While remote work has been around ages, working from home is new for the majority of Americans. Before the pandemic, only 20% of employed adults whose jobs are suited for telecommuting actually worked from home. Today, 71% of these workers do their jobs from home.
When the pandemic struck, many workers only had days, or just hours, to transition to remote work. Bringing home laptops, monitors, and keyboards is only the beginning of working from home.
The work from home lifestyle is touted for its benefits, including flexibility, productivity, and savings. To achieve those advantages, you need an environment designed for productive work and a well-stocked toolkit. There are countless apps out there to help you stay focused and motivated at home. In our list below, we cut through the noise and share the essentials for a WFH lifestyle.
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Take breaks the smart way with the PomoDoneApp
Breaks tend to come a bit more naturally in the office than at home — there’s typically an actual break room, after all. While you may have established a routine for keeping your flow going at the office, chances are it’s been more challenging to maintain at home. You don’t have to take breaks the same way at home as you did in the office. But research says you should take them to keep your mind and body healthy.
Having trouble remembering to take a break? Not sure how to establish a routine for breaks at home?
Try the PomoDoneApp. This app brings the benefits of the Pomodoro technique to the digital life. The method leverages focused time blocks called “pomodoros” (typically around 25 minutes), followed by five-minute breaks. After four consecutive time blocks, you take a longer break of about 20 minutes.
The Pomodone app connects with task management tools so you can easily get started on your pomodoros. Or create your own tasks within the app. Don’t let the simplicity of the app fool you. You can easily adjust your session length and breaks, integrate with multiple task management tools, and create reports.
Cancel out background noise with Krisp.Ai
The popularity of video-conferencing exploded in 2020, with Zoom’s usage alone increasing by 67% from January to mid-March 2020. Background filters can help clear any distracting visual images. But what about noise? From kids to pets and the general hustle and bustle of life, background noise seems to come from just about everywhere.
Don’t let feedback and noise interfere with the productivity of your calls. A noise-canceling app functions much like headphones; it removes background noise for clearer sound. Krisp uses AI to cancel out noise on all ends of a call. It integrates with over 800 popular communication apps, including Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
Schedule across time zones with WorldTimeBuddy
If you’ve ever missed a meeting due to a time zone mix-up, you know how confusing it can be to coordinate schedules across multiple time zones. Even if you know your attendees’ time zones, it’s easy to make a small mistake when scheduling.
Save yourself from headaches with WorldTimeBuddy. The time converter and world clock makes it simple to compare time zones and schedule meetings. You can compare four time zones with the free version or unlimited locations with the paid Gold version.
Go from emails to tasks with the Todoist Gmail Integration
Still moving tasks over from your email to your planner or task management software? Save yourself a step with Todoist and its Gmail integration. The popular task management solution is centered on organization and collaboration. Its browser extension connects with Gmail and pops up alongside emails in compose mode. You can easily create and update tasks based on the email content.
Vibe with Spotify
Spotify is about more than the latest hits and upcoming artists. The leading digital music service has just about everything audio-related, including podcasts and themed playlists. No matter what kind of music you enjoy listening to while working, you’ll find plenty of options on Spotify.
The “Work From Home playlist” is an excellent starting place with over 100 songs to jam out to. You can even integrate the Spotify app with Vibe to add a little pizzazz to your brainstorming sessions.
Vibe offers a collaborative solution combining an interactive digital whiteboard and innovative smart software. Increase engagement and efficiency at your brainstorming sessions, virtual training, and classroom sessions by integrating your favorite applications with video conferencing and an infinite, mess-free writing canvas! Collaborate today with Vibe.
Looking for the latest in interactive whiteboard technology? Check out Vibe today!