Transitioning to a work from home set up is not as easy as it sounds. Many people would struggle with the sudden change of environment and routine that was brought about by the community lockdowns and precautionary measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to experts, shifting to a work from home setting can be difficult for the mind to process as it blurs the line between the space for work and the space to rest. Employees and business owners should find the right equilibrium between achieving a better work-life balance and boosting productivity while working through a global crisis.
Here are some mobile applications to help you boost productivity and prioritize your health as you work amid the COVID-19 pandemic:
Leading and Managing a Team: Basecamp 3 or Trello
Basecamp 3 and Trello are mobile apps that let you keep track of your team’s to-do lists, communicate with them through a message board or chat room, and organize and assign tasks per employee. Through these kinds of app, a ‘virtual meeting room’ where employees can post files, add revisions, and post comments may be accessible while working from home.
Available on Android and iOS
Keeping track of time: Flat Tomato
Flat Tomato is an amazing and cute app which you can use to track and set a timer per task. It is based on the Pomodoro Technique of breaking work sessions into 25 minutes of intense focus broken by five-minute breaks and one 10-minute break every hour. According to studies, this technique is an effective way of boosting productivity without exhausting your brain.
Available on iOS, similar apps are available on Android
Background Noise to Focus: Sound Bored
Miss the ambient sound of the office? Sound Bored is an app that offers a lot of background noise and music to help you focus and concentrate on work better. It promises ‘sanity saving office sounds to soothe your WFH situation’. According to experts, playing ambient or background office music can actually increase your focus and boost productivity while working remotely.
Available on iOS, similar apps are available on Android
Sanity Breaks: Take a Break Please
One of the most effective ways of taking care of your mental health is allowing yourself to take a few breaks in between tasks and meetings. As its name suggests, “Take a Break Please” is an app where you can set aside time just to pause and breathe. This app is a reminder to take short breaks to recalibrate your focus. You can configure the time among breaks and the period of the break.
Available on Android and Windows
RELATED: Taking Care of Your Mental Health: Why it Matters in Time of a Pandemic
Stress Relief and Meditation: Headspace
Working from home, along with the drastic changes happening to life brought by the pandemic, takes a huge toll on the mental health of individuals. Taking care of your mental health should be one of your top priorities during crucial times like this.
Headspace is an app that provides a lot of handy guided meditations that can be helpful in alleviating stress and anxiety, boosting productivity, improving exercise forms, and allowing an overall positive effect on the physical health. This app also has short SOS meditations you can squeeze in between tasks.
Available on Android and iOS