It is sometimes said that the best work is often done on the road, away from the tedium and routine of everyday life. While this assumption may or may not be accurate, there is no doubt that you need to be intentional about your tasks and workflow if you hope to get any work done.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of apps or tools to help you tune out distractions and be more productive.
1. Silence the world with noise-canceling headphones
In “silence,” as they say, “great works are born.”. This old joke, often repeated in various forms throughout the ages, points to the truth of deep work and creativity. In fact, in 2001, a study conducted by Cornell University concluded that even low levels of noise can significantly reduce your motivation at work and increase stress.
Now, if this is the case even with low-level office noise, you can only imagine how a stressful commute can wreak havoc on your concentration and therefore your productivity. This is where noise-canceling headphones can help.
Noise-canceling headphones work mainly in two ways: by completely blocking out background noise or by reducing incoming noise, depending on the type of headphones you buy. You can find many cheap noise-canceling headphones online these days.
Whatever headphones you choose to get, just make sure that they meet all the basic features of a good headphone, such as sound quality, battery life, earpiece type, etc. So buy a headset, put it on, and enjoy your work. with full concentration.
2. Do deep work with focused timers
3. Get organized with to-do list apps
To-do list programs are specialized software that help you organize and prioritize your tasks and responsibilities effectively. In short, they bring traditional pen-and-paper to-do lists to your computer—a godsend for nearly all 21st-century computer workers.
Again, there are many to-do list apps. To simplify the search, we chose TickTick. TickTick, a cross-platform to-do list app, is a simple app that helps you plan ahead, focus on tasks at hand, and improve efficiency.
Like all to-do list apps, it follows a simple GTD (get things done) task management technique that will come in handy on the go. Just arrange the tasks in advance and start knocking them out one by one without wasting time making decisions during your travels.
As an added bonus, the app also comes with built-in Pomodoro, Eisenhower Matrix, and other features like task rescheduling and more. So don’t think too much; get the app and cross off those tasks on your next trip.
Work can seem boring, and sitting for just half an hour can make you feel tired. After a few minutes, you may need to check your social media of choice, “refresh” with a quick song or YouTube video, etc.
When you’re dealing with this kind of attention drain, the last thing you need is a ping from one of your social media apps. By using apps or websites that block social media, you can protect yourself from such unwanted interference.
In short, these apps work by blocking social media services like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, both on your computer and smartphone. They also give you features like distraction-free modes, productivity zones, and other customizable settings that will help you block even texting notifications.
This is where Freedom stands out from the crowd of website and app blocking solutions. You can get a free trial (which is a premium app), sign up, and take care of the installation. From there, you can access the online dashboard and start managing your websites or apps right away.
Trello also uses a Kanban-style task management method, which is useful if you want to organize large projects. So, in summary, use Trello to pre-organize or schedule tasks and break them into short chunks to increase efficiency (without losing the big picture).
5. Get your work done efficiently while traveling
Working while traveling can be a challenge. But as many people have discovered time and time again, it can lead to your best work. So, if you are a digital worker who plans to do some thorough work while traveling, the apps listed above are some of the best options.
Of course, productivity apps are only one piece of the puzzle. It’s also a good idea to check out other apps before you leave, such as those that focus on safety and travel precautions. So be sure to try them all.