Features In Windows 11 To Increase Focus And Productivity And How To Use Them

 

Windows 11 offers plenty of ways to reduce distractions to make it easier to focus on tasks and increase productivity. You can reduce the number of icons shown in the taskbar, turn off animations, adjust notifications, and more.

Here are the most prominent ways in which the features available in Windows 11 can be used to increase focus and productivity while working on the computer:

1- Turn off kinetic effects:

Turning off animation effects in background images while working on a Windows computer helps increase focus and productivity, and you can turn them off by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button, then go to Settings.
2. Select (Accessibility), then (Visual effects).
3. Deactivate the Animation effects option.
4. From the same page, deactivate the option (Always show scrollbars) to automatically hide scrollbars in Windows. And activate the Transparency effects option to make the window backgrounds more transparent.

2- Reducing the number of icons shown in the taskbar:

Select the icons you want to appear in the taskbar to reduce distraction and increase focus by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button, then go to Settings.
2. Click on the (Personalization) option, then choose (Taskbar).
3. Click on Taskbar items, then uncheck the items you don't want to see on the taskbar.

3- Reducing the items shown in the start menu:

You can decide what you want to show in the Start menu, to reduce distraction and find what you need quickly, by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button, then go to Settings.
2. Click on the (Personalization) option, then choose (Start).
3. To show the applications that you use frequently, activate the option (Show most used applications) Show most used applications.
4. To show recently opened items, check the option (Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer).
5. To specify the folders that you want to display in the Start menu next to the Run button, choose (folders) Folders, then activate the options for the folders that you want to see, and deactivate the options for the folders that you want to hide.

4- Adjust Focus assist settings:

Windows 11 contains a Focus assist feature that helps you set notifications to reduce distraction while working on the computer. You can activate and adjust this feature by following these steps:

1. Go to (settings) Settings.
2. Click on the (System) option.
3. Click on the (Focus assist) option.
4. Activate the (Priority only) option to receive notifications from specific applications that you choose yourself by clicking the “Customize priority list” button, then select the applications and contacts that you want to receive an alert when notifications arrive from them.
5. Go back to the previous page, check the option (During these hours) and then click it to specify the specific hours and days you want the Focus assist settings to apply.
6. When Focus assist is active during the hours you select, you'll see a small moon icon appear to the right of your taskbar, which you can click to see any notifications you've received.