Sometimes it feels like we’re living more and more of our lives on our phones. We play games, video chat with friends, and binge-browse social media for hours. But in the interest of living a more intentional and productive life, let’s talk about some productive things to do on your phone that might actually make some positive differences in your life.
There are actually quite a few productive things you can do on your phone that will help with you with powerful goal setting and achieving. If you’re looking for ways to be more productive, check out this list of 10 useful things to do on your phone that will actually help you get ahead.
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The mobile phone has become an essential tool in our daily lives. It’s our alarm clock, our camera, our music player, and for many of us, our lifeline to the outside world.
With so much functionality packed into such a small device, it’s no wonder that we often find ourselves glued to our screens. But while our phones can be a huge time suck, they can also be used to boost our productivity and make our lives easier. Here’s how…
10 Productive Things To Do On Your Phone
1. Learn a new language
Have you always wanted to learn a new language but never had the time? Or maybe it just seems too difficult? There are lots of language learning apps that make it easy and fun to learn a new language at your own pace.
From spoken languages to sign language, you can improve your confidence and communication skills by learning different languages with your phone.
2. Look up recipes
Looking up recipes on your phone can actually be a productive use of time. Not only can it help you to learn new cooking techniques, but it can also inspire you to try new ingredients and flavor combinations.
Finding new recipes on my phone is a favorite way to spice up my monthly menu planning. Bonus… it’s super-easy to make a grocery list while you have the recipes open in your phone browser.
I love recipes that have videos. They help me get an idea of how a dish should come together and inspire me to give new meals a try because I can always bring up the video to watch while I’m cooking.
3. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts
Listening to audiobooks or podcasts on your mobile phone can be a productive way to use your time. For example, if you’re commuting to work, you can listen to an informative podcast that will teach you something new.
And, if you’re looking for a way to multitask at home, listening to audiobooks or podcasts while doing household chores can be an effective way to make the most of your time. Listening to something you enjoy can make those chores feel so much easier!
4. Organize your paperwork
Use a document scanner app like Evernote to scan and store all of those overstuffed file folders and messy paper piles electronically.
Not only does this help if you’re trying to organize a messy office, but it also makes it convenient to access your documents from anywhere. Whether you’re at home or on the go, you can always pull up what you need with just a few taps on your screen — which makes it so easy to share paperwork with others.
While it’s still important to keep physical copies of paperwork like birth certificates and other legal documents, it’s always nice knowing that you have a backup saved electronically.
For most things — like bills, medical information, and more — going paperless is pretty simple and a very productive use of your phone. Check out this post about going paperless to learn more.
5. Track your health and fitness
It’s no secret that leading a healthy lifestyle requires effort and discipline. But did you know that tracking your health and fitness progress on your mobile phone can actually help to increase your motivation and encourage you to stay on track? There are a few key reasons why this is the case.
First, when you have all of your health data in one place, it’s easy to see your progress over time. This can be a great source of motivation when you see the record of how you’ve made positive changes.
Second, tracking your health data can help you to identify patterns and trends. For instance, you might notice that you tend to eat more unhealthy foods when you’re stressed out. Seeing this pattern can help you to make necessary changes in your diet or lifestyle.
Third, mobile apps often allow you to share your progress with fitness partners and health care providers. This can create a sense of accountability and help you to stay focused on your goals.
A healthier you is a more productive you!
6. Make all. the. lists.
To-do lists. Grocery lists. Contact lists. School supply lists. Party-planning lists. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Making those lists on your phone keeps information handy and consolidated. This means you can be more productive by accessing your information nearly instantly instead of searching all over your house or your office for that one list of gift ideas.
Or… the classic… stepping into the grocery store and realizing you left your list at home. No more forgetting ingredients and having to rethink dinner or go back to the store. You’ve got your list right with you all the time!
7. Set alarms and reminders
For those of us who are distracted and forgetful, alarms and reminders are incredibly useful for helping us stay organized and on track.
They can remind us of upcoming appointments, deadlines, and events. They can also help us keep track of tasks that need to be completed, such as taking out the trash or picking up the dry cleaning. Not having to keep all of that stuff in our heads means we’re free to concentrate on current projects while still being able to get things done at the right times.
