One of the things that I find difficult about using my Mac for study is the amount of distractions. Simply by being connected to the internet means there is a whole world of procrastination waiting for me.

When I need to focus on writing an essay, there is a very simple little tool that helps me out. It’s called Backdrop and, like all the best productivity tools, is incredibly simple: Run it, and it covers your screen with a single colour. In my case, it’s black. After that, you can bring your most essential apps to the front and focus on just them. I simply have my editor, and nothing else. All ready for me to bang out text, and because I can’t see my desktop, dock, or other open apps, I feel more focused on my primary task.

Backdrop