Digital destressers: 5 game-changing productivity apps
Productivity. It’s what sets the highest achievers apart from the rest of the pack. It’s one of those concepts that’s basically hardwired into American culture (for better or worse, depending on your point of view) with the majority of U.S. adults keeping busy and striving for productiveness because well, it makes us feel valuable.
While productivity addicts can actually suffer from a term known as time anxiety – an obsession about spending time in the most meaningful way possible – there is something to be said for reorganizing elements of your day to clean out the cobwebs and destress through streamlined scheduling. It can be downright transformational at best, and help us to become more percipient at the very least. Whether you’re religiously organized, finding yourself falling behind, or just trying to get a better handle on time management skills, filling out a physical paper planner is one effective way to practice self-care – a critical component to emotional well-being.
“Having a routine is how you build habits,” explains Cheryl Beutell, APRN, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Northwestern Medicine. “When we practice good habits, that can help us maintain positive relationships, good hygiene and our best health.”
If a physical planner is your thing, check out MBAchic’s Top Ten List here. But, if you’re looking for a digital destresser, there are a plethora of downloadable apps that can create healthier, smarter swiping habits in seconds. Remaining on-task can be challenging for even the most organized and focused planners, depending on how hectic and crazy life can be during any different season. However, remaining on top of the ever-growing to-do list is the foundation of every sound professional project or personal goal. Because tasks tend to require a deeper level of granularity to stay properly organized, digital organizational apps can have some similar threads while solving vastly different pain points. Below, MBAchic is sharing and reviewing 5 digital organizational tools that can change the game and enhance your productivity and boost your organization. All you need to do is read on and select the app that’s the best fit for your needs. Poof. Productivity pundit in the making.
Notion
Touted as a project and workflow management solution that aims to help businesses streamline operations on one platform, this app is one many professionals swear by. Whether your goal is status tracking, lead management, task instructions, coding guidelines, or developing HR workflows, you can likely use Notion’s drag-and-drop interface to organize, rearrange, and develop ideas. Users can also create roadmaps and monitor tasks based on completion status, category, priority, or assigned team members with a built-in calendar feature. One of the most commonly used features is the task list, which provides a streamlined way to cross tasks off your to-do list, just like you would on a traditional paper planner. The digital version lets you move around and rearrange the items as you complete items. A major draw to this app is that it comes with an application programming interface (API), which enables users (or businesses) to integrate the system with several third-party solutions like Slack, Figma, and InVision. It’s a big hit with scholars and academics, but some less-enthusiastic users do note that while Notion is daring to be different with its design, that can sometimes lead to complications in terms of usability with some even describing it as overly complicated. In its last funding round, Notion raised $275 million and has about $340 million in total investment, so chances are this app will be sticking around for quite some time as it continues to pick up interest from investors and users alike.
Price: $10 per month
Format: Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
Any.do
Guilty of having a list on your fridge, one on your nightstand, another in the notes section of your smartphone, inside the margin of the book you’re reading, and one on a post-it under the couch collecting dust? Any.do is a web-based to-do list app and task management tool, with data sync across additional applications for iOS and Android phones and tablets, web browsers, and Mac OS X. With Any.do, users can create to-do lists and view their upcoming and completed tasks in one place so you never have to miss the unmatched satisfaction of crossing an item off your to-do list again. This app allows users to manage both their personal goals and team projects in a single interface by creating tasks, assigning tasks to other team members, and using the calendar tool to track tasks as well. Working on a big project? Teams can collaborate by adding notes and commenting directly on tasks and even attach most file types to their tasks, including videos, audio recordings, photos, and PDFs. Helpful task reminders triggered either by date/time or location can keep users accountable and focused, too. Any.do also includes action shortcuts linked to tasks, giving users the ability to make calls, send emails or texts, and make bookings or purchases from within the app. MBAchic appreciates that this app offers integration with popular third party calendar tools like Google Calendar and Outlook for streamlined organization across platforms.
