Get your time back - with Distraction Blockers

In What a Time We Live

Global communication, access to information from every corner of the world, and… a ton of useless dancing videos, weird challenges, and other distractions. If you thought all these new technologies would make us more productive, well, think again. It has never been harder to concentrate on the things we want—or at least need—to do.

Distraction blockers, however, offer a potential escape from this chaotic digital world… or at least they claim to.

Choosing the Right Distraction Blocker

Today, we'll explore which software option is recommended, how to configure them, and how they can help you avoid the things you actually want to reduce.

There are different strategies for reducing time spent on distracting platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and others. Blocking might work for you—or it might not. But it’s worth trying. As explained in the bestselling book Atomic Habits, reducing exposure to environments where a habit thrives is key. For an alcoholic, this might mean avoiding bars or not buying alcohol at all.

But for people like us—who can't simply ditch their phones or computers—that's not an option. This is where distraction blockers come into play. They help keep your fingers from typing in or opening the sites you’re trying to avoid.

Your Device Stack

Let’s look at a typical modern setup: usually a phone and a laptop or desktop computer. We’ll explore blockers across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

My Personal Struggle (And What Worked for Me)

Personally, the computer is my kryptonite. I often drift toward YouTube or even a game of League of Legends, even though I know it will leave me frustrated. I tried several blockers but eventually settled on Cold Turkey Blocker.

It doesn’t just block websites—it can block desktop programs too. You can set conditions, but I’ve found scheduled blocking to be the most effective. I usually block everything from Monday morning until Friday evening. Even if I feel tempted to disable it, this schedule gives me a strong sense of structure. Sunday night has become my "reset" moment. You can also use its sharpest sword: Frozen Turkey, which blocks your computer entirely. A good option if you have a laptop and a gaming pc.

One additional feature: you can set a password lock. This is great if you have a partner or family member you trust. They can hold the password and only unlock your system after you've completed certain tasks—kind of like a reward system. It’s probably the most effective setup, though it does require help from someone else.

iPhone Screen Time

On iPhones, you can use Screen Time to block apps and websites. You can set time limits or even reduce an app’s usage to 0 minutes, essentially blocking it altogether.

However, I noticed a loophole: even with the YouTube app blocked, you can still watch video previews via Google > Videos. While this isn’t as addictive as the YouTube app (since it lacks personalized recommendations), it can still become a rabbit hole—especially if you start Googling random topics to feed your curiosity.

To fix this, you can install a URL blocker from the App Store and configure it to block specific patterns like &=vld, which will disable the preview function. Also, make sure to add the blocker app itself to Screen Time, so you can’t disable it easily.

A Word of Caution

These strategies might sound like overkill. And maybe for your situation, they are. You don’t have to block everything all the time. And yes, you will likely find ways to bypass these systems eventually.

But the goal isn’t perfection. It’s not to remove all distractions from your life forever.

Instead, the goal is to relearn how to engage with digital content in a healthy, intentional way. These tools can help you overcorrect bad habits—at least for a while—so you can later return to a more balanced approach.
Thanks for reading so far, and see you soon 🙂

-Bastian