4 apps that are helping me to stay joyful right now
Technology gets a bit of a bad rep when it comes to self care, and I get it - mindless scrolling or too much time spent comparing ourselves on Instagram can lead us to feel anxious or overwhelmed. But I believe that if used well, technology can really help us to take better care of ourselves, and that’s what I wanted to write about today.
I’m sharing 4 apps that are helping me to stay joyful right now - apps that are helping me to stay committed to my good habits, enabling me to find a little bit of time for myself, or simply reminding me to focus on the good parts of each day. I’d love to hear which apps help you to take good care of yourself...
1) Habit
This app is super simple but it has been vital in helping me to embed some new good habits this year. Essentially you create a list of habits that you’d like to implement and choose how regularly you want to commit to them, and then each day that you complete the habit on the list you check a box to record it.
If you’re interested you can see data about your habit patterns and repeat rates, but for me it’s the act of actually checking off the habits I complete each day that I have found to be most impactful - it really motivates me to see the streaks appearing.
2) Headspace
I’m sure lots of you will have come across the Headspace app already, but for those who haven’t, it’s essentially an app that teaches you how to meditate. I’ve tried meditation in the past and always struggled to get into it, but I found the Basics course on Headspace (which you can access for free) was a great route into the practice.
I now try to do at least 10 minutes of meditation each day using one of the guided meditations on the app, and I really do believe that those 10 minutes a day have made a huge difference to how resilient and positive I have felt in the last couple of months.
3) Couch to 5K
Another app that many of you will have already heard of, but one that I wanted to shout out here as it’s getting a lot of use from me at the moment! After suffering with shin splint back in March and having to take almost a month away from running, Couch to 5K is helping me to build my stamina back up without putting too much pressure on my calves or shins.
Whether you’ve been a runner in the past or have never done more than a jog, this app promises to get you running 5K in the space of 9 weeks. I love it because it feels much more manageable and encouraging than simply going it alone - perfect if you’d like to improve your fitness in a gradual way.
4) 1 Second Everyday
The last app I wanted to share is a little different as it isn’t directly related to self care or health, but it’s doing a great job of reminding me to focus on the good in each day. 1 Second Everyday is an app that allows you to record 1 second of video everyday, and then it mashes them all together in chronological order at the end of the year.
I used it last year and loved being able to look back when December rolled around, but the reason why I’m enjoying it so much at the moment is that it encourages me to find a little moment in each day that I want to capture, which in turn forces me to slow down and savour that moment - something that feels very important right now.
I’d love to hear about any apps that are helping you to stay joyful right now!
