10 Apps Designed to Help You Multitask Without Losing Focus

Image via Complex Original

Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux

Price: Free

Let’s be real: When it comes to ignoring social media, self-control is the one thing we lack the most. The computer-based app Self Control essentially locks every website that isn't allowing you to focus on your current task. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and any other websites that taunt your workday (such as Amazon or Pinterest) can all be disabled with the app. Self Control is for the truly committed; once your preferred blocked websites are added and your timer is set, nothing can undo the hold—not restarting the computer or even deleting the app will allow you to see your ex’s vacation photos until the timer is up. You just have to wait it out and finally get some work done in the mean time. 

Platform: iOS, Android

Price: $0.99

Forest is Self Control’s less severe smartphone hippie cousin. Forest is similar in that is also blocks your most abused websites, however it believes in rewarding your dedication. You start by planting a virtual seed in the “forest.” For the next 30 minutes this seed will start to grow into a tree, and eventually an entire forest. However, if you can’t resist temptation your trees will wither and die. I know, harsh. Now not only can you buckle down on the important stuff, but, let’s face it, you're also a bit of an activist now.

Platform: iOS

Price: Free

We all have our concentration woes, and a central theme tends to be surrounding sound. The office is too noisy, the music in the coffee shop is distracting, and my upstairs neighbors are gaming again. Focus Zen is an app with sounds engineered to keep you focused. It claims to be “better than your morning coffee”—a bold, yet intriguing statement. It even has a setting called “Digital Coffee.” Other popular settings include “Attention Enhancer” and “Lazer Focus” to block out distractions and help you deeply focus on what needs to be done. Pop in those headphones and get to centering that chi.

Platforms: iOS, Mac, Windows

Price: Free

Ommwriter is a yoga studio for your brain. Its mission is to create a calming environment for you to get into the writing flow. It has three main components designed to hold your focus and soothe your life’s chaos. It allows you to choose from a variety of pastel-colored backgrounds, offering audio tracks to focus your mind. It also offers different keystroke sounds to “support your every move on the keyboard.” It is meant to bring out your inner compositionist, that is, if it doesn't put you to sleep in the mean time.

Platform: iOS, Chrome

Price: Free

Handle is being hailed by bigwigs (Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal) as the latest godsend in productivity. Handle is designed to combine your calendar and to-do lists effortlessly. To dos and reminders can be captured in real-time using Siri. It allows you to stay focused by wasting less time navigating through different apps. Handle merges your calendar, to-dos, emails, and other daily reminders into one. The app allows you to be the organizational wizard you never dreamed off becoming. 

Platform: Android, iOS

Price: $2.99

This is a tech-y twist to the critically acclaimed Pomodoro Technique that was developed in the late 1980s. (I know, retro.) It’s a method that breaks work time into traditional 25-minute intervals separated by short breaks. The app helps you keep focused by not letting you get ‘burned out.’ The apps not only helps to manage your tasks and tracks your daily or weekly progress, but after defining your task, the app also sets a timer for 25 minutes and encourages you to focus solely on the assignment at hand until an alarm sounds to inform you its time for a short break. After four 25-minute focus sessions, the app encourages you to take a longer break of 10–15 minutes—just enough time for an Instagram scroll and gourmet coffee.

Platform: iOS

Price: $39.99

This app is one of the top-rated for productivity on the App Store, despite the price point. Being someone that winces at any app over $2.99, you can imagine the skepticism felt toward Omnifocus upon first glance. While many reviews shared our first initial thoughts, nearly everyone admitted to eating their words after giving the app a try. Omnifocus helps manage your goals and keep your focus on what needs to be done on a given day. It helps you break down large projects into smaller, more manageable steps. Omniocus is hailed as industrial-strength task management.

Platform: Android, iOS

Price: Free

We’ve all fallen victim to spending too much time reading random articles shared to social media, or browsing news sites when productivity is on the line. Pocket allows you to save articles and anything of interest in a pocket, if you will, for later. The saved material is also available if offline. The objective being, not only to keep all your future reading material in one place, but to also help prevent a wondering eye during work hours, promoting you to stay focused. There is no longer a fear of not being able to finish that TMZ article your coworker posted to Facebook because you’ve got it all saved for later, along with your CNN and ESPN readings—you're clearly a well-rounded individual. 

Platform: Android, Chrome

Price: Free

Consider this a procrastinator’s dream. While similar to both Self Control and Forest, Focus On differs in the fact that it not only stops browsing of apps and websites, but also notifications and emails. Not even grandma’s adorable attempt at a text can break your focus now. An old fling sending you a direct message? Denied. Focus On is looking out for your social life as well. This app helps to stimulate more efficient time management, and promotes self-discipline to keep a sharp focus. 

Platform: Mac, Windows, iPad

Price: $9.99

By far the most aggressive of all the apps, Write or Die is designed to keep you focused on writing and absolutely nothing else. You are forbidden from checking email, getting up to use the restroom, or even staring out the window for a minute. This app is not for the faint of heart. First you configure your writing goal, how long you plan to write continuously, and how many words you hope you write in that time. You then set your preferred punishment. Yup, you read that correctly. There are three levels of punishments if you lift your fingers from the keyboard for even a second. The consequences are as follows: Gentle Mode, once typing has stopped for a certain amount of time a box will be displayed and gently remind you to keep typing. The next is Normal Mode. If you avoid writing for an extended period, an unpleasant noise will ring until your hands return to the keyboard. Lastly, Kamikaze Mode does the unthinkable—it will start deleting your work. If you aren't typing, it is essentially “un-typing.” The horror! It’s your own personal, merciless drill sergeant. What would the people at Ommwriter think?