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On the prowl for ways to get things done more efficiently? Looking to improve your time management skills? The solution is in your hands – literally! Productivity apps are a handy means to keep you on top of things. So which one should you try out? This tech buff sussed out five different apps that help boost your productivity! 

Microsoft To-Do 

About the App: Microsoft To-Do helps you create simple to-do lists so that you can stay on top of things.

The takeaway: This app was created for tech noobs.

It works well as a daily planner and allows you to get a glance of your daily, weekly or monthly errands. You get ‘reminders’ for tasks which you have not completed by the deadline set, which is a paid feature in most other planner apps. The app also prompts you to complete tasks which you have marked as important or suggests those that you can complete. There’s really no excuse for forgetting any of your tasks!

You can also share your list with others, making it especially useful when you need a family member or friend to run some errands on your behalf.

I would have liked to personalise various lists and tasks with colours and themes but there’s no such function.

Nevertheless, the app is so simple that it can even be used tech-dummies. If you need an easy start to organising your life, this is the app for you!

Cost: It is available for free and you can log in with a Microsoft account to get started.
Score: 8/10

Pocket

About the App: Pocket allows you to save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app so that you can view them at leisure later.

The takeaway: Came across an interesting article but no time to read it right away? No worries! Save your favourite reads on the Pocket app with just a few clicks, and come back to them later.

The app even allows you to save videos that are embedded within an article – very cool!

One of my favourite features was being able to organise my saved articles using ‘tags’, such as ‘work’, ‘home renovations’ and ‘exercise’, which made it easier for browsing.

The app also has a killer look with different fonts, multiple font sizes as well as four themes that gives it a ‘kindle’ feel.

With this handy app, I no longer miss out on useful articles while on the go. Instead, I now have a neat collection in my Pocket that I can refer to any time!

Cost: It is available for free.
Score: 10/10

Daylio

About the App: Daylio is a micro journaling app for tracking daily moods and activities.

The takeaway: Logging in your moods on a daily basis helps you to better understand your emotional patterns and triggers.

Daylio works like a personal diary but enhanced with the inclusion of emojis, hashtags, alerts and more.

This app is useful for those who want to find out how their daily habits impact their mood and that by modifying those habits, they can feel better mentally.

I used this app for three weeks and it works! For example, I used to go on long runs after work on Mondays, but with this app, I realised that this left me feeling exhausted, which led to a not-so-good start to my week. By simply changing these runs to a Saturday evening, I felt happier and more energised for the week ahead.

Daylio is a no frills app but it certainly does wonders for my mental well-being!

Cost: It is available for free.
Score: 9/10

Cam Scanner

About the App: Cam Scanner turns your mobile phone into a portable scanner and allows for easy file sharing.

The takeaway: For those who haven’t heard of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, you will be blown away by what this app can do. In short, it allows you to create searchable and editable files by snapping pictures of your documents.

Gone are the days where you need to plough through thousands of photos just for one file. With Cam Scanner, all you need to do is enter a keyword, take ‘resume’ for example, and all of the pictures containing the word will pop up on your phone in a matter of seconds.

Another unique feature is that you are able to convert scanned images to editable documents. Simply take a photo of the text you need and – voila – the app will proceed to extract it for you.

You can now copy and paste to wherever you need it. How convenient!

A note of caution: Remember to protect your phone with a strong password, especially if you are using this app to scan confidential documents.

Cost: It is available for free.
Score: 8/10

Tide

About the App: Tide helps you to focus, relax and meditate so that you can recharge even during your busy work day.

The takeaway: This app combines soothing sounds of nature with the Podmoro technique, which breaks up your day into 25-minute focus sessions followed by five minute breaks.

I tried Tide for a week, using a timer to break my work day into 25min blocks followed by a 5min rest. The focused time blocks worked as I was thoroughly engaged in my work but the sound tracks available on the app were very limited and almost too soothing at times– not ideal for that urgent work deadline!

It is probably more useful for those who are tracking their sleep cycles or trying to meditate.

Cost: It is available for free.
Score: 5/10

We hope that the apps we have suggested have helped you to buckle down and focus. Try them and email us at joyatwork@singhealth.com.sg to let us know how they’ve helped you!