7 Top Apps to Support Your Self-Care Routine
By now most of us appreciate that our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Everyone has their own strategies to put self-care first in their daily lives. Interestingly enough, the world of tech has many options to support our self-care journies. To get yourself started on the road to mindfulness, less stress, and better sleep, here are seven great options.
1 . What’s Up?
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Not to be confused with the popular messaging app ‘WhatsApp’, ‘What’s Up?’ is a free application which uses cognitive behavioral therapy. That app helps users deal with anger, stress, anxiety and depression.
What’s Up focuses on the twelve most common negative patterns and helps individuals to overcome them. The app includes a diary to write up your feelings and thoughts, and encourages users to rate their emotions on a scale of 10. Other features include a negative and positive habit tracker, a game to keep you grounded, and stress-busting breathing techniques.
2. Pocket Coach
Pocket Coach uses ‘Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’, mindfulness and CBT to help users enhance their emotional wellbeing. The app is designed to be a digital coach for anxious and stressful times.
The application comes with various exercises and lessons, created to offer support at difficult moments. Pocket Coach offers mindfulness techniques, knowledge on the psychology of anxiety and helps users let go of negative thoughts.
3. Ten Percent Happier
The Ten Percent Happier app won Apple’s ‘Best of 2018’ award, an app designed to help individuals increase their overall happiness. Here you’ll find over 500 guided meditations focusing on everything from positive thinking to anxiety or parenting.
There’s also a sleep themed meditation section, to support users who suffer from insomina. The app also offers a section of inspirational stories and tips on mindfulness.
4. Headspace
Headspace is a popular meditation app, designed to help individuals to meditate, sleep and learn about mindfulness. On the Headspace app you’ll find exercises themed on various topics from happiness to stress relief and learning to be calmer.
The sleep section of the app offers sleep casts, sleep music and melodies to help you to rest. You’ll find that the meditations cover different topics, so you can choose topics to reflect your personal goals. One example might be productivity and work, another- challenges and grief.
5. Reflectly
Reflectly is a journaling app, helping people to reflect on their lives and goals, with the aim of improving wellness. It’s an A.I driven journal which helps users to increase positivity and handle negative thoughts. If you’re looking to ease stress, practice gratitude, kindness and empathy, Reflectly is the app for you.
The application uses CBT, positive psychology and mindfulness to help you stay on the path to positivity. Journaling has long been used as a mental health tool, and with this digital journal, you can write on the go, and safely store your reflections.
In fact there are plenty of apps to help you get organized. Some may prefer to ditch the app and simply start writing their own daily journal. There are many journaling techniques online to get you started.
6. Sanvello
With over 3 million users worldwide, Sanvello is a popular app for depression and anxiety. The app is designed to help you understand your behaviors, thoughts and moods. For anyone who would like to improve their overall wellbeing, Sanvello is well worth a try.
Some of the features of Sanvello include mood tracking, assessments, guided journeys, and coping techniques for stress. Sanvello also features a community where you can chat to other users and share stories.
7. Shine
Shine is a popular self-care app to help users establish a positive routine. The app sends daily motivational messages and uses a meditation meets podcast format. The idea is to help users to take control of their actions and thoughts.
With shine you can use the daily log to express gratitude, there are also plenty of self-care exercises and articles to read. Like Sanvello, Shine also has a community where you can offer and gain support from fellow members.
Many of these apps offer free versions, and affordable paid options to unlock more advanced activities. All you’ll need is a strong internet connection and you’re good to go. If your area cannot provide a strong cable connection, providers like hughesnet or viasat offer some great satellite coverage.
When it comes to self-care, small changes go a long way. From improving your diet and exercise regime to revising your career path, plan your routine according to your personal goals.
