adjusts the brightness of your computer screen throughout the day and night so your eyes can adjust with the brightness of the screen. During the day, the screen is meant to reflect the sun and at night the screen takes on a warm glow. This app can be used on Mac, Windows, Linux and on an iphone/ipad.
Zotero
This is the perfect app for you if you do a lot of research, as it compiles a list of all your sources into one space. This doesn’t only include scholarly sources but also images, PDFs, audio and video files, screenshots and more. Zotero is like your personal research assistant, collecting and organizing everything you need into one location.
Nag
This is an app that can only be used on OS X systems and it nags or reminds you about things that need to get done. You can decide how often an alert pop ups, it can be from every five minutes to once an hour. As an alert pops us an alarm or bell chimes in order to catch your attention. Nag is the app for you if your study breaks often turn into an hour on Tumblr.
