It is 2018 and technology is in every part of our lives. We have gadgets that help us maintain better posture, ones that remind us to drink water, some that help us be better drivers and even those that teach us new languages. While technology has definitely improved our lives in so many ways (for instance, we no longer have to actually go in to an office to work), it can sometimes feel like software is very rapidly taking over our lives.
Don’t feel bad – we have all found ourselves scrolling through Instagram or sending videos on Snapchat when we should have been working. If you’ve found that your productivity has gone way down lately, this article is for you.
Although technology can be distracting, there are tons of options designed to combat this issue. So, here are some of the best software options out there to improve work productivity:
Start with the Right Technology
One major obstacle to being productive is if you’re working on an old computer with slow start-up speeds, long lag times, and other issues. Not only are older computers bulkier than newer models, they are much slower and offer far less memory space.
We recommend a lightweight laptop with a Core i5 vPro from HP which offers high speeds, consistent performance, and the ability to handle running multiple applications at once. If you multitask, your laptop should be able to, too.
Write Hands-Free and Distraction-Free
If your job or personal life requires you to spend a large portion of your time writing, you might benefit from app or program that transcribes your words as you speak them out loud. Dragon NaturallySpeaking by Nuance does just that.
This software listens and writes for you as you talk, which can be a huge help when it comes to maintaining productivity as well as brainstorming. Plus, you can always go in and manually add or remove whatever parts of your transcription you need or don’t need.
Find Yourself Distracted By the Internet?
We all know how tempting the internet can be, which is why Stayfocusd is such a huge help. This browser extension basically blocks you from using all apps on a variety of platforms, including iPhone and Windows.
This helps to limit your focus so you won’t get distracted by incoming emails, social media activity, or anything else. You can set it to block out all notifications for certain blocks of time, for example, Monday through Friday during working hours.
You can also use the app to limit your usage of specific sites, which is incredibly helpful for anyone who gets too wrapped up in social media. For instance, if you want to use Facebook less, you can set the app to lock you out after 30 minutes on any given day.
Mobile Apps to Help You Concentrate and Focus
Since we have our phones at all times, mobile-specific software is helpful for staying on track with tasks throughout the day. For instance, Any.do is an award-winning app that assists in organizing all of your tasks while you work through them.
Available for Android, Chrome and iOS, this app offers a user-friendly design to help you make a habit of reviewing your daily projects every morning.
If you work in business or other document-heavy industries, you might need to scan printed documents so you can access them on your phone and computer. Since using actual scanners is sometimes troublesome, Evernote created Scannable, an app that auto-detects a snapshot of a photo or document to create crisp, scan-quality images. It connects to Evernote so you can easily save any scans in other storage locations.
When You Need to Track Your Productivity
If you are curious as to whether or not any of the above suggestions will actually make a positive impact on your productivity, you should check out RescueTime.
This time-tracking software records all of the apps that you use, the websites you frequent and all of the breaks you take while working. The app analyzes your habits and lays them out for you in an easy-to-understand format, bringing your attention to any problematic behaviors.
Be More Productive, Starting Today
With these tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to crushing reports and being the most productive worker in the office. It takes effort for these behaviors to become true habits but with a little help from technology, you can get it all done.
