What's a Focus Zone? (VIDEO)
A Focus Zone is a notification you receive on your Assistant when RescueTime detects a focus opportunity or an open time in your schedule based on your calendar events and work patterns. RescueTime considers this an optimal time to start a Focus Session so you can get more of your Focus Work done during your workday.
Here is my morning briefing alert, it shows I have a focus opportunity at 2 PM. At 2 PM a Focus button will show in my menu bar (if you're on a Mac) and I'll see a pinned alert on the Assistant showing "You're in a Focus Zone".
You can enable this Focus Zone feature on your Focus Settings page. On this Focus Settings page, there are two Focus Zone options you can control.
- Alert me about upcoming Focus Zones: A Focus Zone pinned alert and Focus button on the menu bar will display on your Assistant during a Focus Zone
- Block websites during Focus Zones: A Focus Zone block page will appear during a Focus Zone
During this time which could last up to an hour, you'll see a focus zone block page when you visit a website you scored or ranked as a personal activity, essentially a distracting website. This is your Assistant acting as your coach helping you stay focused by blocking your distractions without you having to do it yourself.
You have three options here: start a focus session, continue to the distracting website during this focus zone, or continue and turn off blocking in this zone.
During a Focus Zone, you are not in a Focus Session. You can view a Focus Zone as an assertive nudge to start a Focus Session. There are essentially 3 places to start a Focus Session during a Focus Zone: from the Focus Zone block page, the Focus button on your menu bar, or the Focus Zone pinned alert. Here I'll start a Focus Session from this block page.
Sometimes it takes a little for your Assistant to catch up.