AmberMac Blog

6 Apps for Mindfulness, Meditation & Self-Care

by Amber Mac on January 29, 2019

Wednesday is #BellLetsTalkDay, an important reminder that we need to take time every day to ensure that we are taking care of our physical and mental health. The cliché is true: you can’t pour from an empty cup. I’ve gathered a few expert-recommended apps to help facilitate easy, on-the-go care, including how to stay hydrated, calm anxiety, and develop healthy habits. I’ll be on The Marilyn Denis Show January 30th talking about how tech can hurt and help anxiety and more.

Develop Healthy Habits

Using the research concerning positive psychology, we can train ourselves to be happier by breaking unhealthy patterns and developing new, healthy habits. Simply provide a few background details on your lifestyle or a situation that’s causing you stress and the Happify app will suggest an appropriate “track” to get you started. By following the suggested activities, the app tracks progress and identifies your strengths to effectively guide you down the path towards a happier you.

Stay Hydrated

It may sound simple but it’s true: staying hydrated is one of the most important things we can do for our bodies. While it’s easy to get caught up in a project and forget to refill your water bottle, the Plant Nanny  app is so cute, you’ll find yourself getting the recommended 8 glasses a day (and with the most adorable reminders).

Challenge Negative Thoughts

Thought records are a technique related to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that encourage us to challenge our internal negativity. The Pacifica app allows users to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns. With a diary feature and daily challenges, this app provides day-by-day support for long term positive changes in mood and mental health.

Manage Your Anxiety or Phobias

Phobias, fear, and panic can be stressful and damaging to our everyday lives. Using exposure techniques, the Jitters app strategically introduces words, cartoons, photos, and videos of particular phobias. Users gradually increase the duration and intensity of each exercise to decrease the frequency of triggering the fight or flight response.

Check in With Yourself

In our busy days between work and family obligations, it’s too easy to forget to check in with ourselves. The Stop, Breath, and Think app is an opportunity to integrate a few minutes of mindfulness into every busy day. Track how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally on any given day and the app will suggest a number of short meditations such as a Body Scan or Mindful Breathing. With meditation and breathing timers you can spend as little as 3 to 10 minutes just taking care of you.

Catch Some Zs

“Sleep hygiene” is an important contributor to your overall health. Waking up well-rested can set you up for success all day. With the Pzizz app, users are introduced to psychoacoustic principles to create beautiful dreamscapes that promise to help you fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. With features including music, variable voiceover, and even offline use, Pzizz promises sweet dreams for better physical and mental health.