Apps to boost your wellbeing
Apps to boost your wellbeing
There’s no denying we all lead incredibly busy lives these days. Even Covid hasn’t stymied that, with working from home and home-schooling children keeping so many of us occupied. It is all too easy to keep going, pushing through the stress, putting self-care on the backburner, only to find ourselves at burnout before too long. But how about we put ourselves first? What if we take a few minutes each day just for us? It may sound luxurious but make it a regular part of your day and it will pay dividends for your mental health and wellbeing. The best thing is that in this world of technology we almost always have our phones at our fingertips and there are some fantastic apps out there to guide and motivate us in our self-care. Here are some of my favourites…
Do you journal? Would you like to journal but find it hard to take the time out each day to sit down and spill out your thoughts, feelings and plans on to paper? If so, Day One may be just the app for you. It is a convenient way of storing memories and thoughts as you go through your day in simple bite-size chunks. How about making a note each time something makes you laugh, or when your child does something you’d like to remember? Use Day One to note it down and, when you find those quiet moments, use the time to reflect on these lovely memories.
Shine: Calm your anxiety and stress
Stress and anxiety are something we all face at times, so it’s great to have an app like Shine in your toolkit when they arise. Created by two inspiring women of colour, it was designed with self-care at its heart. Use the app to check in each day with your thoughts and feelings. Explore a wide range of calming meditations and get involved with a community of supportive people, with whom you can share feelings and uplifting stories. Shine is a lovely app to turn to in times of anxiety, allowing you to find a moment of calm.
Our mindset has the power to shape our entire day and to support a healthy mindset, I am a big fan of positive affirmations, as they keep my mind in an optimistic space. ThinkUp provides inspiration for daily affirmations whilst also encouraging you to record your own in your own voice. It is so easy to pop your headphones on and listen to your affirmations as you go about your day and is a wonderful way to boost your confidence and lift your spirits. I’d love to hear what your favourite affirmations are.
This is a unique mindfulness app made by women, for women. It has a selection of meditations tailored to different times in your life, such as menopause, focusing on the physical and mental changes that you may be experiencing at these times. It covers everything from insomnia to hot flushes, to low libido. I hadn’t seen an app like this before that was made just for us ladies and I think it’s rather brilliant, and one that I certainly make regular use of.
I am a huge believer in the power of gratitude. When you are grateful for what you have and all the beautiful things in your life, it brings a deep sense of inner calm and peace. The Gratitude app is a lovely space in which to write down everything you are thankful for, any positive affirmations of your choice, even to create a vision board for goal setting and manifestation. It’s just wonderful to have a little pocket of positivity right there at the touch of a button whenever you need a boost!
Great name for an app, right?! Fabulous is a science-based app used to track your habits and help you shape an effective daily routine. Use it to monitor your sleep, exercise and mental health, and learn how to make daily improvements to each of these elements. It is almost like having a life coach in your pocket, reminding you to make good decisions! I find it really motivating and a great way to boost my productivity.
I encourage you to give one or more of these apps a go and see how they can make a difference to your life. Let me know how you get on!
