I’m always amazed when watching people work in their browser. Even though the browser is the most used application on everyone’s computer, nobody takes the time to optimize and tune it up.

It’s like being a musician and playing with an instrument that is out of tune. How good do you think your performance will be? Are you going to enjoy the experience?

It’s the same when you’re working with a browser that is out of tune. Investing just a few minutes upfront to tweak it, can save you hours every day. Plus, the whole browsing experience will be much more satisfying.

Here are the most effective ways that I use to tune-up my Google Chrome.

Search Engines

By far the biggest time saver for me have been the built in search engines in Chrome.

Any time you use the search bar for a website, Chrome automatically saves that search bar address in the Search Engine settings. So if you want to search that website again, you can call it directly from the Chrome’s main address bar.

Just type the assigned letter for the website followed by space and the address bar is converted into the search bar for the particular website.

Here are some of the pages saved in my browser, followed by the “shortcuts” that I use.

You can go to “Settings >> Search >> Manage search engines…” and edit your search shortcuts to your heart’s content.

And here is how my address bar looks after typing “wd spacebar”:

So now every time I need to look up something on Wiki Dictionary for example, all I have to do is type “wd spacebar DEFINITION”. Boom and I’m there in 3 seconds.

What does the typical Chrome user do instead?

• [2 sec] Google the Wiki Dictionary website (because who even bothers remembering URLs nowadays?)
• [2 sec] Wait for the search to load.
• [2 sec] Click on the Wiki Dictionary link from the search results.
• [2 sec] Wait for the Wiki Dictionary home page to load.
• [2 sec] Look for the search bar.
• [3 sec] Type the search terms that you need.

Why would you go through all that trouble for every search that you do? You can jump straight to step 6 and save yourself 10 seconds every time.

Think about how many searches you do every day and how much faster you can be if you save 10 seconds per search.

Bookmarks

It’s such a simple and common tip, yet most people don’t have an effective Bookmarks bar.

To use your bookmarks effectively, they have to be prioritized and organized. A hodgepodge of randomly saved links doesn’t really help to be more effective.

Here’s how my Bookmarks bar looks now:

Use Folders

You have limited space on your Bookmarks bar, so use it wisely.

Clicking on a folder in your Bookmarks bar opens a nice little drop-down menu. It takes one extra click to get to the stuff inside, but it’s still super quick.

Group similar links or links that you don’t use that often in folders.

Use Separators

If you don’t want to use folders for everything but still want your links to be organized, use separators.

You can get a great looking separator at separator.mayastudios.com by just dragging their link to your toolbar.  You can see how the separator looks on my toolbar above.

You can even use horizontal separators for items within a folder.

Name your links

Usually, when you save a link, it names it with the full page’s name. That’s just a waste of space. Plus, it looks terrible.

Use short, descriptive names that don’t take a lot of space but are still meaningful to you.

For some links, you don’t even need a name. Just the icon might be enough to recognize the link.

Hotkeys

Hotkeys are another aspect of browsing quickly that most users ignore. With hotkeys, you can skip most tedious, time-wasting mouse clicks. They’re even more effective if you’re on a laptop and have to use a trackpad.

Here are the most common and useful hotkeys that I use constantly.

• [Ctrl + N] — New window
• [Ctrl + Shift + N] — Incognito mode
• [Ctrl + T] — New tab
• [Ctrl + Shift + T] — Reopen the last closed tab
• [Ctrl + Tab] — Jump to the next open tab
• [Ctrl + Shift + Tab] — Jump to the previous open tab
• [Ctrl + F4] — Close the current tab
• [Ctrl + Shift + B] — Show or hide the Bookmarks bar
  Did your Bookmarks bar suddenly disappear? You probably hit this one by accident.
• [Ctrl + H] — Open the History page in a new tab
  You can also view the browsing history from all devices logged in with your account.
• [Ctrl + J] — Open the Downloads page
  Besides the bottom bar when downloading a file, you can also see a list of all downloaded files at the Downloads page.
• [Alt + D] — Jump to the address bar
  This one is by far the coolest. Don’t mouse click on the address bar. Just hit Alt+D and start typing.
• [Ctrl + F] — Find
  Search anything within the page.
• [Ctrl + 0] — Return everything on the page to default size
  Zooming in and out in a page? This is a nice way to get back to the default quickly.

You can find an exhaustive list of all Chrome hotkeys here (including for a Mac).

Some of these can be hard to remember for a new user. It really helps to keep a little cheat sheet next to your monitor and quickly glancing at it every time you need the command.

Extensions

The beautiful thing about Chrome is that there are thousands of developers creating extensions that make your life easier. You can find extensions for just about anything that you might imagine on the official Chrome Web Store page.

Here are the ones that have helped me work faster the most.

Video Speed Controller

A very convenient extension that lets you speed up or slow down videos directly in your browser. It works with most videos online and it’s great if you’re watching tutorials or educational videos. Sometimes I speed up some videos x3 times, and I can still understand everything.

YouTube already has an implemented function to speed up their videos, but the advantage of this extension is that you can do it with a keyboard shortcut. Much more convenient than clicking the YouTube menus.

