If you’ve tried countless productivity apps and tools only to remain burdened by an unruly task list, you’re not alone. We hope to achieve better workflows with the support of these resources, but the conventional productivity tools don’t work for everyone.
If you or your team members have yet to experience the promised boost in productivity after trying all the normal tools and apps out there, know it's not your fault.
When it comes to productivity, different tools work for different people and in different situations. That's why we've built a list of unconventional (healthy) productivity tools.
Take a look at these 6 tools designed to help you stay focused and be more productive.
Where conventional productivity tools fail
Companies built traditional task management or planning tools before remote work was commonplace. At the time, work-life balance received less consideration than it does now. The focus was on grinding to get as much work done as possible, with little consideration given to maintaining healthy work habits.
These tools fill up your task list without any consideration of overload. Users face a growing wall of to-dos with no end in sight.
Most of the popular tools try to be all-in-one solutions for task management, project management, and time management. As a result, they become cluttered and overwhelming.
Conventional productivity tools narrow their focus on getting as much work done in as little time as possible. This is neither healthy nor sustainable for many users. Here’s where unconventional productivity tools fit in.
The tools in this category support healthy workflows. They help you schedule a day in which you can efficiently work through your task list and reclaim your personal time at the end of the day. From time blocking to structuring deep work with specialized timers, they use unconventional techniques to foster this healthy workflow.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can use these tools.
6 unconventional productivity tools
Sunsama: achieve sustainable productivity
Sunsama is a web and mobile app that organizes all your tasks, to-dos, and meetings in one place. It's a tool created to align all your tasks to optimize the limited time you have in a day. At its core: sustainable work practices and healthy habits.
Sunsama is one of the best productivity tools with features like time boxing and Focus Mode that promote healthy and sustainable working practices. Each task has its own template where you can add a priority level, due date, and related notes or files. You’ll reduce context switching and cruise through your task list, so you can actually disconnect from work during your personal time.
Top features:
- Focus Mode: Temporarily snooze all notifications to achieve a deep workflow and complete all your tasks for the day.
- Timeboxing: Block out sections of your day so you only have one task to focus on at a time. Drag and drop boxed tasks to adjust your schedule in real time.
- Time tracking: Pay attention to where you spend your time so you can determine how to optimize it.
Pros:
- You can collect isolated tasks from different tools (Trello, Emails, Asana, Notion, Slack, etc.) into one place so nothing gets missed.
- See your to-do list and your calendar side by side so you can balance the time you have with the tasks you have to do.
- Use the built-in Daily Planning Ritual to plan each day intentionally and get closer to your goals.
Cons:
- It’s more expensive yet more comprehensive than most other options.
Pricing: 14-day free trial available. Paid pricing starts from $20/month, billed monthly or $192/year.
Pomofocus: make the Pomodoro technique even simpler
If you get distracted easily or overwhelmed with big tasks, try the Pomodoro technique.
It's a time management method where you break your work into 25-minute blocks split by 5-minute breaks. These blocks of 25-minute focused work are Pomodoros. After 4-5 Pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
This strategy has proved especially effective for neurodivergent individuals and, generally, anyone who finds themselves struggling to focus in their workspace
While any timer will help you execute this method, Pomofocus is a dedicated Pomodoro app that makes it simpler by automatically alternating between work and break periods.
It's a user-friendly and minimalist app. This web-based Pomodoro timer allows you to customize the time allotted for work and break periods as well as the number of Pomodoros you do before a long break. The alarm function sends you gentle notifications when focusing time or break time starts and ends.
Top features:
- Reporting: Create an account and view the report to see how many hours you spent focused, your days' streak, and more.
- Ranking: Compare how your focused work time stacks up against others using the tool.
- Built-in task list: Easily keep track of everything you have to do during a work session so you complete your most important tasks.
Pros:
- It's entirely free to use.
- You don't need to download an app or even create an account to start using it. Simply go to their website, hit the button, and your Pomodoro will start.
- It shows the timer next to the favicon to see how much time you've left without switching tabs.
Cons:
- There is no current ability to integrate with other tools in your tech stack.
Pricing: Forever free with the basic plan, 7-day free trial for premium features, after which you will pay $12/year.
Toggl Track: track where you spend your time
A key factor of productivity is knowing where you spend your time.
And a time tracking tool like Toggl Track can help you build that awareness. It's a one-click timer where you input the task you’re working on, assign it to a project if you have one, and hit the start button. From here, you can track where you spend the most time and identify places where you could better optimize your time.
Toggl also gives you a daily report to see what you work on, how much time you spend on different tasks or types of work, and where you might inadvertently waste time.
If you do not have a timer running, Toggl will send you a quick reminder, so you can make sure that you are always tracking your productivity. It has a Chrome extension to ensure you always have your Toggl button available.
Top features:
- Offline tracking: Track time you spend working when you're offline, and the tool will sync up later once you're back online.
- Integrations: There are 100+ integrations so all your tools fit together seamlessly.
