Skip to content
Icon with question mark. Design only. Questions? Call Us: 800-356-4530
Do I Qualify?

6 Apps to Improve Your Work-Life Balance

What is work-life balance? How do you define it? In practice, it's probably a bit different for every person in their own context.

Many people struggle to find a balance between their work life and their home life, especially since technology has made it possible to be “on” for work 24/7. But for the sake of your own personal health and the health of your relationships it is necessary to resolve these conflicts. 

We’ve curated an eclectic mix of apps that may make a big difference in how you order and prioritize your life. Work-life balance is changing. These apps can help you achieve the kind of balance that reduces stress and brings more joy.

1 - Todoist App 

Todoist

Platforms

iOS, Android, Web, Mac, and Windows

Overview

Used by more than 30 million people, Todoist helps you track all your to-do lists — personal, work, and education — so you can balance work and life all in one place. It is possible to sort tasks by today or later and apply custom filters, priorities, and labels. You can also set goals and receive weekly and monthly productivity visualizations. 

Other Features

  • Integrates with Gmail, Google Chrome and Google extensions, Windows and Mac apps
  • A “Quick Add Task” feature that lets you add and organize tasks within seconds and highlight them by priority 
  • Understands natural language, allowing you to quickly enter tasks using simple language. For example, you can type “dog to vet at 4” and the app correctly logs it as a task.

Cost

  • Free version with limited functionality
  • Pro paid version
  • Pro paid business version

Kudos

  • #1 “to-do” app pick in 2022 for Android - Android Central
  • 2022 app pick for both platforms - PC Magazine 

What You Can Gain

  • Be better organized, calmer, and remain focused on the things you prioritize
  • Organize your life to achieve more every day

2 - Headspace

Headspace

Platforms

iOS, Android

Overview

Headspace is a research-backed meditation, mindfulness, and work-life balance app offering meditation sessions, sleep music, and more. Headspace partners with external scientists and research organizations to back benefits that are designed to help improve emotional, mental, and social health through meditation sessions.  

Headspace for Work offers access to hundreds of exercises and meditations for you and your organizational teams. Headspace can also customize programs for organizations. 

Other Features

  • Easy-to-use interface and pleasing graphics
  • Offers sessions geared to beginners and experienced meditators
  • Few-minute sessions to longer untimed sessions

Cost

  • Paid-only versions with free trial periods

Kudos

  • Among the top-ranked apps geared to health and fitness on iTunes and Google Play
  • Downloaded more than 65 million times

What You Can Gain

  • Short and longer sessions for managing anxiety, improving self-esteem, mindful eating, and more
  • Recommends sessions from morning to work and throughout the night to help you achieve work-life balance

3 - Spark Mail

Spark Mail

Platforms

iOS, Android, Mac

Overview

Spark Mail is a work-life balance app that reduces incoming email noise. It’s an Intelligent email prioritization organizer for your multiple personal and business email accounts, newsletter, notifications, and more. The app helps balance work and life by notifying you only about emails from people you want to hear from via email. 

Other Features

  • Configurable
  • Customizable actions
  • Highlights important messages
  • Allows you to pin messages and batch archive less-important messages

Cost

  • Free version 
  • Paid upgrade version
  • Customizable paid versions

Kudos

  • About 15 million users

What You Can Gain

  • Helps you gain better control over your email by prioritizing what you deem as important 
  • Offers quick clean-up for managing pesky email, giving you more time for other pursuits

4 - Duolingo

Duolingo

Platforms

iOS, Android

Overview

Learn a new language in your off-work hours as a shared family activity. Duolingo offers a paid family plan that allows you to learn a language together. For kids ages 8 and over and adults. 

Other Features

  • 36 languages for English speakers, versions available for other language speakers
  • Podcasts, practice, and stories geared to several levels
  • Klingon and Esperanto languages are also included 
  • Use online or offline

Cost

  • Free basic version featuring 10-plus languages, with ads
  • Super Duolingo paid version (rebranded version of Duolingo Plus coming soon)

Kudos

  • 100 million-plus downloads
  • A 2022 PCMag Editors’ Choice Android app pick and a 2022 iPhone app pick

What You Can Gain

  • Changing your focus can help you take a mental break from work
  • Quick lessons for bite-sized language learning that easily fit in any schedule
  • Features for business and home life
  • May help you with international business connections

5 - Notability

Notability

Platforms

iOS, Mac (Ginger Labs notes that it may eventually include non-iOS platforms) 

Overview

Notability is a powerful note-taking app that can help you be more efficient and work faster giving you more time to dedicate to life outside work. It’s considered the best work-life balance app, according to Michael Page. The app is easy to use, even for kids. Notability integrates illustrations you make, handwriting, PDFs, images, graphics, and voice recordings in one tool. 

Other Features

  • Syncs across devices
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Digital canvas with highlighter and canvas tools
  • Record and replay meetings
  • Make notes with illustrations
  • Markup PDFs
  • Handwriting recognition that app converts to text

Cost

  • Free starter version with limited functionality
  • Notability Plus - cost varies by region

Kudos

  • Apple Editors’ Choice pick
  • More than 600,000 downloads

What You Can Gain

  • Use it to create drawings with your kids in your downtime
  • Use the apps multiple tools to help you balance work and life

6 - Untappd: Drink Socially

Untapped: Drink Socially

Platform

iOS, Android

Overview

Untappd is the world’s largest community for beer aficionados. It’s a fun way to keep track of beers you’ve tried, breweries, and new brews you want to try. This app can offer a way to relax in your downtime and to connect with other brew drinkers with particular hoppy lifestyles and tastes. Invite friends and family to use it too and compare notes.  

Other Features

  • Features about 13,000 ABVs within its database of brews
  • Has a location map that shows breweries, bars, and brewing venues by zip code or location
  • Allows you to create alerts for specific venues and breweries
  • Offers you recommendations based on your preferences
  • Live tap list updates

Cost

  • Free

Kudos

  • About nine million global users
  • 4.9 out of 5 rating in Apple Store

What You Can Gain

  • Focusing on something you enjoy can give you a mental break from work
  • Pursuing interests and hobbies is essential to work-life balance
  • Making connections with others who share your interests can be a satisfying pursuit

Takeaway

There isn’t a single work-life balance app that’s made for everyone. These are just some of the best work-life balance apps of many that are available. Like many other things in our recent lives, goals for work-life balance are changing. These apps may help you get started. 

Newsweek Expert Forum is an invitation-only professional organization where speakers, authors and experts who have a compelling message to share with the world, exchange insights and make strategic connections.
Click here to see if you qualify.

 

 

man in glasses sitting at desk with a laptop

Insights from Newsweek Expert Forum Blog

Apply for Membership Today

Membership in Newsweek Expert Forum is by application only. Our multi-step vetting process ensures every member is of the highest quality.

Do I Qualify?