Adblock

This one should be included in Chrome by default in my opinion. It saves you so much clutter and distraction on pages that have ads.

Lazarus: Form Recovery

I can’t tell you how many times this extension has saved me after a crash.

It automatically saves everything that you type in Chrome. So if your browser crashes or you accidentally close it, Lazarus will “resurrect” your message with a click of a button.

Evernote Webclipper

If you’re an Evernote user, there is no better way to save notes from your browser. You can set a custom hotkey and save any page with a single click.

Todoist

If you use Todoist (which is the best to-do app,) this extension is a must have. It lets you add new tasks with one click. You can also add web pages and emails directly to your to-do list and access them easily later. The extension keeps the link info.

Images On/Off

Have you ever wanted to turn off all images on a website? Either to make it faster or just to focus on the text?

With this extension, you can disable all images with just a single click.

BehindTheOverlay

Are you tired of the annoying pop-ups asking for your email on most websites? Yeah, me too. This extension lets you get rid of them with one click.

Noisli

This extension doesn’t directly make your browser easier to work with, but it will help get you in the zone.

It creates amazing white noise sounds that help you concentrate. If you can’t focus while listening to music, but you still want something nice to play in the background, this one is for you.

Speed Dial 3

The default “new tab” page of Chrome is just a search bar with the most recently visited pages. Unfortunately, you don’t have any control over the links that show up on that page.

SpeedDial3 lets you design your own “new tab” with the pages that you’d like to see. It’s much like saving Bookmarks, but instead of having the links in the Bookmarks bar, you’ll have them when you open up a new tab.

Mouse Gestures

To use mouse gestures you also need an extension, but I think this one deserves to be in a different category. If I had to choose just one type of extension for Chrome, it would be for this one.

Simply put, using gestures means making pre-recorded movements with the mouse that the browser recognizes and converts to assigned commands.

Why is that so cool? Well, imagine that you can point at the monitor and the browser recognizes your gesture and does what you want it to. It’s exactly like that, except that you’re “pointing” with your mouse.

Gestures are more intuitive and easier to use than keyboard shortcuts. Plus, you don’t have to take your hand off the mouse to trigger a certain command.

How to use gestures?

There are many extensions that help you with gestures, but my favorite one is CrxMouse. It’s got all the functionality that you’ll ever need and at the same time it’s easy to set up and start with right away.

The way you “point” with your mouse is by clicking the right button and dragging the mouse in a certain direction.

Here are some of the default mouse movements, or gestures, that the extension recognizes.

← : back
→ : forward
↑ : scroll up one page
↓ : open a new tab
↓→ : close current tab
↑↓ : refresh
←↑ : reopen closed tabs
→↓ : scroll to bottom
→↑ : scroll to top

So for example, if you need a new tab, don’t click on the new tab button or use the keyboard hotkey, just hold down the right mouse button and drag down. Boom, the new tab is created.

See how much easier it is?

Sync between devices

An amazing function of Chrome is that it automatically syncs up everything between your devices. All you have to do is log in with your Google account and all your bookmarks, passwords, history, settings, and extensions will be saved on the cloud instead of the local machine.

So when you log in with your Google account on another computer, everything is exactly the same as you set it up on the original machine.

Don’t play with an out of tune browser anymore. Take just 30 minutes to optimize it, and the internet will seem like a much nicer place.

What is Burnout?

The experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, especially in one’s career.
Source: Wiki Dictionary

You know that feeling when you’re exhausted but you still have so much to do? Your brain is working at 10% capacity, but you still keep pushing. That’s what we call burnout.

It’s when your body and mind are stretched to the limit, but you have to keep going. All your cells are screaming, “Give us a break!” and you say, “It’s OK. Just one more thing.”

It’s a common trap that we fall into when trying to get more things done. Ironically, working all the time and getting burnt out is counter-productive and we only end up sapping our energy.

Why Is Burnout So Bad?

It Destroys Your Capacity for Work

If you only focus on doing more work, you’re ignoring a critical aspect of your productivity – your capacity for getting things done. Not taking breaks and sleeping enough will get you more work hours but in that time you’ll be operating nowhere near your full potential.

It’s like having a sports car that is tuned to perfection. But at the same time, you don’t put in good fuel, and you’re overheating the engine all the time. How well do you expect the car to perform, even if it’s perfectly tuned in every other aspect?

Your body and mind have a certain capacity to perform. If you take care of yourself well, that capacity will expand. And if you keep burning energy that you don’t have, your capacity will diminish.

It’s a Downwards Spiral

The more burnt out you get, the less effective you’ll be. The less effective you are, the more hours you’ll have to put and get even more burnt out. Get the picture?

It’s not a good idea to try to do more work in, by putting more and more work hours in. Don’t keep burning energy that your body doesn’t have. Don’t sacrifice your long-term productivity just to get a short-term boost.

It’s just like budgeting your finances correctly. Sure you can spend money you don’t have by going into debt, but sooner or later it will catch up with you. Sooner or later you’ll have to suffer the consequences.

