Working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. On paper, we should be more productive because we can more flexibly manage our own time and focus without distraction. But, of course, new distractions arise, and we must still align with colleagues’ schedules and communicate effectively.
It’s important to have a solid foundation for your workflow. Expert guidance on the successful Microsoft Teams deployment is something that can completely change the way you work from home as it allows you to maximise the utility of a world-class system that’s designed for this exact situation. However, below are some apps that lay more on the periphery – things that you may not have considered, but could up your productivity.
Freedom
Freedom is a fantastic app for retaining your focus. We can all get distracted on the world wide web, particularly as we’re now potentially working on our home computer instead of an office one. We’re likely logged into Facebook, YouTube, and news sites that we like to browse.
Freedom coerces us into stopping this behaviour. It links up between all devices and can restrict you from visiting certain sites that you blacklist at certain times of the day. Blocking apps and sites may be the only way to stay on track, as we often subconsciously get distracted and by the time we realise, 20 minutes have already been lost.
Clockify
This may or may not be needed depending on your work arrangements, but Clockify is an effective way at tracking work time. It’s a place to clock in and out of work, enter into online timesheets and even track time automatically. This is ideal for billing your client, but it can also be used as a way to provide work hour evidence to an employer. Those on flexible hours or are paid per hour can make good use of Clockify.
Zoom
Most people have heard of Zoom by now, but that’s why it’s worth mentioning still. Many, many people use Zoom, so it’s important to have it installed and understand how it works. Even when working within the MS ecosystem, you may have to jump on a call with a third party or client who uses Zoom.
LastPass
LastPass is a fantastically safe way to store your passwords safely. Now, if your employer has certain practices set in stone, it’s best to follow them strictly. If they don’t, take it upon yourself to use LastPass as a way to encrypt your passwords. It’s a safer password manager than using Google’s, yet it has all the auto-fill functionality that Chrome provides. It can also help you find if any personal information has been exposed online.
Krisp
Krisp leverages artificial intelligence to filter out background noise. So, if your dog or baby is crying, or your mechanical keyboard is deafeningly loud, you can use Krisp to mute this noise and focus more on your voice and voice alone. You can even give the app a help in hand by selecting what kind of noise you’re trying to stamp out, making it all the more effective. Your colleagues will thank you for this one.