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.

1. 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
2. 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.