Can Self-Help Apps Improve Productivity?

Can Self-Management Improve Productivity?

Nobody enjoys being micro-managed. Constantly having your superior breathing down your neck about deadlines, how you’re working, and making sure you’re on track can leave you feeling like you’re not important, valued, or trusted as a good employee. However, the main reason supervisors tend to micromanage (other than having trouble delegating) is that they see a lack of self-management skills. Whether you are an employee who wants to be trusted and promoted or an entrepreneur who is their own boss, self-management skills are essential. Keep reading to learn more about how self-management will improve productivity and one of the best self-help apps that can get you there.

What Is Self-Management?

Self-management is essential to great productivity. Self-management will allow you to manage your deadlines, organize your time, set goals, achieve those goals, and be organized in many aspects. The better your self-management skills are, the more productive you become throughout your workday.

Self-management skills include:

• Time management
• Self-motivation
• Stress management
• Decision making
• Personal development
• Organization
• Task and goal alignment

How Can Self-Management Be Improved?

Some ways that self-management skills can be improved include:

• Prioritize. Right when you sit down to work for the day, write a to-do list of priorities. Before you check your emails or dive into anything at all, do this first. Opening your email box will give you another list of priorities to weave in, as well.
• Take breaks. Burnout is real, and it can lead to poor performance. Make sure you are taking breaks throughout the day and cashing in your PTO days. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day off or taking a walk around the block during a stressful day and then coming back with a reset mental headspace.
• Delegate. Don’t know how to do something, have too much on your plate, or just simply do not want to do something? Delegate where you can to free up time and space in your day to focus on bigger tasks that require your particular expertise. Learning the skills to begin delegating and finding that self-confidence can be found through help, such as in self-help apps.
• Stay accountable. Make sure you meet your deadlines, own up to mistakes, and take responsibility for your work. You will become more trustworthy and respected in turn! Self-help apps can help teach you the skills to learn where to stay accountable and how.
• Stay positive. Do you have a tough task in front of you? It can be easy to become frustrated, annoyed, or otherwise negative about work we would rather not complete. This can take the task longer to complete, and you may not brainstorm every avenue—only the option that gets you to the finish line the quickest. By going at it with a positive attitude, you will be able to complete the task better and quicker and have a great result. If you’re having a hard time staying positive, self-help apps can help you see new ways of looking at things.
• Organize. Make sure you are organized in all aspects of your daily work life. Whether that is the system in which you do things, how you structure your day, to how your physical workspace is organized right down to your pens and paper, staying organized will eliminate chaos and make you feel less swamped and overwhelmed.
• Set realistic goals. The key word here is “realistic”! It can be easy to set huge goals, such as “get a promotion and a raise by this time next year.” However, we can be left feeling disappointed and not productive when it doesn’t happen. Instead, set smaller, realistic goals that will help you achieve the bigger picture. Things like going the extra mile when possible, asking for more work, offering to work extra shifts, asking for education or more training, and meeting with my boss to talk about my salary are all achievable and will make it seem less like a dream and more like reality.
• Reward yourself. Having a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a reward is a great way to become more productive. This can be big, such as a vacation at the end of the year, a project, or a particularly busy season. It can also be small, such as ordering a pizza or having a glass of wine after a difficult day.
• Make a list at the end of the day. Just as you began your day, end it the same way. It can be difficult to turn your brain off at the end of the work day if you spend too much time worrying about all the work you need to do tomorrow. Instead, make a list of what you weren’t able to accomplish the next day and what needs to be knocked out first. This will help you go from work mode to home mode, as well as sleep better at night.

How Can Self-Help Apps Improve Help Self-Management?

According to Self, ​​whether or not you go to therapy, you can never have too many evidence-based tools for managing your mental health. These apps aim to make therapeutic coping skills more accessible by drawing on different types of therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT, a type of CBT focused on distress tolerance and emotion regulation), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT, a type of therapy that uses mindfulness and behavior-change strategies to help you better accept and work with your tough emotions), and more. Some support specific disorders, while others aim to help anyone feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed right now.

Planning is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to self-management and improving your self-management skills. The more time you are able to put into planning your day, tasks, to-do list, and even your personal life, the more productive you will become in your work life.

Do Self-Help Apps Work?

Can self-help apps truly work? Here is what BYU says:

Ninety percent of mental health app users reported increased confidence, motivation and sense of control after use, according to a survey by BYU researchers. Users also reported positive changes in attitude, beliefs and behaviors.

Professors Josh West, Ben Crookston and Cougar Hall teamed up to conduct the study. They combined their knowledge of public health as well as past research on mobile technologies to understand the benefits of self-help apps.

“If apps contain some of the basic theoretical constructs or understandings that we have in public health already, if they are able to incorporate theory, then most likely they’re going to provide a benefit to people,” Hall said. “Our survey sample (of 150 people) was really small, but that’s exactly what we found.”

The study collected data from voluntary surveys over three weeks. Those who had used a mental or emotional health app in the last six months qualified for the survey.

One challenge of studying this class of apps is there are tens of thousands of apps to choose from, according to West. He said the best way to learn about the use of self-help apps was to measure user engagement, rather than specific programs.

The findings of the study suggest the majority of people benefit from using self-help apps. But ultimately, those apps should be a supplement for therapy, medication and other professional care, according to Crookston.

“Maybe even for someone who has much more moderate or modest challenges associated with this, if they find the right app, this might be enough for them on a fairly routine basis,” Crookston said.

When used in conjunction with other treatments suggested by a professional, these apps can build the skills an individual learns in therapy and track their mood and behaviors, according to BYU psychologist Klint Hobbs.

Self-help apps often have a low cost and are available on most devices, making them feasible options for most people. Hobbs said mobile technologies are increasing in popularity due to personal convenience and privacy.

Improve Self-Management with a Self-Help App: the Foojan App

Are you ready to work on your self-management skills and improve your productivity?

The groundbreaking Foojan App reflects years of research and the formal application of therapies practiced by eminent psychotherapist Dr. Foojan Zeine. This includes Dr. Zeine’s highly acclaimed Awareness Integration Theory (AIT), which enables you to identify your negative core beliefs, release constraining memories from the past, and pursue a fulfilling future of your own design.

This customized self-help app was developed to meet Dr. Zeine’s desire to share her knowledge and unique therapy style with as many struggling and searching individuals as possible. Dr. Zeine and her professional team are dedicated to providing step-by-step guidance in your healing process so that you, and others like you, can function effectively and productively for a happier life.

We invite you to meet the key individuals responsible for the Foojan App’s user-friendly design, personalized interface, and powerful messaging by visiting us at foojan.com!