As a not-tech-guru, but someone interested (read: obsessed) with productivity hacks and strategies, I’m constantly on the look out for things to help improve my workflows and just make life all round more pleasurable. Because, you know, things should surely be fun (work included)!

1. The Calm app
   I’m not into typical meditation, but this app is beautiful and is now something I use nearly daily, making the annual fee (~$70) well worth it.
   
   Pros:
   -Highly customisable (I have mine setup with a relaxing ocean scene in the background with some seascape noises)
   -Beautiful and easy to use interface
   -Vast range of meditations (celebrity meditations, soundscapes, music and meditation series on dedicated topics)
   
   Two things which have found hugely beneficial have been:
   a) The walking meditations
   Who knew this was even a thing?! But it really does quiet the mind to bring awareness to the simple day to day moments, and is something I can easily do on the go. No excuses to not meditate now that I don’t have to sit into a folded pretzel for an hour!
   b) Playing sleep soundscapes and stories at night
   As someone who used to struggle at times with nodding off to sleep, I have found these to be a great part of my usual wind down routine. It helps me escape those invasive thoughts and ruminating that can often creep in at night time.
   
   
2. Kindle Paperwhite
   I had to be one of the biggest skeptics when it comes to e-books. Former me was fixated on the sensation of holding a physical book and being able to turn the pages. However, living in a small apartment and wanting to minimise my possessions, I quickly came to realise how finite the space on my bookshelves was and needed a solution. The Kindle Paperwhite totally changed my mind on how I consume books. I can now instantly purchase and store virtually any book without descending into total “hoarderdom”. The display of the screen makes the experience feel super book-like, without the hassle of lugging around a huge weight. I sometimes miss the feeling of turning the pages or the satisfaction of closing the book at the end of a reading session and being able to visualise how far through I have progressed, but it is so, so worth the tradeoff.
   
   
3. A good laptop
   I’m sorry Lenovo, but my five year old ThinkPad Twist really took a battering during my younger university years. And the i3 processor was not cutting it. Definitely not cutting it.
   
   Enter my Dell XPS 13 with an i5 processor. After a year of use, this was such a valuable investment and a joy to use. The graphics are fantastic. The size is just enough, with the thin frame around the screen, making it lightweight and easy to carry. The flashback on the keyboard feels delicious. And no more laggy laptop while I wait for the word processor to keep up with my not even fast typing! Five stars.
   
   
4. Google Keep
   I don’t know how I would cope without Google Keep. It is my catch all, my brain dump and my lifesaver. The app is in regular use on my phone, allowing me to quickly jot things down and keep them out of my head. It instantly syncs across devices, so I can readily log into it on my laptop at home or work computer in the office. I love the ability to pin photos which serves to be constantly useful for storing phone numbers for quick reference at work. For those who like vision boards on their phone, but like to keep things more private than Pinterest, this would be a great option. Plus, it is totally free.
   
   
5. Notion
   My friends are sick of me talking about it but Notion has really changed my life. Truly! Whilst Google Keep is great for storing quick notes and photos to be referenced on the go, Notion is my mainstay for filing and documenting a large volume of information across a range of areas in my life. It is essentially like a private website or wiki page which you can easily customise to exactly what you need. Think Kanban boards, tables, calendars, etc.
   
   The types of things I love using Notion for are:
   • Life “dashboard”
     • Weekly review checklist
     • Once off tasks
     • Goal setting and bucket list
     • Meal prep and recipe storage
     • Reading list
     • Movie/TV list
   • Work dashboard
     • Goal and focus setting
     • Record once off and rolling tasks
     • Record items for discussion during meetings
   • Study/uni dashboard
     • Document tutorial and lecture notes
     • Compile summary notes for exam study
     • Prepare assignments and track due dates
       

Notion can be overwhelming and take up a lot of time, but it really is up to you how simple or sophisticated you prefer to make it. And yes, it is also free to use for the standard version.

I am interested to hear, do you use any of these tech items? How have you found them? Have there been any others which have improved your life and that you would recommend?

Until next time,
CC