My blog posts are always inspired by my current situation or season.
And with summer in full force, my productivity has started to dwindle.
It happens every year.
The hot and humid weather makes it hard to focus.
So I’ve been relying on a few Chrome extension tools to help me beat procrastination and encourage better focus and performance.
And in true Notes By Thalia style, I thought I’d share them with you.
Here are the 5 best Chrome extensions for your productivity.
N.B – I like to keep my “best of” lists short and sweet as I know how difficult it can be to decide. I aim to only include the best Chrome extensions so you can make a quick and easy decision, install them and benefit from them right away rather than spending days researching.
Table of Contents
- What are the best Chrome extensions for productivity?
- Why you need to use one of these Chrome extensions
- Final thoughts
What are the best Chrome extensions for productivity?
When your entire business is conducted from the comfort of your home, on a laptop switching between Gmail, Notion, Chrome and a dozen different tabs, it can be difficult to avoid distractions.
So when you are looking for a Chrome extension, it is essential that you choose one that best suits your needs and is something that you will actually use and benefit from. Otherwise, you will find yourself distracted by yet another tool.
It’s also worth investing in a productivity tool that will improve your digital wellness because around here, we put ourselves first.
So not only do these Chrome extensions help increase your productivity but they also support your well-being too.
Let’s dive right in and take a deeper look into each of these Chrome extension tools:
1 | Momentum Dashboard
Momentum transforms your ‘new tab’ page into a focused, productive, and inspiring dashboard. So every time you open a new tab you’ll be greeted with a stunning landscape picture and the current time.
And unlike the standard (and uninspiring) ‘new tab’ on Chrome, this is your own personal space. You can customise your Momentum dashboard with your name for that extra bit of encouragement and insta-worthy aesthetic.
Plus, you’ll also get a daily mantra and inspirational quote to provide you with the “momentum” to keep pushing forward.
Highlights
- Easy-to-use toggle menu to customise your dashboard how you want
- Fully customisable with easy name personalisation
- 24-hr clock display
- Daily mantra and inspiration quote
- Space to write your main focus for the day
- Take quick notes using the built-in notepad
- Enjoy a range of beautiful landscape imagery from a stock library
- Upgrade to Momentum Plus to gain access to loads more features
- 4.5 stars based on 13,000+ Chrome store reviews
- Also available as an extension on Safari, Firefox and Edge
→ Price: Free to use or upgrade to Momentum Plus for as little as $3.33 per month. Sign up today and grab 10% off!
My thoughts
Momentum is so much more than just an aesthetically-pleasing background.
It’s a productivity tool that boosts daily focus as it helps to limit daily distractions. Your Momentum Dashboard appears instead of the standard Google “tab” window and so you avoid seeing your most frequently visited or recommended pages.
Just what you need to beat procrastination.
I’ve been using this Chrome extension for the best part of 2 years, and I am absolutely obsessed!
So if you’re looking for a way to freshen up your browser and start each day with some motivation, then Momentum is the perfect extension for you.
Momentum is completely free to start and continue using.
However, I do suggest upgrading to Momentum Plus to get the most out of this extension.
2 | Freedom
Freedom is a website blocker tool that was built to help you reclaim focus and productivity.
It stops mindless browsing by allowing you to block the web pages that distract you the most. All you need to do is set up a list of all the websites and apps you want to block. Create a custom schedule for it to kick in and you’re all ready to go.
Hello, productivity and goodbye procrastination.
Highlights
- Block time-wasting apps from email to addicting games
- Block the whole internet with the click of a button
- Create an unlimited number of customised blocklists to suit your different situations
- Try Freedom for free!
- Upgrade to Freedom Premium to unlock even more features
- Schedule sessions that begin automatically
- Enable Locked mode to prevent you from ending a session
- Browser extensions are available to help you get the most out of this extension
- Available on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, or Chrome
- Syncs across all of your devices
→ Price: Freedom is free to start but you might want to upgrade to unlock premium features
My thoughts
Now, this is a productivity tool that works best for people who are easily distracted or regularly procrastinate, like me!
Freedom has been a game-changer for me as I find I no longer mindlessly browse the internet and can instead focus purely on the sites that I need. And the best thing about this Chrome extension is that you can even block all websites except the ones you need for work so you won’t run the risk of leaving off a “distracting” site off your list.
3 | Limit
If you’re not quite ready to go cold turkey and block all of those distracting websites just yet, then let me introduce you to Limit, also by Freedom.
Instead of giving you zero access to sites you’ve put on your block list, Limit allows you to set time limits for those distracting websites.
For example, you can limit yourself to 10-mins a day on Facebook or half an hour on ASOS.
When you approach your limit, Limit will gently notify you that your time is almost up, so you can wrap up your browsing session and get back to work.
