The warning signs of burnout and how to prevent it
If you feel like you’re on the brink of burnout, this guide might just give you some food for thought.
6 apps to help boost your productivity
How to use apps to enhance your daily life
Apps have become an intrinsic part of daily life for many of us, if you have a Smartphone chances are apps have become part and parcel of the way you use your phone. In fact it’s not uncommon for us to use apps more than the call function on our mobile devices.
Mobiles phones have become tools for so many things; from staying organised and saving money to increasing our productivity and keeping us informed. This is largely the result of the plethora of apps that are now available. The beauty of these apps is that although the functionality they offer tends to be quite sophisticated, they are designed to be very easy to use, making them very accessible to all, even those who consider themselves not very tech savvy.
6 apps to help boost your productivity and progress
Evernote
God is constantly talking to us and downloading thoughts and ideas into our hearts and minds, often these are tiny seeds of wisdom that we can miss if we’re not careful. Apps like Evernote help us to capture these valuable nuggets in the moment as we receive them. Evernote enables you to capture notes quickly on your phone, categorising them as I go so that they can be found easily at a later date. Evernote allows you to capture voice notes, links from the internet and more. These notes are then saved in the ‘cloud’ so that you can access them from any device and share with others if you choose.
Stitcher
Podcasts have become really popular in recent years, if you’re not familiar with them they are digital audio files made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically available as a series. New instalments can be received by subscribers via apps like Stitcher. Stitcher will notify you when new episodes are available and also recommend similar podcasts that you may also enjoy. Many well-known ministers and Christian thinkers have started weekly podcasts. One that I’m a big fan of and recently featured on is The Youth Workshop.
Google Calendar
Calendars are an age old organisational tool but Google has done a stellar job of helping to bring them into the 21st century. The Google calendar app offers some great features that aren’t available on the desktop version, namely reminders and goals. Sometimes we don’t want to add an event to our calendars we just want our phones to remind us of something at a given time, the app allows you to do this. Also Google have recently added a ‘goal’ feature that allows you to create a goal and then it will automatically find time in your calendar for you to work towards it. This app is simple but one of my favourites as it ensures I never miss a thing.
YouVersion – Bible App
Many of you are probably familiar with this app but I mention it because it has become a staple in my daily routine; offering a memory verse first thing in the monring to guide my day, great devotionals and easy access to multiple versions of the Bible. These are just a few of its function. If you’re looking for an app to energise your spirit and get your day off to a flying start the YouVersion Bible App is a great place to begin.
Audible
I love books. It’s probably one of my favourite past times, the trouble is that I don’t have time to read as often as I would like to and Audible has been a great solution to this problem. It’s an Amazon app that allows you to purchase and listen to audiobooks, with neat bookmarking and sharing features. This app allows me to listen to books while I’m doing routine tasks like housework and driving. Amazon’s audio library is vast as you might imagine, the Audible app allows you to access books covering every genre.
This instant messenger app is another popular app worth noting. Like most people, I use this app to stay in touch with friends and family near and far. Not too long ago we used to incur huge costs to call abroad and have to purchase calling cards. Now we’re able to call loved ones for free using apps like WhatsApp. This app has also brought many extended families closer together through group chats which eliminate barriers to staying in touch. Calling apps are just one way to save money with apps, budgeting apps are a more direct way, this article details 11 of the best budgeting apps. There are many great apps available and I’ve just scrapped the surface, but hopefully this post has given you a feel for how apps can add value to your daily life.
Word of warning, apps like these can also have an adverse effect by constantly interrupting your day and flow of concentration through their continuous pinging. Causing you to be in a constant state of distraction. My answer to this is to have these apps on your phone but set your phone to do not disturb during the times of the day when deep concentration is required and you want to focus on other things. I personally set my phone to do not disturb between until 3pm each day, which are my key hours of productivity.
Katrina Douglas, Co-founder, SameVine
Katrina Douglas is a wife, mother, Chartered Marketer and business owner. Katrina has always felt called to business and after a 10 year corporate career, In 2014 Katrina and her husband founded SameVine. A business designed to help the Christian community leverage the Internet and take advantage of the many opportunities it provides to connect to each other, and the communities we’re called to reach. Essentially SameVine helps Christian organisations develop an effective web presence, and deploy evangelistic initiatives to win souls.
@SameVIne
www.samevine.co.uk
Post comments (0)