Want to increase your productivity? Yeah, there’s an app for that! As someone who is constantly concerned with how to work more efficiently, I regularly download new productivity apps. Most do not meet my expectations and are soon deleted. However, I’ve listed below five apps that are worth every megabyte of storage space because they enable me to work more efficiently.  If you want to increase your productivity without exerting more time and effort, consider adding the following apps to your smart phone: Click & Tweet!

 

1. Productive

   

   Our body, relationships, and achievements are the outcomes of our regular habits.

If there are aspects of our life that we are unhappy with or would like to improve, we need to change the habits that sustain them Click & Tweet! . The Productive app helps you develop positive habits by providing the two necessary components of a habit: a cue and a reward. In order for you to participate in a new behavioral pattern long enough to become automatic, your brain needs a cue to start the action and a positive reward after completing the action. The Productive app allows you to schedule your new habit into morning, afternoon, or evening routines (for the paid version you can schedule specific times). It will remind you to perform the habit (cue) as well as track how many times you’ve successfully completed the habit. This app creates cool charts for each habit. Having an uninterrupted run of success creates a compelling internal reward that reinforces the habit.

 

2. Google Keep

Being able to sort a to do list according to location increases productivity.

Keeping track of all the great ideas that emerge when you’re away from your desk can be a constant challenge. Google Keep allows you to record your thoughts using text or voice and access them from any device. These items are stored in the Google cloud so you can always have the information at your fingertips. What I like best about Google Keep is the ability to be reminded of things only when I am in a location where I can act on them. This functionality allows me to clear my mind of clutter and focus only on what I can do at the time.

 

3. Focus Zen

   

   Sound therapy reduces stress and enhances performance.

Sound therapy has long been a part of ancient healing traditions like Ayurveda and more recently has become an important component of Western medicine. Music therapy is used with a variety of populations (people with depression, people on the autism spectrum, people with Alzheimer’s) to increase attention, recall, communication, sociability and emotional regulation. Focus Zen puts the benefits of music therapy at our fingertips, providing sounds specifically designed to promote productive brain wave patterns. The free version of this app comes with four sound compositions developed to increase attention and focus. I regularly listen to Focus Zen’s “Attention Enhancer” soundtrack while writing and have experienced significant improvement in my concentration and productivity. Try them all and choose the one that works best for you. Playing these soundtracks in the background while you work can dramatically enhance your performance without any additional effort Click & Tweet! .

 

4. Inkflow

   

   Mind mapping enhances creativity and productivity.

Mind mapping is a powerful brainstorming tool. It allows you to quickly generate ideas and make connections without the rigid, hierarchical structure of an outline. Inkflow lets you to do mind mapping with the simplicity of a pen and paper combined with the flexibility of digital technology. This app enables you to write your ideas on a blank digital sheet with your finger or a stylus. I find that handwriting allows me to access more of my creative brain than typing on a keyboard. Unlike mind mapping with a pen and paper, you can use Inkflow to easily resize components of your mind map, move them around the page, add images, and share your mind map via email or social media. The app’s sharing functionality increases the speed and effectiveness of collaboration.

 

5. Omvana

   

   Meditation sharpens your focus and productivity.

Meditation is linked to numerous physical and psychological health benefits, including: lower blood pressure, improved immune functioning, reduced stress levels, and increased concentration. Omvana provides a wide selection of guided meditations designed for the beginner as well as less structured meditations for people with more experience. The meditation selections cover a broad range of topics including: Energizing Meditations, Happiness and Positive Living, Career and Entrepreneurship, Love and Relationships, as well as Parenting and Family. I love the meditation selections that use a letter of the alphabet to focus on a specific quality of character (F is for Faith, B is for Being). I use these meditations regularly to clear my mind of the cultural “noise” and refocus on my core truths. There are a range of time lengths of meditations (starting at 3 minutes) so everyone can incorporate this powerful practice into your daily schedule. The Omvana meditations help me to relax, clarify my focus, increase my decision making speed, and improve my effectiveness Click & Tweet! .

 

Technological tools enable humans to surpass our limits, accomplishing goals more quickly and easily. These five technology tools help me to be more productive without expending more energy and I believe they can do the same for you!

 

I’d love to learn more about your success with these tools or other apps that you find helpful in enhancing your productivity. Please share below.