And what makes these tools so great is that calming green screen that appears when you try to visit a limited or blocked website.
Highlights
- Set daily time limits on websites
- Your time limit for each site is configurable, from 5 to 500 minutes
- Simple and easy installation, be up and running in 2 mins
- Your Limit list comes preset with 10 distracting sites
- You can add or delete any website from the list of sites
- Hover over the Limit icon in your toolbar to see how long you have left
- Finish your browsing session with Freedom’s calming green screen
- Compliments Freedom’s other tools perfectly
- 4.5 stars based on Chrome web store reviews
→ Price: Completely free to use
My thoughts
Freedom have some amazing tools available that don’t just boost productivity but they also support your well-being too.
So I 100% recommend that you download at least one of them and use it.
You’ll be surprised at the difference Freedom makes to your overall work ethic.
4 | Focus To-Do
Focus To-Do is an easy-to-use time and task management application that helps you to manage tasks anywhere and anytime. But it’s not just your average to-do list app, as it also doubles up as a Pomodoro Timer helping you complete tasks more efficiently.
It’s the ultimate app for managing tasks, reminders, lists, calendar events, shopping list items and checklists, etc.
Whether you’re on the go or at home, Focus To-Do helps you stay on track to get things done.
Plus, it’s available for both iOS and Android devices, so you can manage your tasks from absolutely anywhere.
Highlights
- Combines task management with the Pomodoro method
- Opens up a new window when in use so you won’t accidentally close the tab
- Make lists and manage anything
- Add reminders to make sure no task is forgotten
- Repeat frequent tasks
- Set a due date for your tasks so no deadline is missed
- Subtask your tasks into smaller chunks so they are more manageable
- Record your progress daily
- Available across Apple devices and on Android
- Sync data between multiple devices
- Space to make notes within your to-dos
→ Price: Completely free to use
My thoughts
I love how Focus To-Do combines the to-do list with a Pomodoro Timer to work simultaneously. I’m a lover of both these things so it’s definitely a match made in heaven. All you need to do is choose a task you need to accomplish, set a timer for 25-mins, start working and then take a 5-minute break once the alarm rings. Repeat this until you’ve finished your task or completed your to-do list.
And to make things even better, this is a science-based app so it will 100% motivate you to stay focused and get things done.
5 | Noisli
Let me introduce you to Noisli, your digital space for maximum focus and concentration.
If you get easily distracted by the amount of music on Spotify and find yourself switching from playlist to playlist, then Noisli is for you.
Noisli provides background sounds that help drown out annoying noises in order to keep you in the zone, focused and productive.
And despite what the name says, this Chrome extension is not noisy.
Highlights
- Soundscapes and curated playlists for every moment in your day
- Listen while working, studying, travelling, relaxing or sleeping
- Choose from 28 high-quality sounds
- Mix and match sounds to make wonderful combos
- Customise each sound volume
- Save up to 10 of your favourite combos
- Shuffle mode available
- Doubles up as a 25-mins timer
- Make notes in a distraction-free environment via the Text Editor feature
- Also available as a mobile app on iOS and Android devices
→ Price = Use for free or upgrade to $10 a month for extra features
My thoughts
Noisli is one of the cutest extensions I’ve come across!
From the turquoise colour theme to the simple and easy-to-use UI, Noisli includes some of the most soothing soundscapes. The library may seem limited with just 28 sounds but you can create as many combos as you like to help keep the variety alive.
Why you need to use one of these Chrome extensions
Thanks to modern-day living, daily distractions and busy schedules, it is becoming more and more difficult to truly focus on what is important and we find ourselves procrastinating more and more.
Whether that is browsing ASOS for the latest trends, scrolling through social media or messaging our friends. We spend the majority of our day online and distracted.
But the good news is, there are so many tools out there, designed to stop procrastination and encourage better focus and performance.
And all of the Chrome extensions mentioned above do exactly that.
Plus, they’re affordable AF.
So instead of sitting in front of the computer, beating yourself up because you’ve procrastinated like crazy and you haven’t even made a dent in your to-do list, download and install one of these Chrome extensions.
And watch your productivity skyrocket.
Final thoughts
Whether you need a tool to stop you from mindlessly browsing or one that gets you in a distraction-free zone with relaxing soundscapes, there is a Chrome extension to best suit your needs.
And they all are outlined within this post.
So work through the day feeling your best as you know you are avoiding procrastination and maximising productivity with one or more of these Chrome extensions:
I can’t wait to hear if you end up using one or more of these Chrome extension tools after my recommendation!
Hopefully, they will benefit you just as much as me.
Until next week,
♡ Thalia xx
Disclaimer: Please note, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links then I will be rewarded at no extra cost to you. Any money earned through affiliates will be put towards running my blog and newsletter.
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