Working from home often sounds like a dream scenario, with no commute and the possibility of spending all day in your pyjamas. However, as many people are now discovering, working remotely can be tough. It’s tougher when you’re not used to it and not up to date on the best remote working tools.
Staying calm during times of heightened stress, sticking to a daily routine and staying focused can sometimes feel more challenging than ever. Anything that will ease the stress of working from home while COVID-19 continues to rage is welcome. Therefore, we’ve collated some apps to make your life easier.
From distraction-limiting apps to self-care technology that will help keep your mind balanced and calm – these are the best work from home applications available today.
Keeping in touch with your team
One of the trickiest things about working remotely is finding good ways to communicate. You may be looking for different communication channels that adequately replicate the office experience. That’s where video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Teams and Skype come into the picture.
With group calling, these apps can make you feel like you’re all in the same room. You can easily use these tech tools to hold meetings and one-to-one talks. As for quick discussions, Slack is a great email alternative that encourages fast, direct communication and allows you to set up multiple channels for different projects.
Managing projects while working from home
No office whiteboard? No problem! Stay on top of tasks and upcoming projects with project management apps like Trello and Asana. Both these work apps make team collaboration and communication a breeze. Use these to assign tasks, keep track of completed assignments and enjoy conversations.
In case you want to share your screen while working from home, you can do so easily using Slack, Hangouts, or other video conferencing tools. Synchronising Google Calendars will keep everyone up to date on deadlines. Using cloud storage apps like Google Drive and Dropbox will make sure you’re able to securely access all the same files too.
Staying productive with the best remote working tools
With so many potential distractions at home, having a few great remote work apps to help maintain productivity can be helpful. You can list all your tasks on a Google doc or use some of the best time management apps like Todist, Any.Do and Google Tasks. Not only will these apps remind you of your pending tasks but send you reminders when you inevitably start procrastinating.
Meanwhile, if you find yourself getting sidelined by interesting articles or news while trying to work, save them to Pocket or Google Keep to read later instead. Similarly, when working remotely, it’s easier to lose track of time scrolling through your social media feed. Limit distractions by using apps like YourHour, Social Fever, and Digital Detox.
Looking after yourself even with a full-time job
While there are plenty of benefits of working remotely, switching between working and non-working hours can be tedious. While some people will lose themselves in endless streams provided by Netflix and Hotstar, others will find it hard to switch off constant work updates on WhatsApp. As coronavirus has made it eerily visible – health is wealth. When working from home, it’s essential to take breaks to concentrate on your physical and mental self.
Make the best of paid and free exercise apps like cure.fit, HealthifyMe, Fitvate and Keep Yoga. You can even log into YouTube and follow different channels for daily workouts. Some of these include, Fitness Blender, SELF and Yoga with Adrienne. And don’t forget about your mental health. Use apps like Calm, Insight Timer and Headspace to make mindfulness and meditation, a part of your daily life.
Though remote working has always been romanticised, it isn’t any fun when it’s done out of necessity and not choice. With these apps, you can make the best of your time at home!
