Study tip: Get SelfControl over online distractions

We know that keeping yourself focused and distraction-free is necessary to do good work and good thinking. The problem is that these days, we go to the same place for distractions as we do for work—the computer. The work we’re doing has to compete with social media, incoming messages, and virtually all the information in the world. It’s very difficult for any of us to maintain self control when all those distractions are right there.

If you’re struggling with that self control, consider downloading SelfControl. It’s, in its own words, “a free and open-source application for Mac OS X that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your blacklist, and click "Start." Until that timer expires, you will be unable to access those sites--even if you restart your computer or delete the application.”


If SelfControl isn’t the app for you, or if you’re not using a Mac, there are plenty of similar programs out there. Just search “apps to block social media” to more than a dozen. Please consider trying some out and see how it works for you.

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