Best apps for staying productive
Errands, homework, real work, going out with friends, sleep, working out, the list never ends.
We don’t know about the rest of you students and working women out there, but if you’re anything like us, you probably have what seems like 100 different things to do and zero time to do any of it. And while some people may say that technology only makes us more distracted and more reluctant to actually get our work done, we disagree. If there’s anything technology is great at, it’s saving us time and making our everyday lives that much more productive.
So in order to help you get the most out of your day, here is Your Coffee Break’s list of the best apps for staying efficient and getting things done:
Pomodoro: There are a ton of different list making apps out there, but we haven’t found anything else like Pomodoro. In one section of the app, you can easily insert your to-do list and check off each item as you complete it. The app itself works by giving you a certain amount of time to complete your tasks and then rewarding you with a short break (and later a longer break after you’ve completed a certain amount). And the best part—it’s totally customizable. We have it set to 30 minute work periods with a short break of seven minutes and a long break of 15 minutes. You can even track how productive you are through the app’s stats, perfect for challenging yourself to get even more done.
If This Then That: This is one of those super cool apps that once you hear about it wonder how you possibly lived without it beforehand. If This Then That works just how it sounds: you set up “recipes” so that if one thing happens, another one will happen too. For example, if you Instagram a new photo, it’ll automatically get saved to your Dropbox. Maybe when you get an email from your boss, you want to get sent a text telling you so. The app works with 130 different channels (i.e. Facebook, Evernote, even Buzzfeed) and will make your life 10 times easier… trust us.
Boomerang: Now technically like this only applies to you if you have a Gmail, but it’s so great that even if you don’t have a Gmail account, it may persuade you to get one. If you find yourself always wanting to send emails at the most inconvenient hours (like at 2 a.m. in the morning when you can’t fall asleep), this app will save your life. Boomerang allows you to choose when you send and receive emails, so you can draft all of your messages at whatever time you wish and then set them to go out at a perfectly acceptable hour. The app can even remind you if you haven’t heard back from someone, perfect for keeping track of important conversations and staying on top of things.
Hootsuite: For all you social media savvy women out there (which, let’s be honest, is probably all of you), Hootsuite is the perfect app. Hootsuite is the ultimate social media manager which lets you schedule tweets and Facebook posts, as well as keep track of your different Twitter lists, direct messages, and mentions. It’s especially great if you run a blog, are working to build up a personal brand, or just like to stay in the know.
