Given that we're living in the age of technology, it's fair to say that many of us use apps to run our lives. We use apps to organize our money, schedule our meetings, and remember our appointments — but what are the best apps for taking better care of yourself? You know, the apps designed to help you as an individual, not just you as a worker? When it comes down to it, a lot of us struggle with self-care. In theory, we all know that it's important to take care of ourselves, but between balancing commitments like work, school, and personal relationships, it can become all too simple for us to lose our individual needs in the shuffle. That's why self-care apps can be so beneficial and useful to us in our busy, digital world.
What is self-care, exactly? How people use it varies from person to person depending on their unique needs, but in general, self-care is the conscious allotment of time to taking care of yourself in whatever way you might need. It could pertain to your mental health, workout regime, education, or even just needing an updated wardrobe. You know those parts of your life you feel like you're always pugging on the back burner because something more immediate has come up? Those are usually the areas in your life that need some self-care.
And technology can be a great way to enact self-care. If that description rings as true to you, check out the apps below to work some of this much-needed into your life:
1. Good Blocks
Good Blocks is one of my personal favorite apps. It operates like a game, where you're presented with "good" (healthy) and "bad" (unhealthy) thoughts and messages; you "win" by recognizing the positive, healthy thoughts and outlooks. Similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, the app aims to teach you positive reinforcement as a means of improving your self-esteem and lifting your mood. This app is free for both iTunes and Android.
2. Record Recovery
Record Recovery is a truly amazing app that offers help and support to people who are struggling with disordered eating. While the app certainly doesn't replace other forms of treatment such as therapy, it aims to aid people in their journey to recover and heal from eating disorders. This app is free for both iTunes and Android.
3. Sleep Cycle
When life gets busy, our sleep schedule can be the first thing to get kicked to the curb, even though missing out on sleep can cause serious issues for both our short and long-term health. An app like Sleep Cycle, however, can work wonders in regulating our sleep schedules. The app analyzes your sleep cycle and helps you to wake up during your lightest period, which is the most natural time for you to arise. This helps you sleep more fully and wake more rested and less groggy. This app, which can also record your motion an sound output while you sleep, is available for free for both iTunes and Android.
4. Headspace
Want to try meditation but feel like you never have the time? Headspace is a really cool app that allows you to meditate on the go. Featuring guided meditation specific to what you feel you need to focus in on, from health, to relationships, to self-investigation, and with sessions as short as ten minutes, the app makes it easy to fit some meditation into your lunch break on days you know you need to step back from your desk and get some me-time. This app is free for both iTunes and Android.
5. DayOne
Do you ever miss being a teenager and going home to write in your journal about the day's events? With apps like DayOne, you can recreate that feeling right on your phone or tablet. DayOne allows you to write entries, take pictures, record events in a calendar, and more. You can use it for your personal reflections, as well as to track your progress in your profession, your relationships, or any other specific area of self-improvement or self-investigation you're exploring. This app costs $2.99 on iTunes, with an updated version ringing in at $4.99.
6. Headout
Ever feel like you're itching for something to do, but nothing is catching your eye? With apps like Headout, you can check out what's happening around you just by refreshing your screen. Headout, which is designed to introduce you to new and unique experiences based on your interests and location, searches for events, restaurants, festivals, and more happening in your area, easily helpung you find things to do. This app is a great tool if you're looking to expand your horizons and gain new experiences, but aren't sure where to start looking. This app is free on both iTunes and Android.
Images: Eldad Carin/Stocksy; iTunes App Store (5); Google Play Store
