15 best apps for a productive day at work

There are many posts on the internet about productivity apps, it’s become a minefield of ‘Getting Things Done’ and ‘Pomodoro’ techniques.

I myself have actually written a previous post about great productivity apps, focused more on digital marketers over at State of Search. Rather than reiterate posts listing multiple apps, I wanted to break an average day down into five key parts, and list the type of useful tool or apps that could genuinely be of help at each stage of your day.

Waking up Well Apps – Early Rising

Every individual has a different optimum required amount of sleep, but waking up in a gentle, gradual manner is beneficial to all. There are a number of mobile apps now on the market designed to give you the best waking up experience possible.

• Rise Alam Clock is a simple and intuitive iPhone app designed to make alarm setting and alarm turning off as painless as possible. A simple swipe can set the time on the alarm and turn it off, playlists can be set or soothing sounds chosen, and the app also recognises the Do Not Disturb function on the iPhone.
• Wake n Shake brings an element of gamification to the waking up process, with udders earning points for waking up quickly and/or early (shake your phone a set number of times to switch the alarm off) and you can even compete with friends on Facebook to be the wake-up queen or king of the week (the one with the most shake points wins).
• Uniqlo Wake Up is an app designed by a Japanese fashion brand and includes an alarm sound/set-up that is automatically generated based on the weather, time, and day of the week, and can be adjusted to set the appropriate mood.
• I Can’t Wake Up! is a particular favourite of mine. Less about sleep cycles and more focused on ensuring alarms really do their job. This app has eight different ‘Wake Up Methods’ which won’t let you turn the alarm clock off until that particular task has been completed – everything from maths equations to be completed to rewriting a particular sentence. For the softer options you can simply shake your phone to wake up, or go so far as scanning a barcode that has been placed in another room.

Catching Up on News Apps – Breakfast Time

There are so many news apps on the market, we are drowning in them these days. I like to get my news fix in the mornings either on the way to work or in the first 30/45 mins when I’ve just sat down at the office, before my brain fully switches into gear.

• Google Currents has become a recent regular addition to my morning reads. Compatible with all phone and tablet devices, it very quickly allows you to catch up on breaking news alongside your favourite publications, all presented in a swipable magazine format.
• Pulse is my second port of call as it quickly integrates not only popular news and blogs but also allows you to catch up on social media and news. I’ve got my dashboards broken down into news and popular reading, followed by work and industry-focused updates. Great for a quick skim to be alerted to the latest updates across the board.
• Tweetdeck for Chrome is the last of my holy trinity for early morning catch-ups. It’s a classic, but having it as part of the Chrome interface makes it easily accessible at work without slowing your computer down too much. It allows you to stay on top of industry-related news quickly. I only allow work-related lists to be visible during the day and ensure tweet alerts and notifications stay off so as to minimise distractions,

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