- Project estimates: Estimate how long a project will take and compare that against the actual time spent working on it.
Pros:
- Both mobile and desktop apps are available, so you can use the tool wherever you’re working.
- You can easily see which tasks take the longest to complete, which is great for invoicing and time management.
- Pin the projects you work on most frequently to the top of your timer, or organize them based on the due date.
Cons:
- There is no reminder to turn off the time tracker when your work ends.
Pricing: Free for basic, Starter costs $9 per user/month.
Brain.fm: get focused with music
If you work in a distracting office or have difficulty focusing on work, then try a music app like Brain.fm.
But it's not just any kind of music—neuroscientists and music engineers have carefully designed the app to get your brain into a specific state (focused, relaxed, meditative, etc.) within 10-15 minutes of use. The tool builds on the concept that our attention span occurs in waves. The tool’s music helps users achieve and maintain a more focused workflow state of mind by waking up the parts of their brain that help them focus in.
The music also helps you mask any background noises that may distract you. You can customize the length of focus time or even incorporate the Pomodoro technique along with focus music.
Top features:
- Built-in timer: Set a timer for the amount of time you want music to play.
- Status selection: Choose whether to focus, rest, or do something else to get music catered to that goal.
- Mobile app: Take the music with you wherever you're working.
Pros:
- The app tracks how often you use it, so you can see your streak number and keep up the good work.
- The interface is clean and easy to use, making it intuitive for all users.
- New music comes out often, keeping the content fresh and engaging for listeners.
Cons:
- A lifetime subscription is no longer offered.
Pricing: It's free for 7 listening sessions. Paid plan starts from $6.99/month or $49.99/year.
Superhuman: accelerate your email experience
Superhuman is an email client that helps you get through your inbox faster than using Gmail or any other client. The whole experience centers around speed and focus.
Users achieve speed by using keyboard shortcuts, about 50 of them. There's a shortcut for everything you can do with an email—archive it, delete it, mark it unread, reply, and so much more. Shortcuts help you stay focused on the task at hand instead of switching to mouse and clicking, which causes friction and distraction.
Users achieve focus by using a split inbox. Instead of getting all your emails into one tab, it groups messages by categories that you can customize. For example, you can customize the tool to include a VIP tab for clients, a Doc tab for Google Doc notifications, etc. This feature improves the speed of triaging dramatically.
Features:
- Command bar menu: Hit the command bar to get a list of keyboard shortcuts if you've forgotten them and for easy navigation.
- Instant Intro: Automatically write an email introduction when someone has introduced you via email.
- Privacy protection: Superhuman does not store emails to ensure user privacy.
Pros:
- There are several options for networking features that streamline the email writing process.
- A keyboard-first functionality supports users who want to quicken their processes and avoid using the mouse.
- Using Superhuman AI, users can write emails based on just one line.
Cons:
- It’s very expensive for most users and doesn’t offer a free version or free trial.
- There’s limited functionality as it only runs on Chrome and Outlook.
Pricing: Superhuman is $30 per person monthly and does not offer a free trial.
Freedom.to: block distractions
Social media, video streaming apps, and gaming websites—they’re all designed to keep you hooked. Even the most disciplined of us fall prey to online distractions. When willpower to concentrate alone isn’t enough to fight these, you need help from tools like Freedom.
Freedom can block distractions, including specific websites, mobile apps, desktop apps, or the entire internet, on all of your devices, not just on the one you're using right now. You won't be able to visit the blocked websites or apps for the amount of time you specify.
With Freedom Premium, you can add unlimited devices and custom blocklists. There's also a Locked Mode that makes it impossible to remove the restrictions you've put in place until the specified time elapses.
Top features:
- Locked mode: It prevents users from ending a Freedom session early.
- Customizable block lists: Users can specify which individual sites to block.
- Advanced scheduling: Schedule a desired start and end time in advance so you can work in peace.
Pros:
- The browser extensions and mobile apps make it easy for users to access the app from everywhere they're working.
- Users can choose from various Focus Sounds, ranging from ambient music to nature sounds.
- Users can make session annotations to mark what they completed and provide any notes for themselves in the future.
Cons:
- The tool requires a lot of permission to block or restrict access to certain apps.
- Some unique features are only available on the web application.
Pricing: You can sign up for 7 free sessions until you choose a paid plan. Paid plan starts from $6.99/month.
How Sunsama can help
Conventional productivity tools are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Most of us need a more unconventional tool (or two) to help us stay focused and work efficiently.
Sunsama takes a sustainable approach to productivity. After all, if you get burned out from having a demanding task list, your productivity will plummet. You need healthy work habits that lend to long-term productivity, and we can help.
Sunsama helps you plan a realistic schedule. You'll receive an alert if you schedule more than 5 hours of deep work to let you know that you should consider moving some tasks to another day. You can timebox your day to help you stay focused on the tasks at hand. There’s no more context switching or time wasted wondering what to work on next.
Try Sunsama for free today to enjoy sustainable and productive days through time management.
