Quick tip: you can add keywords or phrases one by one to the 'websites' list and the app will block them. You are not restricted to using URLs only.
It's a manual process so I'm really looking forward to the day regex is added to the app to improve this but thought I would mention this tip here because this functionality is not mentioned in the support docs and it's not obvious in the app.
I've only been using this program a few months, but it's helped me quite a bit. The only major issue I have with this program is the way the automatic breaks work.
For background, my work and home computers are the same one, and I use the automatic break function to make sure I get everything done, while still letting me enjoy the computer. As a safety in case I really need to keep using the computer, I have a really long numeric password that I wrote down and put in a very inconvenient place to get to.
The issue is that when my workday is over, I either have to go get the password and disable breaks, which is purposefully annoying, and may mean I forget or "forget" to activate it the next day, or I have to completely disable the program, which means I can't use it to force myself to go to bed when I should.
So this is a really long way of asking for the ability to limit automatic breaks to certain time windows. In a perfect world I could have different windows for weekdays and weekends, but even just the ability to make it automatically turn off after 5 PM would be amazing.
Apologies if this is a common request, I did some skimming and didn't see anyone mention it.
Hi all - Just wondering if its just me, or if the program has become quite slow to respond in recent updates for everyone? Like when I click to pause a plan - it takes quite a while for the menu to even pop up - same with switching from one tab window (ex. settings) to another (breaks).
I just found the chrome extension for focusMe. I see that you have to us it together with the Desktop installation.
I'm curious, what's it's purpose?
I can't find any explanation nor documentation on this.
-The launch limit option is great for things like email, so it just limits the number of times you open it. The issue, in my opinion, is that you always have a set time on that website. Sometimes I need to check my mail real quick, and sometimes I need 30 minutes to write a complicated mail. So I need to set the allowed time pretty high, which then allows for compulsively checking that site during those 30 minutes. Could it be an option to allow us to remove that timer? Like, open it as long as you like (or maybe even on a timer), but as soon as you close it, the allowed session is over?
-Maybe give one "free linking pass"? This sounds very vague, and I don't know whether it's possible to implement, but I would really like to have this feature.
Imagine you have blocked a site, like Youtube or Linkedin, and then you see a link to a Youtube video or Linkedin article that seems really worthwhile to watch/read. But you can't access it, so you're out of luck. It would be nice if you were able to give yourself a free pass to that one video or article. So that when you're on an allowed site, and you click a link which links to a blocked site, it allows that. But to prevent going down the rabbit hole once again, you can't go any further than that. So when you click a link to yet another video, that will be blocked. I hope you understand what I mean.
I'm Jos from Holland, kind of a customer care goon for professional life... I prefer to call it case manager, sounds more posh.
Besides I do some other cool stuff like online marketing for some friends, I'm also an aspiring writer.
Have een using FocusMe on and off for a year or so and I like it pretty much. Curious thing I found out: It works best when I need it least.
What I mean is that when there's something in me that wants to focus on certain things, like a project. Or a change in lifestyle.... And I want it só much that I can sit with some automatic distraction seeking behavior (read: flares of uncomfy feelings), then some basic blocks is all I need.
But when I'm fueled with ideas on how I should spend my time differently and ï make myself busy trying not to be busy and distracted, it doesn't really work. Interesting mind stuff.
Why join the forum when I can also keep nagging the very attentive customer support? Very simple: a feature request
There's one feature though that would be a powerful addition to FocusMe....
It's a delayed unlock
So lets say I have a plan that blocks some social media and I'm doing work on a project and don't want to get distracted. Despite activating a plan sometimes I just unblock the plan to get access.... It happens in a brink of time. Sometimes I don't want to force lock myself out for a set time either.
So what would be a great way of dealing with that 'spike' of automatic and urgent need for distraction?
A delayed unlock.
For this example I set the delay for unlock at 5 minutes. So I am doing work, I am distracted and somehow decide to deactivate the plan. But... now I have to wait 5 minutes. Shit. The good news is that it is enough time to get back in the grind again and do some good work. A system like this would be great.
An important detail with the implementation is then how to handle what happens after the delay is finished and the plan unlocks as requested initially.
Ideally there would be an option use it in a few minutes time or it locks again. So after it unlocks there's a timer and an automated lock scheduled, unless the user keeps it unlocked with one click.
I can imagine it would be pretty complicated to create this, but it would be both user friendly and really playing into how the human mind works.
And I can also imagine solutions that are not exactly like this, but move in this direction.
I just had a cool idea... my phone is a hell of a distraction when I'm at home and should be working, but whenever I go out to get some food, I can't be productive anyway so that would be an ideal time to catch up on messages. But, depending on how the day is going, I can never be quite sure at what time that is going to be, so the timer or schedule features don't really work for that.
How about a feature that checks the phone's location and locks the apps when at home, but opens them when x yards from home based on GPS?
hi all - i am brand new to FocusMe - finding it a tad overwhelming out of the box (so to speak) but I'll get there. Another friend of mine is also signing up right about now and we agreed we'd figure it out together - very glad to find this community forum!
- hester
Another friend of mine is also signing up right about now and we agreed we'd figure it out together - very glad to find this community forum!