8. Find a new job or side hustle
The online world is much larger than you may have imagined, and tapping into it to create a new source of income is an opportunity you may never have considered.
From job-hunting apps to connecting with former colleagues who may provide job leads, you’ll want to investigate all of the possibilities if you’re in the hunt for a new job.
Aside from that, you can research how to get started on a side hustle to supplement or even replace your main income. What’s more productive than earning money?
9. Meditate and relax
Using relaxation or meditation apps on a mobile phone can be a productive way to manage stress. In this way, you can take advantage of brief times throughout the day to refocus and de-stress.
Research has shown that regular practice of mindfulness meditation can result in improvements in stress management and overall well-being.
In addition, mobile apps offer the added benefit of convenience and flexibility, making it easy to find time for relaxation or meditation no matter where you are and even when life is hectic.
10. Pay bills and manage finances
Part of getting into a productive state means not always thinking about your finances. Did you mail that check last week? When is the deadline for paying quarterly taxes?
Using your phone to stay on top of your finances is a smart move. With a few taps, you can easily see how much money you have coming in and going out, track your spending, and even pay bills.
This can be a huge time-saver, it takes one more thing off your mind, and it can help you stay organized. Not to mention, it can help your credit score by ensuring you avoid late fees and penalties.
The Positive Side of Cell Phones And Productivity
Think about all the things you can accomplish with your smartphone that you couldn’t do 10 or 15 years ago. You can now use your phone as a personal assistant, GPS, and so much more.
And while I absolutely believe intentional living means taking breaks from your phone and disconnecting from technology occasionally, there are plenty of productive things you can do with your smartphone that will help you make the most of your time.
It’s all about learning which things make you more productive and which things suck your time and energy. Once you figure that out and start using your phone in the best ways FOR YOU, things start falling into place so you can stop thinking and start doing.
The Negative Side of Cell Phones And Productivity
All of that sounds great, but here’s the thing we don’t want to forget… When you need to be ultra-productive, you really need to put your cell phone away. That’s the message from several studies on the effects of cell phones on our attention and productivity.
The National Library of Medicine wrote an article on mobile technology habits and cognitive functioning that makes a compelling case for doing deeply productive work with fewer distractions. That means NO phone in your work area, even for use as a timer or to-do list.
Studies mentioned in the article found that people who kept their phones in view while working performed worse on tasks than those who didn’t. And it’s not just because we’re distracted by notifications or calls. The mere presence of our phones seems to reduce our brain power.
One explanation is that having our phones near us takes up what psychologists call ‘mental bandwidth.’ We can only focus on so many things at once, and when our brain is occupied with thoughts about our phones, we have less attention left over for other tasks.
If you’re an overwhelmed overthinker like me, then you know exactly how that feels. Like right now as I’m writing this post, I can see my phone out of the corner of my eye because I forgot to put it away… and about half of my brain is thinking about my phone instead of writing. *sigh
Of course, you can always take advantage of productivity-boosting features like focus mode and Do Not Disturb. But it’s just better to keep all visual distractions to an absolute minimum.
More Inspiration For Productivity and Intentional Living
10 Simple Yet Productive Things To Do On The Weekend
Living An Intentional Life: 7 Powerful Steps to Make It Happen
10 Productive Things To Do In The Fall to Build Your Best Life
Concluding Thoughts
The bottom line is that your phone can help you be productive if used in a smart way. Following the tips in this blog post, you can make progress toward using your time wisely and getting the most out of your phone.
By taking advantage of the features and apps available for your smartphone, you can turn it into a powerful tool for achieving your goals and living a more productive life.
Pay attention to how often you’re using your phone for mindless scrolling and try to cut back where you can. Save this list of productive things to do on your phone for times when it’s okay to be distracted or you’re finished with deep work for the day.
By taking advantage of some of the great productivity tools that are available at your fingertips, you can easily find ways to make better use of your time and get ahead in life! Which of these 10 ideas will you try first?
Your future self will thank you!
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