These apps will help you be more productive working from home 

Now that many of us are working from home, it's easy to get distracted by pretty much everything.

Though you can't control things like kids asking us about multiplication, a partner's conference call or needy pets, time management is something you can handle. These apps are here to help.

THE APP Streaks

DETAILS $4.99, available for iOS

WHAT IT DOES In this beautifully designed app, your tasks appear as circles with cute, matching graphics in each. The idea is to keep your streak of tasks going for as long as possible. Pick a variety of things you want to do (or don't want to do) and once you complete each one, you press the circle. You can pick something generic, like reading, or you can assign a length of time to your reading.

If you do your task everyday, yes, you create new habits, but you also build streaks, like, you’ve had vegetables every day for 16 days.

THE APP Todoist

DETAILS Free ($3 monthly for the premium version), Android and iPhone

WHAT IT DOES Todoist is exactly what it sounds like: a to-do list. Simply write in tasks you want to complete, add due dates and check them off as you go. Sure, writing down (and checking off) each task twice is a little repetitive, but that repetition is actually helpful during quarantine when sometimes it’s hard to remember what day it is.

The Premium version adds features like reminders, labels and filters, but for most people, the freebie may be sufficient.

THE APP Pocket

DETAILS Free ($5 monthly for the premium version), Android and iPhone

WHAT IT DOES Pocket has only one purpose: bookmarking online articles. If you spend most of your workday online, that often means stumbling across interesting articles that are not work-related but tempting to read on the clock. Now, you can resist the urge and tuck the article in your Pocket with a click of a button (through a Chrome extension on your computer). Then at night, just open the Pocket app on your phone and indulge in all the content guilt-free.

Pocket saves the text of each article so you can read without internet connectivity. You can even opt to have the article read to you. The premium version is ad-free and features different fonts and a permanent saved library.

THE APP BlockSite

DETAILS Free, Android and iPhone

WHAT IT DOES While Pocket is great for bookmarking articles, BlockSite is a Chrome extension which restricts access to certain websites. Give BlockSite the URLs for the sites that distract you the most (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and, bam!, the websites are gone. If you try to visit them, you’ll receive a web page with a cheeky message like "No way, Jose," or "What do you think you're doing?"

If you have a separate office computer, you can permanently block sites from your work devices for maximum productivity or use the scheduler app to block off the websites on certain days and times. BlockSite is like having your boss over your shoulder, reminding you that even though you're at home, you're still working.