Everyone’s been there – you have a test coming up, panic is starting to settle in, and yet you find yourself on Facebook or endlessly refreshing Tumblr. Again.

Before you entirely give up on getting anything done, here are my all time favorite productivity apps that will help you fight the sinkhole of social media and, ahem, fashion articles. 

Table of Contents

Self Control 

For: Apple Desktop only 

Cost: Free

Self Control is probably the only reason I passed physics. This app will block any website you choose for any length of time you choose, from 15 minutes to 1 day. Just add that site to your “blacklist.” Alternatively you can make a “whitelist” of approved sites, and Self Control will block anything not on that list. 

One of the ways I recommend using the app is to coordinate your studying and breaks. I usually set it in one hour chunks and then enjoy ten minutes of internet freedom to check on all my social media before starting the cycle over again. It’s surprisingly good at keeping me on track, and since it keeps me from from endlessly switching apps, even checking websites on my breaks is more fun.

Unfortunately, this app is only for Apple users. However, there are several similar ones for Windows users, including Self Restraint and Cold Turkey.

(Please note: I have not used either of the two Windows apps, so I cannot personally vouch for them — tell me if you’ve tried them in the comments!) 

Forest

For: iOS, Android

Cost: $1.99

Forest can be downloaded on smartphones to encourage you to to “Stay Focused, Stay Present”, as their motto describes. 

You start by setting a time goal, then while you have this app open on your phone, your tree grows and you win coins. If you go over the time you set, you continue to add to your coins, but if you close the app before you hit your time goal, your tree dies! You can cash in your coins to customize your trees and bushes.