5 Tools To Calm and Focus You When Overwhelmed

As many of you know, I am not a huge fan of chasing after the latest productivity tool or app that promises to fix all of your time management challenges. 

In fact, if you find yourself always searching for the next best thing it is a good sign you need to go back to the basics of time management:

• Slowing yourself down long enough to prioritize and plan your day consistently
• Getting quality sleep to keep your emotions and focus in check
• Protecting your time from internal and external distractions to focus on your work
• Developing a simple wrap-up routine to reset your space and review your calendar

These practices are the glue that hold your day together. This is where you begin..

But as experience has shown it can be extra hard to put these basic principles into practice when you are feeling overwhelmed.

So here – in no particular order – are 5 truly fantastic tools that can help to calm and focus you – anytime you need it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Rainy Mood

Does the sound of rain calm you down and keep you focused? Then turn this website on and get to work.

Do Nothing For 2 Minutes

Here is a website that is dedicated to keeping you from touching your keyboard for 2 minutes. 120 seconds, that is all. Difficult? Yes. Helpful? Very.

Pausing for 2 minutes to look at the beautiful image and listen to the ocean sounds will help you come back refreshed and ready to focus.

Note: The reason it says "Fail" here is because I had to touch my keyboard in order to capture this screenshot which resets the timer.

Smiling Mind

They say this app provides "modern meditation for young people" but the reviews indicate it is amazing for all ages. I have to agree.

At any point you are feeling particularly overwhelmed you can open this app and begin a brief guided meditation lasting only a few minutes. In addition, they provide a ton of scientific research to back up the individual programs they offer. Free app available on iPhone.

Calm 

I have to admit this website is my favorite. Just go to the site and you will immediately feel more relaxed by the beautiful images and calming music.

You can set a timer within the site for how long you want to sit still. Guided meditations are also available. Bookmark this one!

Focus @ Will

According to their website, “Focus@will is a neuroscience based web tool that uses phase sequenced instrumental music to increase your attention span up to 400% when working, studying, writing and reading.”

How cool is THAT?! This is the perfect music to put on in the background if you are about to tackle a project that is hard to focus on. Free and paid levels are available.

How do you calm down and focus yourself when overwhelmed? Be sure to share your comments below.