Finding Focus: Using HazeOver to Tame Distraction

I sometimes find It difficult to concentrate while trying to get creative work done on my Mac. Like most people, I have a lot of demands on my time, and even when I want to really get into a project, distractions are plentiful. One tool that has helped me improve my focus and stay on task is HazeOver, an app I've been happily using as part of my SetApp subscription for several months.

HazeOver, a productivity tool developed by Maxim Anavov, creates a translucent layer that darkens the desktop behind the currently active window. It is customizable, offering options to adjust the opacity or change the color of the layer. HazeOver also supports multiple displays, the option to highlight one window or all windows of an active app, and a rules based tool that disable any features for specified apps.

HazeOver is contextual for me. I toggle the app via keyboard shortcut when it's time to write or take notes from research and shut it off when doing admin work or general tasks. I have made minimal changes to the settings, with the opacity set at 75%, the default black color option, and only one active window highlighted at a time.

There are a lot of distractions in our lives, and I appreciate the simple and effective way that HazeOver works to try and minimize some of those while I get work done. If you have a tool you like that helps you stay focused, let me know. I’ll give it a try and may include it in a future post for this series.

HazeOver is available for purchase on the App Store and via Setapp, where new users get a 7-day free trial. If you subscribe to Setapp using this link, you get one month free, and it supports the work I do as well.