Three Apps To Make You More Productive Not Less
They are all free!
It is a fact that people are more glued to their phones than ever before. That is understandable; our phones are the fastest and easiest ways we access the world. Every app is trying to steal your attention; it’s what they are designed to do. That is where these apps differ. When they steal your attention it is for but a moment, not endless hours scrolling.
Deepstash
Deepstash boasts bite-sized knowledge for everyday use; It is a collection of quotes and paragraphs from books and other media. The content is posted by users, Whom you can follow if you are a fan of the books they quote. Its best use is discovering new books to read, condensed versions of the book, and learning something new every day.
It uses an algorithm to recommend new content. You could make an argument that this app is for everyone. The target audience is readers and people who enjoy expanding their knowledge quickly. It provides the source media of the quote for those looking to go more in-depth.
Pros
- Quick to set up
- Easy to use
- Tailored to you
- Ability to follow users you enjoy
- Educational
Cons
- A lot of notifications (can be changed in settings)
It is an excellent app for those trying to learn something new. It also gives you something productive to do on your phone.
Atom
Atom is an app that leads you through guided meditations. It also includes information on mental health and quizzes you afterward. The voice is soothing and professional. Easy to follow even for absolute beginners. After completing the daily meditation, you get to grow a tree in a digital garden. It is very encouraging and makes you want to keep going.
I can only recommend this app to beginners or those who need narration to meditate. While the narration is helpful, it can be distracting for more advanced meditators. Since they’d prefer to get into the zone and have fewer outside world distractions. But this app is perfect for beginners. The reward system helps you build the habit. The narrations and tips allow beginners to get better very fast.
Pros
- Great for beginners
- Great UI
- Easy to use
- Habit Building mechanic
Cons
- Not great for advanced
If you are looking to start meditating then this is a great place to begin.
Habitica
Habitica is an app and website designed around gamifying your daily tasks. Its primary function is scheduling tasks that you have to do repetitively, tasks that are on a monthly, weekly, and daily timeline. For each task, you complete rewards and level up your character. It is on an honor system, which you can exploit, but it would harm only yourself.
Six months ago, I had tons of responsibilities. It was hard to keep track; every night I would remember 2–3 tasks that I forgot. I started using this and organizing my week, setting certain days for the tasks. There is a multitude of other apps and websites for task managing. The fun aspect and gamifying aspect of completing the tasks convinced me to take the time set it up. If gamifying your work is the last nudge you need to set up a task manager, use Habitica.
Pro
- Easy to use
- Both app and website work well
- Fun
- Community Aspect
Con
- Not a clean-cut program with lots of fluff to gamify it
- Small learning curve
If you are looking to gamify your tasks this is the right place to do it.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it.
