When you’re working from home it’s easy to get distracted which will only add to your every-growing list of things to complete during the week. But fear not- there are so many productivity tools available at your disposable to save you time and energy, here are some of the best ones you could try using.
Google Workspace: This is a cloud computing software that allows you to collaborate and communicate with your colleagues. It is made up of Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet, and Chat. It also includes Google Drive where you can work together on documents (including spreadsheets and slides) all in real time and upload all your files onto a shared drive that is easy to access when you are online and offline.
Toggl: This is a time tracking software and is great if you’re a freelancer, graphic designer, or consultant. Toggl allows you to track the amount of time you spend on tasks (Toggl Track), plan team projects (Toggl Plan), and make the hiring process so much easier using an automated smart skills tests (Toggl Hire). Best of all, the services are free and are functional across multiple devices!
Visit: https://toggl.com/
Forest: The idea behind this app is so simple, yet so effective! The purpose of Forest is to stay focused on a task, by choosing an amount of time you would like to stay focused for. While the timer is ticking away, trees start to grow, with each tree representing your task. If you leave the app during the duration, your tree will die! Forest works with a real-tree planting organisation, so you can spend the virtual coins you earn on planting real trees.
Visit: https://www.forestapp.cc/
Trello: This is a great piece of software available to download (as an app or on a computer) or add as a Chrome extension, making it really easy to access! You can create different Trello boards and within each board, you can add on cards, with each card representing a different task. You can colour co-ordinate your tasks, keeping everything organised and easy to identify, add members, labels, checklists, dates, and attachments all at the click of a button!
Visit: https://trello.com/en
Evernote: This is a great note taking software that allows you to create notes in various formats such as text, photos, and drawings. It is a great tool if you want to integrate it with other software tools you’re using like Gmail, Google Drive, and Slack, making collaboration so much easier! Evernote offers a free version, as well as a premium version where you can sync together unlimited devices and export notes to PDF files.
Visit: https://evernote.com/
RescueTime: The purpose of this software is to help you take back control of your time and keep those motivations levels at an all time high! It has an automatic time tracking software that tracks what you’re working on, tells you the best times are to work if you want to avoid being interrupted, and alerts you when you’re losing focus or taking on too much work.
Visit: https://www.rescuetime.com/
Paymo: This allows you to manage projects and tasks, track work time, and bill your clients from the same platform so you don’t need to go back and forth between different software programmes. You can plan projects by creating gantt charts so your team can see a timeline of when tasks should be completed and schedule your team to see who is on leave and when. Although there is a free version of Paymo, you can upgrade your account which will enable you to have more clients and storage space.
Visit: https://www.paymoapp.com/
nTask: This is a cloud-based task management software that allows you to collaborate, manage tasks, and schedule meetings with team members. You can also create gantt charts, use time sheet reporting and time tracking software, track issues, and use risk management software. Another bonus of using nTask is that you can integrate it with other platforms you use such as Google Calendar and Zoom so it’s great if you’re looking for ways to improve your organisation skills.
IFTTT (If This Then That): This app helps you to save time by automating tasks you always do on the internet. It is so versatile and can be connected across numerous devices such as Alexa. It can also automatically share your content across different platforms to improve your SEO, back up your files and message people.
Visit: https://ifttt.com/
Freedom: It’s so easy to get distracted on your phone, meaning you can waste so much time scrolling through social media or planning your next purchase when really, you know you should be working. This is where Freedom comes in to save the day by blocking distractions on all your devices at once. Once you’ve blocked a website on one device such as your phone, it will automatically block it across others like a computer. If you’re really trying to stay focused on an important document, then you can even block access to the internet!
Visit: https://freedom.to/
These aren’t the only productivity tools out there to help you improve your productivity- there are so many more! Why not experiment and play around with what’s out there so you can find what tools work best for you!
To see what other tools are available visit the following websites:
