Fight Spring Fever and Stay Focused

Beautiful weather and blooming flowers mark the beginning of the spring season. However, they also mark the onset of Spring Fever, that time of the year when you feel invigorated after being cooped up through the dreary winter months. The desire to be out and about can impact productivity, but with the right tools – including a few smartphone apps – you can make the most of your good mood.

One of the best ways to stay focused is to create a to-do list for the day or week. While you may be inclined to use the built-in calendar feature on your device to track appointments and more, there are apps that provide a more customized, streamlined experience for managing your day-to-day life. For example, Remember the Milk makes it easy to organize and prioritize your list, including due dates and time estimates. Similarly, Speaktoit and other virtual assistants help you work more efficiently by finding information, sending email and launching apps, among other handy capabilities.

Spring cleaning can also help you to refocus. Copies of bills, invoices and other paperwork can pile up, and while a shredder is perfect for papers you’ll never need again, you also can clear your desk by scanning important documents and records. Even taking the time to clean up your mobile device can make it easier to quickly access important information.

When the lure of a bright sunny day is too much to resist, turn to your wireless technology to head outdoors and remain connected to the office. Use your tablet or laptop in conjunction with a mobile hotspot to tackle important documents from a quiet outdoor café or, when possible, dial into a conference call from your smartphone while in the park.

For more tips on working through Spring Fever, CBS News offers advice on boosting productivity in some unexpected ways.