[5-minute read]
Running a business can be all-consuming. Being your own boss has a way of depleting your time and energy, and before you know it, you’re forgetting about the little things that make you better at your job.
It’s important to remember that your business relies on the people who started it. Without you, there is no business. So take some time to focus on you. Ask yourself: “What tiny changes can I make so that I bring the best version of myself to work every day?”
We asked the Truevo team what their top productivity tools are for outside of work and made a list of the best apps in the business. Here you go.
Tools to wake up on the right side of the bed
Getting enough sleep and waking up at the right time for your body is an easy way to improve your productivity. When you’re well rested, you can focus for longer and make better decisions.
There are loads of apps that can help you track your sleep patterns and wake you up when in your lightest state of sleep. Alarmy and Sleep Cycle are great apps that adapt to your personal needs and wake you up in the best way for you. You can even set them up to show you what you want to see first in the morning – your favourite news app, the weather or your business’s social media feed.
Tools to keep you mindful
Meditation apps have exploded over the last few years as we all look for mental clarity in a rather noisy world.
Starting your morning with meditation can help you focus your mind on the day ahead. It keeps you present and aware during long work days, and teaches you to filter out unnecessary information that might usually distract you.
Tools for when you need to sweat it out a bit
When you’re running around all day solving problems, serving customers and making the most of your business, it can be tough to squeeze in a workout.
According to the Harvard Business Review, “our mental firepower is directly linked to our physical regimen. And nowhere are the implications more relevant than to our performance at work.” Studies show that incorporating regular exercise into your routine improves concentration, sharpens memory, helps us learn faster, prolongs mental stamina, enhances creativity and lowers stress.
Training apps like Down Dog, Nike Training Club, and 8fit help you destress with a workout, even if you only have 10 minutes to spare.
Tools to keep your brain synapses firing
We’ve got three game changers here for you – Pocket, podcasts and reading apps.
Pocket is a storage house for all the articles that you want to read but don’t have time for right now. It sits across all your devices, waiting for you to place articles into it. And when you’re ready, it’s there waiting for you.
Podcasts and reading apps, like Audible, are a great way to learn and entertain yourself while doing the everyday tasks that might otherwise be boring. You can learn almost anything by listening to the right people or reading the right book. Upskill yourself and learn from the best while doing laundry or running errands.
Tools for daily reflection
When all the work is done and the day is coming to an end, it’s super helpful to reflect on the successes and learnings of the day. Everybody does this a little differently, but no one says it’s not worth it.
Daylio is a fantastic, highly customisable app that lets you track your mood and tasks every day. It tracks what made you feel good today, what you achieved and what you are looking forward to working on tomorrow. It helps you track the tasks that bring you energy and the ones that might be better to delegate. Over time you can adapt your life and activities to the ones that you enjoy doing most, and cut out the unnecessary tasks that annoy you.
Tools for scribbles and doodles
Some people prefer the traditional note-taking approach. A great note app can be your friend, and there are tons out there to choose from to match your personal style of note-taking: Evernote, Google Keep, ToDoist. But if classic pen and paper works for you, then keep it simple and stick to that; there’s nothing wrong with stocking up on good stationery.
As a business owner, do you have any tools you’d like to recommend? Let us know on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
P.S. Looking for a comprehensive payments solution that will get you paid anywhere, any time? Get Truevo. We can’t wait to connect with you.
