Staying focused in the digital age can be tough, with countless websites vying for your attention. To enhance your productivity and minimize online distractions, consider using Motion, an intelligent website-blocking extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Unlike traditional blockers that completely restrict access, Motion helps you manage your time on distracting websites by offering reminders and timers, ensuring that you stay on task without cutting off access to resources you might need.
Motion recognizes that sometimes you genuinely need to access certain websites—even those that can be distracting. For instance, you might visit YouTube for an instructional video but could easily get sidetracked by recommended content. Motion intervenes in such scenarios by periodically reminding you of your goals and helping you refocus your attention.
You can download the Motion extension from the Chrome Web Store using the link below. Click on 'Add to Chrome' to install the extension.
Note: Since the new Microsoft Edge is built on Chromium, it supports all extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Therefore, this guide applies to both the Google Chrome browser and the new Microsoft Edge.
Setting up Motion
After installing the extension, you'll be redirected to the Motion setup page. Here, you can choose to log in with your Google account for a personalized experience, or you can skip this step if you prefer not to create an account. Motion works without an account as well.
Next, you'll see the 'Personalize Motion' screen, which includes a pre-configured list of commonly distracting websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
You have the option to customize this list. You can add more sites by typing the website address into the input box and clicking the '+' icon. If there are pre-listed sites that you need for your work, you can remove them by clicking the '-' icon next to the site's name.
The following step involves setting up your productive hours. You can configure Motion to be active only during specific times on selected days, or you can set it to be active all the time.
To have the extension active only during your work hours, select the default 'during work hours' option and adjust the days and times to match your schedule. This way, Motion helps you stay focused when you need to be productive and lets you browse freely after work.
If you prefer Motion to be active at all times, perhaps because you use your computer primarily for work, you can select the 'all the time' option from the dropdown menu next to the line that says 'I want to be productive...'
After configuring the settings, Motion will provide a demo of its features. Take the time to understand how it works, and click through each demo to complete the setup process.
Once set up, Motion adds a floating widget to every page you visit in your browser.
This widget provides quick options to mark sites as distracting or productive, start a Focus Session (discussed later), or turn off the extension for the day.
How Motion intelligently blocks websites
When you visit a website listed as unproductive, Motion doesn't block it outright. Instead, it provides tools to help you manage your time on the site. For example, if you navigate to YouTube, Motion allows you to set a time limit for your session and offers the option to hide recommended videos to reduce temptation.
Once you've set a time limit, Motion starts a visible timer to help you keep track of how long you've been on the site.
You can stop the timer or unhide recommended videos by hovering over the widget and accessing the menu options.
Using Focus Session
Motion's Focus Session feature helps you concentrate on specific tasks by displaying your current objective on every web page you visit. This constant reminder keeps your goals front and center, reducing the likelihood of distraction.
To start a Focus Session, click on the Motion widget and select 'Start Focus Session' from the menu.
Enter the task you want to focus on in the 'What will you focus on?' field, and set the duration of your session in minutes.
During the Focus Session, your task and the remaining time will be displayed on all websites you visit, serving as a constant reminder to stay on track.
Allowing certain pages on a blocked website
If you need unrestricted access to specific pages on a distracting website, Motion allows you to whitelist these pages. For example, you might want to block Facebook in general but still access your business pages.
To enable access to specific pages, click on the Motion extension icon located next to the browser's address bar.
This will open the extension's settings with the 'My Sites' tab selected by default.
On the right panel, you'll see a 'Productive Sites' list. Here, you can specify pages that Motion will always allow, even if the main site is considered distracting.
By default, 'business.facebook.com' is included in this list. So if you access business.facebook.com, Motion won't block it, allowing you to manage your business activities without interruption.
Viewing site usage reports
Motion also provides detailed daily and weekly reports of the websites you visit most frequently. These reports help you analyze your online habits and identify areas where you might improve your productivity.
To view these reports, open the extension's settings and click on the 'Reports' option in the left-hand menu.
Automatically treating news and shopping sites as distracting
News and shopping websites can be sneaky time-wasters. Instead of adding each site individually to your distracting sites list, Motion offers an option to automatically classify all news and shopping sites as distracting.
To enable this feature, go to the extension's settings by clicking on the Motion icon next to the address bar and selecting 'Settings' from the left menu.
Scroll down to the 'Automatic Distraction Detection' section at the bottom. Here, you'll find two options:
- Treat news sites (e.g., nytimes.com) as distracting sites
- Treat shopping sites (e.g., amazon.com) as distracting sites
Toggle these options on to have Motion automatically classify news and shopping websites as distracting, helping you avoid unintentional time sinks.
With these settings enabled, when you visit a news or shopping site, Motion will prompt you with options to either close the tab or allow limited time on the site before reminding you again.
Motion offers a gentle yet effective way to manage online distractions without completely restricting access to the sites you might need. By providing customizable options and intelligent interventions, it helps you stay focused and make the most of your time online.
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