Many of us are getting more and more used to working from home. However, it can still be a struggle especially when you don’t have the right tools to help you. Ever since the work-from-home or remote working scheme was introduced to us at the start of the pandemic, many people have grappled with efficiency and productivity when working on tasks. Many tend to work for longer hours than necessary and some even have difficulty keeping track of all the tasks they have to accomplish. To add to that, working in different locations make communicating with our team quite a challenge.
Several productivity apps help you prioritize jobs, hence making your life easier in keeping a good work-life balance. If you’re looking for apps that can help you manage your time well and be more organized, then you’ve come to the right place. Below, we feature productivity apps that will help you get your work done.
For Staying Focused
Apps to use: Serene, Freedom, Noisli, Focus@Will
Distractions are part of what makes working from home quite challenging. We’re faced with having to work in an environment that’s full of interruptions and distractions. On top of that, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are just one click away and can be very tempting to open every now and then while you’re working. Focus apps make it possible to build the discipline you need to complete your tasks efficiently and on time. Serene and Freedom work to eliminate time-wasting sites or apps by blocking them for a set time period so you can’t access them when finishing work. Other apps like Noisli and Focus@Will provide you with background music to help get you into the right headspace and boost productivity. Utilizing these distraction-blocking and focus-enhancing apps may take some time getting used to, but they will help you develop good work habits over time.
For Communicating with the Team
Apps to use: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Google Meet
Communication can be a real pain when you and your teammates are working from different locations. More often than not, emails and chats are not enough especially when you have to explain to a co-worker how a certain task is done. Typing emails or messages can be a handful and not to mention time-consuming when you have a lot of things going on. That’s why video conferencing and team chat apps are invaluable resources you can use to make it easier for you to communicate with your officemates remotely. Zoom, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex are the most popular video conferencing apps out there. They’re relatively simple to navigate and feature a straightforward interface that allows you to share your screen, communicate through their built-in chat system, and record meetings when necessary. Meanwhile, Microsoft Teams simplifies instant messaging with the team and enables you to share files, draw on a shared digital canvas, and integrate other apps.
For Accomplishing Tasks
Apps to use: Trello, Todoist, Any.do, Microsoft To Do
It’s easy to lose track of what to prioritize when there’s a load of tasks to work on for the day. While it seems like there’s a never-ending list of to-do’s waiting for you every week, it’s important for you to take it one thing at a time. There’s a way to manage your tasks without making them feel overwhelming. Many to-do list apps are designed to help you better organize your work, set priority levels for each task, and remind you when there’s a deadline coming up. Trello, Todoist, Any.do, and Microsoft To Do can do all of these and let you customize your task lists according to what works best for you. These task management apps aren’t just for individual purposes but for monitoring the progress of the whole team as well. We can all agree that nothing beats the feeling of being able to tick off every item in your to-do list at the end of the day.
For Taking Down Notes
Apps to use: Google Keep, Evernote, Microsoft OneNote
With the number of daily online meetings you need to attend, it’s best to have a note-taking app at hand. These days, note-taking apps have evolved to accommodate the different ways individuals jot down important reminders. They allow you to divide your notes into sections for more streamlined entries and add tags to help you stay on top of everything. Google Keep is an easy-to-use note-taking app that’s seamlessly integrated into other Google services like Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Drive for easy access. You can use it to create new notes and view them across different devices as well as collaborate and share notes with teammates. Evernote, on the other hand, lets you clip content from websites, annotate them, and organize your notes into different notebooks. Microsoft OneNote features note-creation tools that allow you to create bulleted lists, handwrite your notes, format them, and insert photos, documents, and even audio recordings for easier reference.
For Managing and Tracking Time
Apps to use: Pomodoro Tracker, Clockify, Toggl
Do you usually find yourself taking longer to complete a task than usual? Many factors contribute to this including getting distracted in the middle of work and being unaware of how much time you’re spending on each task. As simple as allotting time for every task might sound, we still often end up spending more time on them than we ought to. Time-tracking apps help us curb this habit by giving us an idea of how productive we actually are each day. At the same time, they enable us to improve how we accomplish work. The Pomodoro Tracker makes use of a time management technique where your work in 25-minute intervals with short breaks in-between. Clockify uses the same method and even breaks down all of your activities each day or week so you can analyze them and find more efficient ways to go about your tasks. Toggl is a great time-tracking app for project planning as it gives you an overview of the progress of all your projects and shows how much time each team member takes to complete their individual outputs.
For Collaborating with the Team
Apps to use: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365
Gone are the days when you had to save an offline file of your work-in-progress then send it to a teammate so they could continue working on it. Thanks to the wonders of collaborative online tools, it’s now possible to work on the same document or presentation simultaneously with your teammates. The best part about using collaborative apps is that you can edit files, automatically save, and then access them using any device as long as you have internet. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both give you access to a suite of apps that you need for work like a word processor, presentation maker, and spreadsheet manager. These two are the most used office suites as they conveniently let you share files with the team and create workflows.
Although working from home still feels different compared to when you’re working in the office, these apps can create a semblance of normalcy for you and the team and help keep you moving forward. With the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi, you can experience a fast and reliable internet connection and accomplish more work anywhere you go. You can also connect up to five devices to your Smart Bro and freely use your work apps across all of them. Get yours now for only P999 at the Smart Online Store on any Smart Store. To learn more, click on this link.
