5 Must-Have Productivity Tools
One snowy day, I took my car for an errand, and once I got back home, I turned around in an alley. My vehicle got around fairly well in the snow, so I thought I would have enough momentum to get through the unplowed snow at the edge of the alley. Ha! I got stuck. So, I tried to gently rock my vehicle back and forth and back and forth hoping to edge forward (or backward) just a bit. I was really stuck. My tool of rocking back and forth didn’t work, but thankfully the shovel and a push from my neighbor and my husband did!
The shovel wasn’t anything I had to go out and buy because I live in the midwest where snow in the winter is a common and regular occurrence. Feeling unproductive is a little like that, though. We keep doing the same thing over and over again when we probably have the tools that we need!
I’ve been working on using my own tools lately to help my motivation (because what good is a tool if you don't use it?!)
Tool #1: Setting blue light filters on electronic devices
Some research suggests that the blue light that is emitted from your device suppresses melatonin (which is good during the day, but not so helpful at night). I turn both on around 6:30 at night (which is 3 - 4 hours before I go to bed).
Why it's helpful to me
I have automated the blue light filter on my phone and my Kindle Fire tablet and feel like it's helped my sleep immensely (which in turn fuels the next day's productivity).
iPhone blue light filter
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
Tap the Night Shift setting.
You can choose the “Scheduled” option and select a time (6:30 PM - 7:00 AM).
You can also change how warm the color appears by adjusting the slider for Less Warm or More Warm.
Android blue light filter
I don't currently have an Android, so am providing this link for my Android-using readers: https://www.samsung.com/in/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-smartphones-about-the-blue-light-filter/<