FlowlyHow to block X (Twitter) while you work
A quick look at X rarely stays quick. Here is how to block it on Chrome during work hours and still catch up once a day.
X, formerly Twitter, is built for quick checks. A notification, a trending topic, a reply to your post. Each visit takes a minute, but the cost is bigger: every switch pulls your attention out of the task, and getting back into deep focus takes much longer than the visit itself.
The real cost of a quick check
The problem isn't the minute on X. It is the ten minutes after it, when part of your mind is still in the thread you just read. Ten quick checks a day can easily cost an hour or two of real focus.
How to block X on Chrome
- Install Flowly from the Chrome Web Store.
- In the popup, tick X in the list of distracting sites.
- Start a focus session from the toolbar, or set your focus hours once.
- When you open X during focus time, Flowly shows a pause and asks why you're opening it.
If you use X for work, for example to post from a company account, plan a fixed slot for it instead of keeping it open all day.
Set a schedule instead of willpower
Willpower runs out by mid-afternoon. A schedule doesn't. Set focus hours for every day, weekdays only or weekends, and X stays closed during those hours without you having to decide again. See how to block websites on a schedule.
Catch up once a day
You don't miss much by reading X once a day. Pick a time that suits you, like lunch or the end of the workday, and read everything in one go. It is faster, calmer and you still know what is happening.
More ways to make X less sticky
- Turn off email and browser notifications from X.
- Use lists of accounts you chose instead of the algorithmic feed.
- Mute keywords and topics that pull you into arguments.
- Don't keep X open in a pinned tab.
Start with one session
Pick the task you have been putting off, block X and run one 45 minute session. If you want structure for the whole day, the Pomodoro technique pairs well with blocking.