How to focus when studying or working on your computer

Remove the one-click escapes. Block your distracting sites during study or work time, work in 25 to 50-minute sessions with real breaks, and keep only the tabs you need open.

A simple setup that works

Before you start, write down the one thing you're doing in this session.
Start a 25 or 50-minute focus session. In Pawse, open the popup and tap a time under “Start a focus session”.
Choose “Block my list” to lock your distracting sites, or “Allow only…” to block everything except the sites you need, like your course site or Google Docs.
When the timer ends, take a 5 to 10-minute break away from the screen.
Repeat. After 3 or 4 sessions, take a longer break.

Make it automatic

Use a schedule so your distracting sites are blocked during your usual study or work hours, for example weekdays from 9 to 5. Then you don't have to decide every day.

Questions

What is the Pomodoro technique?

Working in 25-minute blocks with 5-minute breaks. It works because each block feels short enough to start.

Can I end a focus session early?

Not in Pawse. That's the point: during a focus session your list stays blocked until the timer ends.

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