I know it’s been difficult for a lot of people being at home all the time. Maybe your favourite gym or dance studio is closed and you don’t workout as much or you’re not sure how to structure your day anymore because you don’t really leave the house. It was the same for me in the beginning and I was really struggling to find a way to still be productive when I was spending all my time at home. I eventually found something that works for me (APPS!) and I’d love to help someone who’s maybe looking for the same thing.
I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 favourite apps for keeping organized and staying on top things. So buckle up and read on because whatever you would like to do, there’s probably an app for that!
- Google Calendar – This one I’ve had the longest and I honestly love it the most. I use my Google Calendar to keep track of meetings, classes, work/shifts, important dates, assignment/project due dates, birthdays…everything!
PRO TIP: Don’t forget to turn on notification to remind you a little in advance. - Daily Water (water tracker) – If you’re like me, you could go a whole day without drinking any water and, without me diving into the importance of staying hydrated, we all know it’s really important. You can set the number of glasses (or other measurements) you would like to drink everyday and set up reminders for different times during the day too. You can also set it up to show how many glasses you’ve drank or how many glasses you have left.
- Notes app (note taking) – I think I have an addiction to taking notes and making lists so I have 3 different note-taking apps (Microsoft One Note, Google Keep and iOS Notes app). While I use each one for different types of note-taking, (One Note for notes from books/webinars I want to keep, Google Keep for things like my employee ID or desk number that I want to pin up, and iOS Notes for my grocery and other household lists), they all help keep me organized and make sure I don’t forget anything I need to remember.
- Do! (to-do list) – While I know that most notes apps could also be used for to-do lists, I prefer to have them separated. You could list out all the things you need to do for that day or future days or even months from now! Just write the task, set a date and time, and set up notifications. You can also double tap on the item to cross it off your list. I’ve tried a couple different to-do lists but this is the one I like the most because it’s really simple and doesn’t limit the number of things you can list in the free version.
- Habit (habit tracking app) – saved the best for last! My absolute favourite app of all is my Habit app! I have two habit tracking apps: HabitBull and Habit. They’re both really helpful but I like Habit just a little better; HabitBull limits the number of habits you can track to 5, and Habit doesn’t and is also more colourful. I use them to track all the things I like to do but were hard for me to do while at home especially during the earlier months. I use it to keep track of my weekly gym days, my meditation minutes, journal-ling and a bunch of other things. It could really help you if, like me, you could use support developing streaks you want to keep.
PRO TIP: You can totally scrap the water tracking app and add in drinking water as one of the habits you would like to track!
So that’s what I have for you! This list is definitely not exhaustive, but it’s a great foundational start and accessible way to help you get organized, all from the convenience of your phone or hand-held device. I found most of them by goggling “app for (insert habit)” or searching “(habit name) tracker” on the App Store.
Which apps do you already use? Which app do you think could be added to this list? I hope this comes in handy for you. Now you never have to forget a friend’s birthday or forget an assignment again. Enjoy!
Nneoma is a third-year student at the Beedie School of Business, concentrating her studies in Human Resources. Upon graduation, Nneoma would like to work in the Training and Development aspect of HR. Nneoma is passionate about helping people aim high and achieve their goals. She was able to do this during her time volunteering as a Business Career Coach (BCC) for Beedie’s Career Management Center. The BCCs are a great resource for anyone looking to get help with their career, in school and beyond.