There are so many ways to procrastinate, and so many tricks to boost willpower and stay productive at the workplace. Browser add-ons seem to be one of the easiest ways to reclaim your focus and quit distractions. We have listed productivity Chrome extensions that improve your focus and concentration, block distractions, help you manage your email communication, and remind you of important to-dos.
1. actiTIME Timer
actiTIME Timer is a free Chrome extension for time tracking. With it, you can capture your work hours directly from the websites and web applications you’re working with. You just need to start the timer when you take on the task, stop it when work is done, and log recorded time for specific actiTIME task. The data from the extension is synced with your actiTIME account, helping you simplify your timekeeping process and achieve more accuracy.
actiTIME enables us to balance workload better
I found in actiTIME all the requirements I was looking for. We are getting a lot of benefits – the tool enables us to better balance workload, have a constant view of what people are doing. I really recommend it, I evaluated a lot of tools, also had an in-house development before which demanded a lot of maintenance, and actiTIME solved all problems with no hassle.
2. Personal Blocklist
It’s sometimes hard to google something and stay concentrated when suggested search results contain distracting information. This Chrome extension helps you prevent distractions by eliminating certain domains from the search results. Specify domains and hosts that you’d prefer to block and search information in a distraction-free environment.
3. Mindful Browsing
An add-on for those who can’t resist the temptations of the unlimited Internet and spend their time on social media and image boards, although later regret that. In this extension you can create a list of time-wasting websites, and the app will kindly remind you of that when you’ll be visiting them. It won’t treat you like a nanny: the developer emphasizes that the extension doesn’t block anything or tracks what you’re doing on the Internet. It just helps you develop a good habit of not wasting your time on getting the information you don’t really need.
4. Comments to Cats
Tired of hateful and pointless comments? Easily get distracted by something that someone wrote under the post you are reading? This extension finds comments on popular websites and replaces them with pictures of cute cats, creating a safe and calm environment. Maybe it won’t be that helpful if you’re not a cat person, but meow! – it’s still much better than scrolling through all those emotional, harmful or commercial entries. And you always can reload the page with comments if you want to read them.
5. Right Inbox
This extension integrates with your Gmail mailbox and allows you to set up reminders, create recurring emails, and schedule follow-up conversations. With time zone support, you can schedule emails to be delivered to their recipients in decent time. Flexible and customizable, this tool is a great help for those who spend a lot of time on email communication.
6. Sticky Notes
Found something useful on the Internet and don’t want to forget it? Sticky Notes help you store helpful information with your comments directly in the browser. They are synced between multiple devices and don’t get lost even after clearing Chrome cache. Organize information in reminders and to-do lists quickly, easily and securely.
7. Forest
Gamify your productivity progress with this motivating extension. When you start working on a task, plant a tree. It will grow while you keep working and will be killed when you open a blacklisted website. Configure your blacklists, grow new trees, cultivate your forest, and share your results with friends.
8. Ultidash
Ultidash is a productivity dashboard located directly on new Chrome tabs. Manage your to-do lists, arrange to-dos by urgency and flag ready ones as completed, and see your activity charts. The extension also allows to block distracting websites and set up a concentration timer to improve your focus. Daily and weekly statistics help you understand your progress.
9. Social Fixer
Okay, one cannot simply quit checking Facebook updates. But it is possible to minimize the time you spend on it – with Social Fixer extension you can filter the news feed and hide specific content that you don’t want to see. Filter out marketing-related materials, political posts, or anything else you find annoying or boring. Hide the news you have already read to create an uncluttered and calm environment.
10. Strict Workflow
An extension for pomodoro technique fans that enforces a 25/5 min work-and-break cycles. The tool works simply and unobtrusively, and supports blacklists for distracting websites. Why the author calls it “strict”? Because they mean it: once the timer starts, you cannot stop it without disabling the extension or closing the browser. The tool encourages good productivity habits and helps develop focus.
