I think some enterprise professionals who have never worked remotely will find doing so stressful. I hope this short collection of apps will help you through the experience.
It's important to note that remote working is improved when the people doing the work feel as good as they can in the circumstances they are in.
Try to relax: Buddhify
Given his ascetic lifestyle and deep veneration for the work of Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, I’m willing to bet that Apple’s Steve Jobs practiced meditation. At times of stress, meditation can help you tune your mind, body and spirit into one frequency.
This doesn’t mean you make things better, of course, it simply helps you become the most effective person you can be in the environment you are in. I use meditation to focus my mind on complex tasks. I like $5 app Buddhify. The 14 different meditation practices it provides for that fee should help you through a range of situations without worrying about recurring subscription charges.
Speak to people: Group FaceTime and Zoom
Working remotely can leave some people feeling pretty isolated. One way to mitigate those feelings is to talk with real people. You can do this on the phone or a video chat service such as Group FaceTime or Zoom.
The first app is an ideal choice for Apple users as it integrates so well into the system and works really well, but if you want to speak to people who aren’t on an Apple device, then Zoom is emerging as the favored choice at this time. Both offer great video experiences that let you mingle with real humans to help you feel more connected and less isolated.
Stay in contact with groups: GroupMe
Friends, families and small groups of people may benefit from GroupMe. Not to be confused with a business tool, this is defined as a messaging platform through which people can share photos, video, and links among different groups of people.
It’s kind of like Facebook would be if you had more control over who could see you there.
You can even add people to your group using their phone number or email address, and if they don’t have the app they can still take part in chats using SMS (in the U.S.). You can embed YouTube videos, tweets and more, and it also supports direct messages. A plethora of add-on Emojis are available, but the app is otherwise free and published by Skype.
Keep your hands in shape: Acupressure
Anyone who uses a keyboard regularly at work is likely to experience cramp and discomfort in their hands. Easing this problem is where Acupressure ($2) steps in.
It’s basically a guide to help you learn the right pressure points to treat a range of conditions, including muscle tension, headache and indigestion, as well as making your hands feel better. You may be surprised how effective it is.
Keep your body active: 7 Minute Workout
Clearly explained and beautifully illustrated, the short workouts provided by this app don’t require you to visit the gym or purchase any special equipment. It even integrates with Apple Watch.
The app provides a range of useful fitness tools, including diary management, tailored fitness plans, challenges, gamification and community elements to help you keep up your exercise routine.
7 Minute Workout is not free; it costs from $5/month, with additional exercise programs unlocked for even more charge, but it does offer you a one-week free trial.
Try to get some sleep: Sleep Cycle
I developed work-related insomnia some time ago. My situation changed, but the insomnia stayed with me.
I’ve tried multiple sleep hypnosis apps, but Sleep Cycle is in my experience extremely effective. It helps me get to sleep 90% of the time, its alarm clock function wakes me in a pleasant way, and the sleep tracking tools provide useful insights.
The app is a significant benefit to someone like me who wants to avoid sleep medication, and as stress impacts sleep patterns I hope this information is useful to you. Try it for a week, after which you’ll be charged $30/year.
Monitor your moods: What’s Up?
What’s Up? uses both Cognitive Behavioral and Acceptance Commitment Therapy techniques to help users mamage challenges such as anxiety, depression, and anger. It includes an interesting diary feature, which lets you track and monitor your own emotions over time.
The app also provides breathing techniques and an interactive game to help you feel more grounded if you do get stressed. I don’t like that the app hasn’t been updated for years, but it is donation-ware, so you don’t need to pay a dime to get to use the useful tools it provides.
Find help if it gets too much: Talkspace
When it all gets to be too much, it sometimes helps to speak to someone neutral who understands humans. This is what Talkspace attempts to help you do. The app matches users up to a licensed therapist in any one of 50 U.S. states. You download the app, fill in a questionnaire, choose the therapist and then agree to a weekly payment plan. You’ll swiftly be linked up to your therapist, whom you will be able to speak with using video, messages or phone. Whatever you do, if you need to find someone to speak to, don’t bottle things up — OpenCounseling offers a useful list of professional resources.
Also read:
I’ve been attempting to put together a useful and wide-ranging guide for remote workers and the enterprises that employ them, so please explore these reports:
- An Apple-centric guide to effective (and productive) remote working
- Enterprise resilience: Backup and management tips for iOS, Mac
- Enterprise resilience: iOS, Mac tools for remote collaboration
- The Apple-only remote working and collaboration guide
- 12 security tips for the ‘work from home’ enterprise
- Challo pushes enterprise collaboration across company walls
- 6 great apps for the iOS mobile enterprise
Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.