Too many icons and windows on your Mac can distract you from getting work done. Apple has some rudimentary tools to help, but you may need some third-party programs to stay focused and clutter-free.
Hopefully your Mac isn’t as messy as this | Flickr
Free Mac Tool: Hide Other Windows and Spaces
If all you need is to move some windows temporarily, Mac OS has that built in. When you are in a program, go to the program menu and select Hide others from the menu. You can also command + option + SUPER to hide all other windows.
Tip: If you want to switch to another app and hide windows at the same time, click the app in the dock and hold down command + option
Another option is to use Mission Control and Space. If you want to focus on an app, then just move that app to its own space. We have a complete guide on how to use OS X Spaces. Both of these require discipline and manual intervention to organize your stuff. If you get distracted, you can forget to do this. That’s where automated software comes in.
Running El Capitan? Check out Split View
Hocus Focus (Free): Hide the things you don’t do
The goal of this free program is to help you focus only on the current window. That function is like Apple’s Hide function. What makes Hocus Focus different is that you can customize the time delay and grouping of windows. For example, if you need to quickly test Safari while writing a report, you can keep both windows open.
Hide all windows and desktops? We hide
After the time you specify (default is 30 seconds), other windows will hide themselves. If you only need to open a few programs but hide the rest, Hocus Focus will do the trick. It’s the same as creating a Space on the fly. When you are done with your focus work, you can simply change your profile to turn off hiding. It’s on the menu bar ready for you to hide other windows.
Vitamin-R 2 ($24.95): Natural Focus Booster
If your concentration is too weak for manual control, Vitamin-R 2 automates it all for you. The program guides you to focus. First, you set your mission or when they call Time Slice.
Then you tell it which programs to hide during that period. It even offers to quit some apps if you don’t have enough self-control.
Then you tell it how long you want to stay focused. If using the Pomodoro method, you will set a timer for 20 minutes. All your distractions will disappear and you will start working. Vitamin-R motivates you on the way and encourages you to keep going. It even lets you play white noise while working.
Need more control? Check out some of our other Mac productivity tools
When the timer runs out, you can take a timed break, take an unlimited break, or just keep going.
If you get inspired during your work and want to remember something, you can leave yourself a note in your notebook. That area allows you to track a thought and then get back to work. When you complete the time slice, Vitamin-R 2 allows you to review your notes and record what you were doing when you stopped.
Bonus: Act like a parent
Even with all these techniques, you can still run into problems. If you have to research on the web, you’re just one click away from accessing Facebook. Apple’s built-in Parental Controls can help block distracting content.
No matter what combination of methods you choose, don’t overdo it. We all need a break from time to time.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
