In the busy time that is the 21st century (seems a little ironic saying that this year, doesn’t It?), sometimes it is nice to know that there is something you can rely on. Either to help you make your life that little bit easier, or help you when you are struggling most. That is why this week, I thought I’d give you a few suggestions of apps that could improve your well being and productivity. When I say that, I mean what’s good for you personally. Productivity doesn’t alway equal happiness. But done in the right way, it can relieve stress.
Headspace
Headspace
A good app because it leads you through each process in simple, easy to follow steps. One thing I thought was pretty good about this app was the fact that you could change the narration to either a female or male voice. I found each voice worked better for the different types of meditation.
The main downside was that you could only complete ten set meditation sessions for free before you had to pay. Having said that though, if you are new to meditation, it’s good for working out if it is the right process for you. If you were going to use the app more long term, I would recommend you get the paid version.
Journey – Journaling App
Journey
This app I’ve only used a couple of times, and when I have it’s been as a last resort to try and prevent a slump in my mood. It’s good though, because you can write to your hearts content, without feeling guilty about the things you’re saying. Which is good if your changes in mood are quite easily affected by those around you (I find that’s the case with most empathetic people, because you want to solve all the world’s problems – which then leads you forgetting about yourself). It’s a really straight forward interface to use – which is always a bonus when you just want to quickly get something out of your head.
There were a few fairly unique aspects to the app, such as being able add stickers to your ‘posts’, and labelling each post as you go with facial labels, as a way of tracking your mood throughout the time period that you write a set number of entries.
Worrytree
Worrytree
There are a few variations of the app that I’ve heard of, but if you type ‘worry tree’ into the search bar, then they should all come up. Choose what you prefer in terms of design, and go with that.
This is app very simple to use, in that immediately you are prompted to write down what you are writing about in a sentence. This idea of a sentence is very important to me, because, as I’m worried about various things at all the same time (as we all are), it’s very easy to lose track of what you’re actually worrying about. Once you have done that, you should be led through two or three questions to help you pin point what you can – and can’t do – about that worry. I found the act of using this app was very therapeutic in itself, because you are letting the app help you with dealing with the stress as well – lessening the burden.
Calm
Calm
Calm is very similar to the Headspace app, the main difference being that Calm is smarter on the eye. Although this app is free to download, you end up having to pay a monthly or annual price to access any or all the features the app offers. Although, in regards to Headspace, the app does offer more than simple meditation exercises.
There are other functions such as Sleep Stories (helping you ore a little one relax and unwind to a story) and Masterclasses. Masterclasses seem pretty invaluable if you are likely to use the app on a regular basis, because they are a series of classes (hence the name ‘Masterclass’) that are there to help yo understand further why and what you are doing. Which in itself can be a massive motivation booster! Though, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that you have to pay to get even the tiniest value out of the app, is a little bit insulting if you are trying to help yourself. But, there we go, that’s just me (you can tell I’m tired as I’m writing this – the Grinch has come out of the woodwork).
Forest Productivity App
I LOVE this app. In fact, I’m using this to monitor my writing sprint as I’m writing this (oh, there goes the timer). It helps keep you organized and accountable in your timing and work. I find that this alone can help me get my to-do lists done in nearly half the time (no, this isn’t an ad, I’m just excited). What’s more, with each timed session, you earn coins. The amount you earn at any one time depends on how long you set the timer for. With 2000 coins you can then use them to plant a real tree.
What’s not to like, helping the environment whilst helping you stay productive? You can also spend the earned coins in the in-app store, where you can ‘buy’ various species of tree to grow during your timed sessions; as well as a few ambient sounds you can listen to whilst working, to help you get in the zone. I personally like the Rain and Thunder option best!
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