That screen space reduction can make your work feel much more cramped and uncomfortable as everything is squeezed down to fit. Use Sidecar to get more workspace Appleĭepending on your workplace, you may find yourself going from a large monitor at your office to a much smaller display or laptop at home. When this time approaches, your Mac will warn you when you hit the scheduled start time, all apps except those on Screen Time’s Always Allowed list (plus phone calls) will be blocked, encouraging you to step away from your screen and take some time off. You can now designate a period for time away from your screen, which can be the same every day or vary daily. In Screen Time, click Downtime in the left-hand column, then click Turn On. A vital part of working from home is giving yourself a break - if all you do is work, you’ll quickly get burned out. Screen Time is not just useful for keeping the distractions at bay. This is helpful if you find yourself tempted to seek distractions and need Screen Time to step in and keep you focused. You can select a blanket time amount, or tailor it for each day. For instance, put a tick in the checkbox next to Games, then select how long you want to allow yourself to play games per day. Here, click the + button and choose an app or category that you want to restrict.
You will then want to click the App Limits button in the left-hand column. The first screen will show you how you spend your time on your Mac. Open System Preferences, then click the Screen Time button. It has a range of features that can limit distractions, while at the same time ensuring you don’t become a total hermit. Use Screen Time to keep a scheduleĪpple’s Screen Time app comes bundled with your Mac (as long as you’re on MacOS Catalina), which is just as well, because it’s one of the best tools to help you manage your time when you’re working from home. Before you know it, you’ll feel right at home - in both senses. We’ve rounded up a number of tips and tricks to make home working that much more straightforward, as well as a few recommendations on the best Mac apps that’ll ease you into your new situation.