You’re Screwed Long Term, Not Just for Today

The terrible thing about burnout is that you can get used to it. If you keep pushing yourself all the time, you won’t even notice that you’re tired anymore. It will just feel like your normal, everyday state.

So if you don’t take care of the burnout now, your whole life becomes one perpetual cycle of not having enough energy, and having to push yourself to the breaking point every day.

It Kills the Passion for Your Job

Even though you might love what you do, being constantly burnt out makes you hate your work. Being in an endless rush to get things done doesn’t let you enjoy and appreciate your work.

After a while, it feels like your whole life is being consumed by it and you start asking yourself, “What’s the point?”

Don’t let burnout skew your feelings about your career. No matter what you do, it will never feel good if your life isn’t balanced.

Practical Ways to Stop Burning Yourself Out

Stop Procrastination

“I have plenty of time to do it later.”

That sentence has gotten me in trouble more than anything else in my life.

Sometimes we waste our energy on YouTube all day and then end up working until 3 AM getting burnt out. And on the next day, the pattern repeats since, “Hell, I was working so late last night, I deserve some YouTube today!”

By default, we’re very unrealistic about how much time work is going to take. We always underestimate it and end up staying up late.

So aim to start your most important work first thing in the morning. That extra willpower you spend on forcing yourself to start early will pay off big time in the long term.

Another awesome way to be more aware of how you spend your time is to track it. Toggl.com and Rescuetime.com are your friends.

Be Careful with Coffee

Do you use coffee to enhance your productivity or to compensate for the lack of rest? If you drink 10 cups a day, it’s probably the latter.

Coffee can give you a nice boost of energy and focus, but again it’s a trade-off. Once your body has been alert and working on 120% for a while, you have to give it some extra rest afterward. Not burn it out with even more coffee.

Whenever you use caffeine, make sure you’re not trying to compensate for the fact that you haven’t taken a break in the last 5 hours. Or that you haven’t slept at all last night.

Don’t Say, “Yes” Too Much

Prioritization is all about saying, “Yes” to the right things and, “No” to the wrong things.

Even if you’re the most productive bear in the world, you can’t get it all done. And if you’re a productivity nerd like me you probably hate saying, “No.” Is it like you’re admitting your limitations right? You want to be able to do everything that comes your way.

Well, that’s a one-way ticket to crazy land. You’ll feel more and more disappointed in yourself with each missed deadline.

A great habit to get into is never to say, “Yes” on the spot. Get into the routine of saying, “I’ll think about it and get back to you shortly.”

That’s a nice way of taking off the pressure to make the right decision immediately. It will also give you the space to think about your priorities and schedule realistically.

What to Do When You’re Already Burning

Say you’ve already screwed up by saying, “Yes” to a ton of projects.

Or you’re so far behind on your work that you’re getting questionable looks from your boss.

Or your final exams are in 3 days, but you spent the last month making sure your browser’s history stays above 1,000+ Reddit entries/day.

What do you do then?

Damage Control

Getting into a panic mode right now is probably the worst thing you can do.

First of all, admit to yourself that you won’t be able to get it all done. You ain’t got time for that.

You have to do a reality check and see how you can get the best out of the time you’ve got left. Prioritize and pick the 20% of the stuff that will get you 80% of the results. If you manage to do that 20%, you might be able to save your skin in the last minute.

Stay Hydrated

When we’re burnt out, we tend to ignore what our bodies need even more. Even if you feel you don’t have time for it, take care of your body’s basic needs. Drink enough water and have a healthy meal.

The time that you will “loose” is nothing compared to pushing your body even further outside what it was designed to do.

Take a Power Nap

Again, that feels very counter-intuitive, but naps have a huge effect on productivity and focus. Even 10-15 minutes can “restart” your brain and get you back on track.

Another benefit from naps is that they do kind of a “mood reset.” In critical situations when you’re stressed out of your mind saying, “Fuck it!” and taking a nap can be huge. You will wake up feeling much better.

Don’t use the “I don’t have a good place to do it in” excuse either. You can always find a way if you’re determined to do it.

I used to do some crazy stuff while working in the office to get my 10 minutes of shut-eye. I couldn’t sleep while everybody was watching, so I used my lunch break to sleep in my car. I also used the office bathroom to nod off for 5-10 minutes every two hours.

You can always find a way if you really want to.

Get Your Blood Pumping

This is especially important if your ass is glued to a desk chair all day. Your body and brain get stale from the inactivity. And the more inactive you are, the worse your focus and productivity will get.

All of your systems work better when you get more oxygen and increase your heart rate. So use your body the way it was meant to be used. Give it what it needs so it can give you the focus and energy that you need.

Again, don’t make excuses. You can always find the time and place for a few pushups or squats. Stretching also feels amazing after hours of inactivity.

Summary

When trying to get more things done managing your time will only get you so far.  If you really want your productivity to soar learn to also manage your energy.

How to Manage Your Energy Better

• Start with your most important and difficult to-dos
• Use coffee for enhancement, not compensation for lack of rest.
• Learn to say, “No” to the projects that are not important or you don’t have time for.
• Take care of your body’s basic needs first – food, water, exercise and sleep.