Apps for concentration: the graduate job edition

Find yourself endlessly trawling through Buzzfeed, Mail Online and your Twitter feed when you should be concentrating on the task at hand? Whether your studying for exams or applying to jobs online – it’s easy to get distracted. Here are 6 apps to get you back on track:

SelfControl is a free Mac OS X application that let’s you block your own access to distracting websites, emails or anything else on the Internet. That’s right, prevent yourself from incessantly swiping left, right, up and down by setting an allotted time during which all sites you have added will be blacklisted. Simply hit “start” and from then on, until the timer you set expires, you will have restricted your own access. Suddenly found you have an even-more-than-usual burning desire to check your newsfeed? Restarting your computer and deleting the app won’t work, so crack on with that revision or graduate job searching (we recommend inspiringinterns.com) ‘coz until the timer runs out…

Similar: You can also stop procrastinating by going Cold Turkey. Good luck out there!

Toggl is an “instant productivity boost” allowing you to track your time in real time. Ideal for teams, it allows multiple users to share a space where they can assess progress, export timesheets, email reports and more. If you’re a student at university, this could be your seminar presentation group saviour or for graduates entering the world of work, it could be one to share with your new team.

Soundshade – If Spotify and Youtube are proving more a of distraction than an aid to your concentration, check out soundshade where you can “create your own soundscapes and relax with your own mix of quality nature sounds.”

Similar: OmmWriter – also known as your own private writing room – is somewhere you can get lost in your own creativity and concentration with the help of sounds, audio tracks and backgrounds to set your mood.

Lumosity – This app allows you to “enjoy games and tools developed by a team of neuroscientists.” Play 5 games in each of your daily workouts. Train 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week to exercise your brain and track your progress. The aim? Boost your productivity with exercises when you’re not working, so that when you are – you’re the sharpest tool in the box.

Katie is a marketing executive at Inspiring Interns. A dancer, sport and health & fitness enthusiast, she likes to move, tweet and blog.