The best tools for boosting your productivity
For freelancers, remote workers, and anyone with a to-do list that never ends.
When your workday is shaped more by Slack pings than structure, it’s easy to lose focus. You start the day with good intentions and end it feeling like you’ve been busy all day but didn’t actually do anything.
Productivity tools can’t fix everything, but they can give you back a little bit of control. Whether it’s blocking distractions, time-boxing your tasks, or simply seeing your week mapped out properly, small changes can shift your whole rhythm.
Here’s what we recommend:
🧠 Start With Structure
These tools help you plan your week without having a meltdown.
✅ Notion
Best for: Organising your brain
Think of it as your second brain - to-do lists, project boards, content calendars, journaling, client trackers, everything. Customisable but not overwhelming (once you get the hang of it).
Bonus: there are loads of free templates made by other people who’ve already overthought the layout, so you don’t need to fall into another pit of procrastination.
✅ Coda
Best for: Blending your docs, tasks, and goals in one place
Coda works like a document, but behaves like an app. You can build dashboards, track tasks, and automate admin without needing to code or click through five different tabs. It’s especially good if you’re juggling multiple projects or collaborating with clients.
⏱️ Time management tricks
Helpful when your workday is mostly “vibes” and vague deadlines.
✅ Pomofocus
Best for: Focusing in short bursts
This handy tool uses the Pomodoro method (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off). Surprisingly effective. You can customise work/break intervals and track how long tasks actually take.
✅ Sunsama
Best for: Planning your day with realistic expectations
Connects with your calendar and to-do lists. Helps you timebox tasks - so you stop overloading yourself with a 9-item to-do list when you’ve only got 4 hours to work.
📵 Distraction blockers
Because sometimes the problem is not the list - it’s the TikTok tab.
✅ Freedom
Blocks websites and apps across all your devices. You can set recurring sessions or create custom focus blocks.
Great for freelancers who use their phone for work but also “accidentally” end up on Instagram for 45 minutes.
✅ One Sec
Interrupts your scroll spiral by making you pause before opening certain apps. That one-second delay is weirdly effective at snapping you out of a doomscroll.
Productivity doesn’t have to be something you can or can’t do. With a good mindset and a tiny bit of help - you can get through the to-dos. Try one or two tools, see what sticks and - if all else fails - a timer, clean desk and hiding your phone might do the trick.