5 Best Apps for your Well-Being

Due to the pandemic, we have all experienced a shock and also restrictions that have forced us into a new way of living. The whole world is struggling and worrying about the physical aspects of our health, but there are already studies that confirm that our mental wellbeing is suffering now more than ever as well. Dealing with social distancing, fear, grief and uncertainty can cause depression, anxiety and an increased level of stress in all of us. It’s okay to be overwhelmed, we have every reason to be. 

As self-help fans, we did some research and tried to come up with ways to help you feel better in these tough times. We can call our smartphones a curse, but sometimes when we are isolated they can also be a blessing. Our phones can be a great tool to help us relax not only at home but also in the car, bus, train or during your lunch break. In this article, we cover 5 apps that aim to improve your wellbeing. 

Insight Timer

Insight Timer is our number one favourite app for reducing stress, promoting better sleep and meditation and for helping us find ways to relax. You can fully benefit from this amazing app for free. However, if you are interested in courses and premium features you can subscribe for a membership. You can also choose to donate and support your favourite teachers and mentors. 

Whatever you need at any moment during the day or night, the Insight Timer will help you with it:

• 70 000 free meditations on stress, sleep, mornings, anxiety, self-esteem, and many other topics
• Parents’ section – to help children sleep better, boost self-confidence, and relax
• Library of music and stories that will help you sleep better
• Music for tuning in with your body and mind
• Live Yoga sessions with the world’s best instructors
• Everything for people new to the meditation world
• Talks, interviews and ideas on different topics and concepts
• Online live events

Celebrities like Gisele Bündchen, Russel Brand, Goldie Hawn, Elizabeth Gilbert are featured on this app and offer you guided meditations, talks and insights on mental wellbeing.  Feel free to explore the options and find what works the best for you. 

Available in the App Store and Google Play

5 Minute Journal: Self-Care

It has been proven that journaling has a positive impact on your mental health. It helps you to keep track and prioritize your problems, fears and concerns so you are aware of what you need to focus on. It is a great opportunity to identify stress triggers, negative thoughts and behaviors and to concentrate on positive self-talk. The most beneficial is if we actually sit down and write manually in a physical journal, but if you don’t have time or the possibility to do that, you can use the Five Minute Journal.

If you are a beginner and prefer quick habits and rituals, this app is exactly for you. You can take just a couple of minutes in the morning, write down what you are grateful for, set intentions for the day and create empowering beliefs. Add a captivating photo to remind you about your great day. Before sleeping, you can reflect and write down what amazing things happened to you during the day. You can use the app for free or upgrade to the premium version ( try the 3 day free trial first to see if you like it)!

Available in the App Store and Google Play

Gratitude: Diary and Vision Board

Keeping a gratitude journal increases your happiness, improves your mental health, and helps you cope with overwhelming life challenges. Writing down all the things you are grateful for helps to remind you that you already have great people and things in your life, increasing positivity in your life. It is also a way to list all your successes and things you are proud of, which boosts your confidence and self-esteem. A gratitude journal can also improve your night’s sleep because if you remind yourself of the things you are grateful for, you tend to worry less and go to sleep with a clear mind.

Gratitude’s creators did a really great job because the app is beautiful and so simple and easy to navigate. With this app, you can enjoy:

• Writing journal posts and positive affirmations
• Personalize your journal with colours and images
• Receive Daily Zen quotes
• Set multiple daily reminders to write your journal and affirmations
• Create a cool vision board

The free version is enough to benefit from this app, but if you want to enjoy the pro version (it’s great if you want to focus on creating your vision board) you have three payment options: monthly, quarterly or yearly.

Available in the App Store and Google Play

Coloring Book For Adults!

Did you know that colouring is actually beneficial for children and also for adults? Colouring is an amazing activity choice to de-stress. When you colour, your mind enters a state similar to meditation and provides relief for restless and worrying thoughts. Both hemispheres of your brain need to communicate as it improves your motor skills and vision. Colouring requires focus but not at the level that would cause you stress. And the best part is that you don’t need to be an artist – colouring is for everybody!

Coloring book for Adults is a mostly free app that is so cool that you will become instantly addicted. You can choose beautiful drawings from many categories like portraits, fashion, food, fun, florals, animals, holidays and others. Colours are beautifully put into palettes, which makes this app really easy to navigate. You can save your artwork immediately and publish it on social media or show it to your friends and family.

Available in the App Store and Google Play

Happify

Happify is a unique science-based interactive app that helps you overcome negative thoughts, reduce stress, and cope with life’s challenges. The method has roots in combining evidence-based interventions of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy. A short questionnaire, in the beginning, may help you identify what you should focus on first, but you can also choose from 6 different topics, and each consists of numerous tracks:

• Relationships
• Personal Growth
• Family & Kids
• Work & Money
• Mindfulness & Meditation
• Health & Well-Being

You have the possibility to find your top 5 character strengths, an assessment that was created by VIA Institute on Character based on a positive psychology approach. Happify includes articles, videos, posts, and interactive games that focus on skills in different areas. 

The aim of the app is:

• Conquering negative thoughts
• Coping better with stress
• Boosting confidence and self-esteem
• Achieving mindfulness through meditation
• Fueling your career success
• Setting a work/life balance
• and many more

There are different payment options, and you can start as little as 9,50€.
Available in the App Store and Google Play

Do you have a favourite app that helps you in hard times? Let us know so we can add it to the list!