Imagine this: you're buried under a mountain of emails, meetings, and tasks, struggling to keep your head above water. You know you need to focus on that one crucial project, but every time you sit down to work, you're pulled in a million different directions by notifications, distractions, and the constant hum of activity around you.
Sound familiar?
If you're a busy professional, chances are you've felt guilty about not being able to do deep work. And it's no surprise - with the never-ending demands of modern life, it can be tough to carve out time for deep, focused work that truly makes a difference.
But here's the thing: deep work is crucial for success. It's been shown to increase productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction, and it's a key factor in achieving our goals. So how do you make time for deep work in a world that equates distractions with pleasure?
That's where the right tools come in.
In this blog, we'll be sharing our picks for the top 5 tools for deep work. Whether you're struggling to focus, drowning in distractions, or just looking for ways to boost your productivity, these tools are here to help.
Top 5 Deep Work Tools for Deep Work Amidst Distractions and a Busy Schedule
Sunsama
Sunsama is a productivity tool designed for busy professionals that helps them plan their day by organizing their calendars, to-dos, and tasks from other platforms such as Asana, Trello, and Slack in a simple Kanban board.
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It allows users to visualize their daily workload and balance meetings and tasks effectively. At the end of the day, they can review how they spent their time and schedule more time for deep work if needed.
When you are on a task, you can hit F to enter Sunsama’s Focus Mode. This will bring up the single task you should be focused on during this time.
In addition, Sunsama has a minimalist design that makes it easy to use, even though it integrates multiple tools in one tab.
Pricing:
- Sunsama offers a 14-day free trial
- Prices start at $8 per month for individuals and $24 per month for teams
- Discounts are available for annual billing
Forest App
Forest app is like a personal productivity coach, helping you stay focused and avoid distractions.
When you need to buckle down and get some work done, simply open the app and set a timer for the amount of time you want to stay focused. Then, plant a virtual tree.
Here's the catch: if you leave the app to check your phone or leave the app to do something else, your tree will wither and die. But if you stay focused and stick with the task at hand, your tree will grow and thrive.
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It may sound silly, but this little game can be seriously motivating. As you use the app and successfully grow virtual trees, you'll start to build up a virtual forest. It's a tangible way to visualize your progress and stay motivated to keep going.
If you're looking for a fun and effective way to boost your productivity, give the Forest app a try.
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Pricing:
- Forest App offers a free version with basic features
- The paid version, called Forest Pro, is available for $1.99. Forest Pro also offers a 7-day free trial
Fun fact, A portion of Forest Pro profits are donated to Trees for the Future organization to plant real trees.
Noisli
Nosili is a tool that allows you to create your own personalized sound environment by mixing and matching from a selection of 28 high-quality ambient sounds.
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So next time your coworker's phone conversation is a little too loud for your liking, or the general office chatter is a bit too much to handle, turn to Noisli to create your own peaceful oasis in the midst of it all.
With Noisli, you can mix and match to your heart's content. Choose from rain, thunder, fire, birds, windchimes, piano, and more.
Can't decide on the perfect sound combo? Check out their pre-curated playlists for inspiration. Adjust the volume of each sound to create your own unique combinations
Got a lot of writing to do? Use their distraction-free text editor to get the job done
Pricing:
Noisli offers a free version with basic features. The paid version, called Noisli Pro, is available for $10 per month. It includes additional features such as the ability to create and save custom sound mixes, an offline mode, and an ad-free experience
Clockwise
Micro-managing your calendar to protect your deep work time while also being sufficiently available is crucial if you work with a team. That's where Clockwise can help.
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Clockwise helps teams work more efficiently by using AI to find the best times for people to meet while also creating more focus time for everyone. This process is known as "time orchestration."
Over time, it starts to know how you like to work and when you're most productive, turning those preferences into schedules that help you do your best work every day. Integrations with tools like Slack and Asana help minimize distractions during focus time.
To facilitate deep work within your team, you can forecast your team’s bandwidth with real-time analytics.
Pricing:
- Clockwise has a free plan with limited features
- The paid plan starts from $6.75 per user per month
Freedom
If you are tired of being a slave to the endless scroll on distracting websites which stops you from focusing on work, then try Freedom App.
With Freedom, you can temporarily block all those pesky distractions like YouTube and Instagram, allowing you to finally get some work done. And the best part? It's available on all types of platforms — Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS — so you can say goodbye to procrastination no matter where you are.
But don't worry; the Freedom app doesn't have to be a lifetime commitment. After using Freedom for a few months, you may find that you no longer need to use it as often. This is because the app can help train you to ignore the temptation to check emails or social media constantly and focus on your work instead.
So go ahead and take the first step towards freedom (see what I did there?).
Freedom comes with three plans:
- Monthly: $8.99/month
- Yearly: $3.3/month
- Forever: $95.99
You can also try it for free. The trial will let you explore some of Freedom's features and run 7 blocking sessions for free.
Don't let shallow work hold you back any longer
It is clear that deep work is crucial for productivity, creativity, and success. Among the many tools available to facilitate deep work, Sunsama is a standout choice for busy professionals.
With its ability to help users organize and visualize their daily workload, balance meetings and tasks, and schedule time for deep work, Sunsama is a powerful productivity tool that can make a real difference in achieving your goals. Plus, it's easy to use and integrates multiple tools in one place.
Don't wait until tomorrow to start improving your productivity - try Sunsama today and get a 14-day free trial. With hundreds of thousands of satisfied users, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Don't let shallow work hold you back any longer - give Sunsama a shot and start crushing your goals.
