If you have a smartphone, you have almost everything. It serves as a calendar, camera, diary, mailbox, photo album, ATM, clock, map, newspaper…. There’s little it can’t do, but with so many options, this can also be the most significant source of distraction. Who has never picked the phone to send a message to a friend and ended up watching funny cat videos?

Here are some tips for converting your mobile phone into your productivity best friend.

 

More (white) noise

If you like to work in cafes, or if the rain’s sound helps you sleep better, white noise may be a good option for you. White noises like the sound of boiling water, waves, or wood-burning can help you stay focused, increase productivity and even relax, reducing your anxiety level. This type of noise is soft enough to let you stay focused and loud enough to block out other distracting sounds like a mobile phone notification, a slamming door or a laugh. Intrigued? Just give it a chance.

Apps that might help: Noisly, My Noise, TickTick

 

Digital Minimalism

Make your mother proud – and, of course, Marie Kondo – by doing a good cleaning on your cell phone. Delete all the apps that are not essential or that make you anxious, and embrace digital minimalism. Having fewer icons visible on the screen will make your navigation more agile and efficient. Another way to ensure that your phone doesn’t become an enemy of productivity is to keep the more distracting and time-consuming apps away from the main screen.

 

Organized content to read later

As soon as you try to focus on completing, the world starts publishing an absurd amount of interesting articles and news. Relatable? If you know the feeling of “let me just read it fast because I won’t find this article again later”, or “I’ll let this tab open until I have time to read it”, you need (virtual) bookmarks! Bookmarks will help you save whatever you find interesting to read it calmly later when you finish that task you were trying to focus on when you started reading this article.

Apps that might help: Pocket, Paperspan, Raindrop.io

 

Text replacements

Easy! It’s not about going back to your teenage days and writing “2NITE” and “WYD”. Our suggestion is to save a series of text replacements on your mobile phone to enter the information you use more often faster and ensuring that nothing is missing. Some ideas would be, for example, using @@ to enter the email, ADD for your address or your initials for your full name.

 

All notes in one place

If the thought “Where did I write the shopping list?” is familiar to you, this tip can be extremely helpful. Choose a note-taking app and synch all your devices to keep all the information organized in one place. This trick can also help you transfer data between your smartphone and your laptop without sending yourself an email.

Apps that might help: Evernote, Google Keep, Simplenote

 

Keep reading to find out how a tomato in Italy can boost your productivity

 

More breaks, more productivity

Have you ever heard of Pomodoro? This time management technique, whose name means tomato in Italian, consists of a straightforward idea: breaking a workday into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. When done rigorously, this method allows you to concentrate as much as possible during your work time and rest on the pause, helping the brain relax and refocus. P.S. If you don’t want to compromise the next cycle, don’t skip breaks!

Apps that might help: PomoDone, Focus Booster, Pomodor

 

Aeroplane mode

Pack your bags, check-in and embark on your journey to the concentration land. This, of course, if you turn on Aeroplane Mode. Aeroplane mode is a great way to save battery on your phone, ensure a peaceful night’s sleep or finish that job you’ve been putting off for the past month. If you worry about being unreachable, the “Do Not Disturb” mode can be a good alternative, as it allows you to create exceptions for certain types of notifications, calls or messages.

 

Say “No” to notifications

Did you know that, according to a study by the University of California Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus after a distraction? Mobile notifications are a massive threat to productivity, as they interrupt the course of your activity and thinking, keeping your brain on constant alert. For productive and healthier days, consider taking conscious – rather than involuntary – breaks and allowing only essential app notifications. And no, unless you’re a social media manager, Instagram isn’t one of them.

 

Out of sight, out of distraction

Because sometimes, the best way to use your smartphone is not to use it at all. Be aware of the number of hours you spend on your mobile phone and the impact on your well-being and productivity and find the courage. Plan time slots away from the phone and enjoy the benefits. And why not plant a forest with that effort? Forest app allows you to transform that time into trees, creating a virtual forest that will fill you with pride.

Apps that might help: Forest, Moment, Timely