Workplace productivity is something most people struggle with from time to time.
However, did you know Chrome has numerous extensions to help you tackle your time-wasting techniques and get back on track?
The options below are some of the standout choices.
1. OneTab
If your computer has low memory, it may stop you from running multiple programs at once or even prevent opening crucial programs. Also, when you have dozens of tabs at the top of your browser, it’s hard to find the content you need quickly.
In short, tab clutter and reduced computer memory both hinder productivity. This addition conquers both by turning your tabs into a list you can share with other people or export to your smartphone and tablet.
OneTab also lets you reorder the content and group the tabs into intuitive categories, and you won’t lose the material if the browser crashes. (Free)
2. Weava Highlighter
No matter what you need to call attention to online, the Weava Highlighter extension simplifies your research process and giving you multiple or single-colored highlighters to mark PDFs or webpages.
Then you can send the material to team members with the highlights you’ve made.
It’s also possible to organize highlighted material into collections for faster retrieval and even make a citation for each highlight in common styles, such as MLA and APA.
When using this tool, you can easily skim for important information, which could be helpful when getting ready for a presentation or another significant workplace event. (Free, with premium version starting at $5.99 per month)
3. Checker Plus for Gmail
Despite the convenience of your Gmail inbox, it can be a major time sink . How many times have you told yourself you’d only check the inbox for one email you’re expecting and then get back to whatever you were doing, only to spend at least five minutes clicking through other emails, too? This Chrome extension allows you to monitor emails without opening Gmail .
When new messages arrive, a notification pops up on your screen and lets you see the sender’s name and part of the message. You can set it to read notifications out loud, too.
There is also a Do Not Disturb feature that mutes notifications until your specified time. It’s particularly helpful when you’re trying to buckle down and finish a tough task.
If you prefer, this extension can run in the background even after you close Chrome. (Free)
4. Noisli
You might not think of sounds as colorful, but people who study them do. They know white noise is great for helping people concentrate because it covers all frequencies and tends to make other noises in the environment disappear .
Noisli is a Chrome extension that lets you turn on a soundtrack of white noise — as well as brown and pink noise, plus nature sounds — while you work.
Change the volume and even create mixes to combine favorite sounds. Also, use the timer function to hear audio for a preset time and use that period to boost focus once you’ve segmented your schedule into blocks. (Free)
5. Limitless
Maybe you have good intentions to become more productive but don’t know which improvements to make for the biggest impact. Limitless could help — at least with work done online.
It offers a beautiful dashboard that shows how long you spend doing particular tasks and breaks your internet time into categories , such as browser-based work and social media. You can create custom categories based on how you typically use the internet, too.
In addition to gorgeous photography that livens up your desktop, this extension offers productivity tips to help you spend time wisely, and also provides inspirational quotes.
After using Limitless for a while and paying attention to the feedback provided, you might be surprised at how easy it is to make positive changes that last. (Free)
6. Email This
Like many people, you probably come across interesting articles while working.
Even though they’re not related to your current task, you might stop and read them immediately. It might not seem like it, but that practice cuts into the time you have to devote to other things.
The Email This extension saves ad-free versions of articles so you can read them later . It does so by delivering an email containing the content, allowing you to read it during your downtime instead of at work.
Once you find something worthwhile, just click the Email This extension in your browser bar to generate the message.
Being able to read articles later enables you to focus on the material when you genuinely have time to do so, not while you’re trying to eat lunch and read a proposal from your colleague at the same time.
Also, because Email This removes the ads, it reduces distractions to help you focus on the text. (Free)
By using these Chrome extensions — or even one of them — you could make the most of your workday and stop wasting time.
Image by Burst