Today, it’s more difficult to be focused than ever. Just look around your friends, community forums, or even news articles. We’re surrounded by digital distractions (in addition to the physical and even mental distractions that have existed for centuries). The worst part is that our digital distractions get in the way of us pursuing what matters: our goals and dreams.

If you’re reading this, you want to protect your time and we’re here to help. Using Ahero, you can block distracting websites and applications. By default, your distractions will be blocked during any focus session. In addition, you can set up time limits and downtime to protect your time overall. We’ll go over how to set this up. Let’s go!

How to Block Digital Distractions   

To block digital distractions, you can add sites and applications to what we call your ‘blocklist.’ To do this: 

1. Install the Chrome Extension or desktop app. 

If you wish to use a desktop app, follow these links for instructions on how to download on Mac or Windows. If you wish to use a Chrome Extension, follow this link to install the extension. Note that using the extension will only allow you to block websites. 

2. Navigate to your blocklist

Open the Ahero app and navigate to the Blocklist tab using the left-side navigation. 

3. Add distractions

On the blocklist, you can add a distraction by URL. You can also choose from our list of frequently added sites or suggested categories. To block an application, use the toggle to switch to the application view. 

4. See your block in action

To see your blocklist in action, start a session and navigate to your blocked site. To start a session, click on your desktop application or Chrome Extension. This will display a popup in which you can immediately fill in your details and start your session. 

After your session starts, navigate to your blocked site. You’ll be shown a blocked page and reminded to get back to your task. 

Set up time limits and downtime

To protect your time outside of focus sessions, set up time limits or downtime. 

Time Limits

Time limits are a set amount of time you can spend on a blocklist item. To turn on time limits, 

1. Toggle on the time limits option at the bottom of your blocklist. 

You can make this option stronger by putting a lock on this feature. This will make it more difficult to turn off by asking you to repeat a long string of characters. 

2. Set a time amount next to each of your blocklist items. For example, I have Instagram set to 15 minutes. 

Downtime

Downtime is a daily time period in which your distractions are blocked. For example, my downtime is from 9 pm to 9 am to protect the quality of my mornings and nights. To turn on downtime, 

1. Toggle on the downtime option at the bottom of your blocklist. 

Similar to time limits, you can make this option stronger by putting a lock on this feature. 

2. Set the time period in which you want to avoid accessing your blocklist items. 

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That’s it! I hope you found this guide helpful and that it helps you take back control of your time. Happy focusing!