Do you struggle with managing your time at work? Don’t lie--we all do. I, for one, can’t function in the mornings without at least two cups of coffee and a preliminary scroll through my social media accounts. Some days, buckling down to get some actual work done can be a bit of a battle. I’ve collected a list of five Google Chrome extensions that are bound to help you with time management at the office.

  1.  Dayboard
    Dayboard is basically a to-do list. At the start of each day, tell Dayboard the 5 most important things on your to-do list. The coolest thing about Dayboard is that anytime you open a new tab, your to-do list shows up. This extension won’t let you forget that you’ve got work to do!
  1.  Note Board
    If you’re like me, you have random ideas throughout the day that need jotting down. My desk is usually covered in sticky notes with reminders to call someone or research a topic for another blog post. I’ve finally found a paper-free alternative - Note Board. Note Board is essentially an electronic Post-It note right on your desktop. Type in your reminders, lists, and ideas--anything you’d like.
  1. StayFocusd
    Sometimes certain websites (like Facebook) are too much of a temptation to avoid on our own. Once you open a time-wasting website, it’s very hard to leave it. That’s where StayFocusd comes in. It allows you to set a time restriction on all the websites in your “block” list. Once you’ve used up that time, the sites are blocked for the rest of the day. Don’t use up all your time in one go!
  1. Block & Focus
    For those of us who need a bit more structure than what StayFocusd can give, the Pomodoro Technique is the way to go. I have this extension installed on my Chrome, and I love it. The Pomodoro Technique works on a 25 minute / 5 minute schedule. Block & Focus sets a “work” timer for 25 minutes, and then allows a “break” for 5 minutes. While on your “work” time, websites on your block list (Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) are inaccessible. In fact, Block & Focus poignantly displays a productivity/inspirational quote instead if you try to visit on of those websites. It’s been very effective for me, if not a bit annoying, when I try to procrastinate.
  1. Pi Reminder
    This extension lets you set reminders for yourself so that you don’t get off track. I use this primarily to make sure that the tasks I’ve set for myself during the day are getting accomplished. For instance, I generally use Outlook and Cortana on my Windows 10 computer to remind me of things like doctor’s appointments or meetings. However, I use Pi Reminder to poke and prod at myself with questions like “Have you started on this yet?” As an FYI, the Pi Reminder alarm tone is abrupt and annoying, I switch it off. You still get a hard to ignore pop-up box in the corner of your browser, which works well enough for me.

Have you used any of these extensions? Do you have others that have worked well for you? I’d love to hear about them--leave me a comment below so I can check them out.

Remember, if IT issues are digging into your productivity at work, call in the experts. Your managed service provider or IT support staff will be best equipped to handle these issues so that you continue working hard.