It seems that everything we do nowadays is centered around productivity (and avoiding procrastinating #halppppppp) – yep, we’re feeling the pressure of needing to be more productive than ever before.
The meaning of productivity can be different for everyone. Mostly, it’s about avoiding
distractions and focusing on one thing at a time, which at times can be challenging.
Even if we are determined to finish the task at hand, we can still be easily
distracted – no thanks to TikTok for helping with that one. So without further ado, we’ve rounded up our top ten free apps and tools to help optimise your workflow and minimise those pesky distractions!
Toggl Track
We can all admit to struggling with time management, it’s no secret, it happens to the best of
us. Luckily, there are ways to keep track of your time and what you’re working on. Toggl Track is
especially helpful when it comes to keeping track of your time, especially if you freelance.
Toggl Track keeps track of the amount of time spent on tasks. You can also receive weekly
updates sent directly to your email. The app is also compatible with multiple devices, so you
can even track time spent on social media (which may or may not be something you want to see eeeek).
Todoist
We often feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out what tasks we have to
do and how to prioritize them. Todoist is the life-saving app that helps you keep track of
everything you need to do. While the app does offer paid options, you can still take
advantage of tracking your tasks for free and stop wasting endless pieces of paper writing out your own.
Noizio
https://noiz.io/ If you struggle to drown out background noise but get too distracted by listening to music, we got you. Nozio is an app that drowns out background noises to help you focus on the task at hand. It’s a minimalistic sound equalizer, which allows you to tune into your work by listening to relaxing and peaceful sounds.
Spark
If you’re drowning in your emails and need a helping hand up- ‘SPARK’ is at about to be your best friend (It’s what our Director Jordan needs – who has without a doubt, the most unorganised inbox we’ve ever seen).
This free productivity app prioritises and assembles your emails for you. Instead of scrolling through your mail aimlessly- Spark can help you pick from three organised categories- newsletters, notifications, and personal.
Evernote
Does your life depend on all the notes you took during the day? Yes, the notes you took on your laptop, phone, and tablet (and random ripped out bits of paper?).
If you answered yes – you need ‘Evernote’. It’s an app that helps you bring together (and customise) all your notes across many platforms – and they look very pretty which we’re ALL about. It also allows you to add images, to-dos, and webpages along with providing you with an easy searchable option!
Panda
‘Panda’ is for those who can’t start the day without scrounging through the web for inspiration (rather than the mindless Instagram scroll!). It’s a newsreader that merges all you need to know from your favourite websites onto a single homepage.
While we do love a good Insty scroll, this is a sure-fire way to start your day on a much better note!
Forest
‘Forest’ is the father of all tools. We say this because it is perhaps one of the oldest productivity tools that are still mentioned in all good blogs.
The app allows nature to discipline you! “What the hell are you on about?” we hear you say – Forest sets a timer when you start your task; as this timer goes on, a seedling grows into a virtual tree. However, if you scroll through your phone before the timer goes off, the tree will be killed. Would you kill the poor tree? NO, you wouldn’t you lovely person you.
It also comes with a free chrome extension that allows you to enjoy these benefits on your desktop as well (and helps you block specific sites). For some reason, the poor trees really get us.
LastPass
https://www.lastpass.com/
If you are one of those people who ends up having to reset passwords constantly, ‘LastPass’ is most appropriate for you – let’s be honest, all of us.
‘LastPass’ remembers the passwords to all your accounts in addition to helping you ensure your password is strong and secure. All you have to do is remember the master password and ‘LastPass’ procures all the rest! It’s like magic – but without rabbits.
Dropbox/Google Drive/Teams
These don’t really need an introduction, but they’re a must have on the list. No matter what you’re preference – it’s essential you’re using a cloud-cased filing system so no work is ever lost AND you’re able to collaborate with your teams with ease (unless you’re a lone wolf, in which case ignore point #2 and keep singing loudly whilst home alone).
Trello
If you are a religious user of Pinterest, you’ll love this one!
Trello allows you to create vision boards to plan your day. You have the freedom to make a few folders, such as ‘ideas’ or ‘must complete today’ and move the tasks around according to your progress. It also works great with teams to assign tasks to, or to keep track of longer-term projects.
We could go on, but if we’re honest – we’re definitely using this blog post to procrastinate our own work #doh! We’ll leave it here, but we’d love to know what else you recommend for helping with productivity in the comments!
