Should you block distracting websites/apps to regain your focus?

That approach might work for a day or two. And it might be better than most other things people try to do in order to achieve distraction-free work hours.

But I have to admit that most distractions are created internally. Don’t worry about big social media corporations sucking you dry, worry about your ceaseless internal turmoil instead.

When you conquer the internal triggers of distractions, you’re not going to need any extra methods. Until then, the website blockers might be a good starting point. You just have to know that they won’t immediately solve your distraction problems.

You should put aside some time for reading news and social media. That way you won’t get too excited about them during the work hours. This approach works because it’s not like that that you’re going to abstain from social media, essentially, you’re just postponing the event. So the drawback won’t be too hard on you.

I tried half a dozen apps/extensions like that during the last year and none of them really helped me. I was able to distract myself even when there’s no visible outside distraction. That’s when it dawned on me. The problem was not in my browser or in my phone. It was in my head, only in my head.