Given the growing need for millions of people worldwide to work remotely, helpful applications for working from home now number in the thousands.
These essential tools and applications help with anything from sharing worksheets, project management, and video conferencing to choosing the top email services and keeping information private. They are designed to help you improve your effectiveness while working from home or remotely.
1. Zoom
The application, which was launched in 2012, had an increase in users that drove many people to the platform to stay in touch with family, friends and co-workers. Actually, it was one of the most used tools in 2020 due to its ease of use and convenience.
Zoom has become an essential method of interacting virtually with clients and coworkers for individuals who work from home. The free plan allows for unlimited conversations, with gatherings of more than two people being restricted to 40 minutes.
A business account has no time limits and can host up to 300 attendees, with the Its, Large Meeting add-on allowing up to 1,000 people. Other vital features include recording capabilities and corporate branding.
2. Evernote
Whether it is to document ideas or record minutes for an important meeting, when you are on the move, Evernote can help you. More than 100 million people globally use the tool to make their work easier, regardless of their location. It can sync across different devices allowing users to invite others to input or share notes. The business plan includes the ability to search text inside PDFs, offline note access, and single sign-on login functionality.
3. Slack
Just because you are not working from the office, it does not mean that you cannot hold a team meeting. Slack allows you to communicate with your coworkers in live chat room-style windows. You can build bespoke Slack chat channels for various groups in addition to exchanging files, documents, and live links. The program also makes it simple to return to previous conversations if you forget something.
4. Time Out
The Time Out application allows you to plan smart pauses. The concept is that if you know you’ll be taking pauses to stretch your legs or check social media, you’ll be more inclined to focus on your job after the break. Without the environment of an office or other coworkers, it’s simple to lose track of time and overlook taking breaks now and again.
The software has two built-in break options: a “regular” break of 10 minutes every hour to check your phone or close your eyes and a “micro” break of 15 seconds every 15 minutes to unwind and take deep breaths. You can skip, adjust, or deactivate breaks and include longer pauses for coffee, lunch, playing online games, gaming (click here for the best gaming apps) or going through your favorite social media channels to unwind and disengage your brain.
Remember taking a break from work increases focus when you return to work, thus improving your productivity. Additionally, it relieves some stress, which helps your mental health and general well-being.
5. Trello
When you and your coworkers are working remotely, you can use Trello to keep track of shared tasks. It will combine any applications you already use, like Google Drive, Jira, Slack, and more, to help with professional and personal project management. The program generates small reminder cards for you, and if one of your jobs is to “edit a draft of Google Docs,” you can view the document without leaving Trello and opening Google Docs independently.
Bottom Line on Applications
With so many useful great apps and tools out there, it’s easy to keep your home office productive and organized, whether you’re on the go or physically present. The above tools should help to enhance your efficiency, boost communication levels with clients and colleagues, as well as reduce distractions.