Price: free
Format: Online, iOS & Android mobile apps
ActiveInbox
Let’s face it, the sheer volume of ‘stuff’ in your inbox can be paralyzing. ActiveInbox allows you to use Gmail as a task manager and clear your inbox efficiently by turning work emails into tasks and clearing them away – so you’ll never again forget to do something important. Built for execs, managers and founders, it’s simultaneously an effortless email client and task manager that is designed to give you just one place to focus. Elegant software, combined with proven psychology makes this app a favorite among anyone who’s in dire need of ending inbox email overflow by organizing emails into time-sensitive tasks. Instead of ‘sending and praying’ for a reply, ActiveInbox tracks every email and sorts your day into project folders so you have one place to see everything. Other highlights? The app ensures users never waste time having to read an email twice, by summarizing messages down into a few sub tasks and notes. There’s even an option to edit the subject line so it’s easier to skim a list of emails quickly and efficiently. MBAchic also loves the fact that users can give all of your emails and tasks Due Date reminders. Bye-bye missed deadlines, hello inbox control.
Price: $4.16 per month
Format: Gmail, iOS and Android
Pocket is an app that’s designed to help users make active decisions about how they spend their time online—sign us up! How many times have you saved a link in the notes section of your phone, or worse – gotten distracted during a timeblock by mindlessly scrolling after an interesting headline caught your attention? Stop getting sidetracked, and stop sending yourself links. When you come across a long read, interview, think piece, even a recipe, use the app Pocket to save it to your personal Pocket library with a Save to Pocket button. In addition to saving interesting or industry-specific reads that help build your business acumen and keep you sharp on trending news, the Pocket team also combs the internet to find the most user-specific and relevant articles out there. From new perspectives, to intriguing deep-dives and timeless classics — users can connect with valuable content that’s actually worthy of their precious time. Other cool features we love? Tailored text sizes, font styles or viewing modes for focused reading, categorized saves with tags, and key passage tracking with highlights (to impressively share in your next team meeting). You can also opt to listen to articles on the Pocket app with audio playback options. With 40 million saves to Pocket every month, users agree this organizational app is worth the download.
Price: free
Format: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Kindle Fire, Kobo, macOS, web browsers, Windows, and Windows Phones
Forest
Into gamification and tend to be incentive-oriented to stay on-task? With the tagline “Stay Focused, Be Present,” this popular productivity app has been downloaded by over 2 million people. It aims to help users beat phone addiction and manage time in a unique way that you’ve likely never come across before. Users can earn credits by not using their cell phones and the biggest bonus: plant real trees around the world with the credits they earn. To date, over 1,500,000 real trees have been planted around the world thanks to the app’s partner, nonprofit organization Trees For The Future. Users start planting a virtual tree when they need to stay focused on a task or just want to be more present in general. When they leave the app, the virtual tree dies, and they don’t earn virtual coins as a penalty of cutting their productivity session short. Many reviewers say the sense of achievement and responsibility to grow something and honor a time commitment encourages more productive time use and presence of mind. The app also provides aesthetically pleasing data to track the amount of time you devoted to different tasks throughout the year so you can really get intentional when you reflect on future areas you’d like to improve. Another perk? Users can create a personalized “Allow List” for different situations (like a message from the boss on a pending project status), while all non-allowed apps will be blocked. Neurodivergent users applaud this app because as one ADHD user explains, “This app gives me a time limit that has a tangible consequence for breaking.” Reviewers rave about the app design interface and intuitiveness, making Forest the perfect pairing for people seeking out a simple, user-friendly digital solution.
Price: $3.99
Format: iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch compatible
It can feel overwhelming to know where to begin when you want to get more organized and supercharge your productivity, but some combination of the digital solutions we’ve gathered here can hopefully help jumpstart your journey. Still yearning for a more focused and productive workspace? Looking at AI-powered tools that can further boost your productivity? Let’s discuss! Share with us below or over on social media.
Photo from Ruan Richard Rodrigues
