Our phones can be a source of unhappiness. We can feel tied to them, and they make it easy to come into contact with a constant stream of negativity. But they can also help support our health and happiness. It all depends on how we choose to use them.
During the last year, I downloaded more apps to help support my physical and mental health. The world changed in previously unimagined ways — at least, outside of science fiction — and it often felt overwhelming. Many apps offered free access or special discounts, and I found myself taking advantage of them.
Some were an obvious benefit to my life. Others were added but later deleted when I saw that they didn’t add value to my existence. Here are 10 apps that I feel actually contributed to better health and happiness:
#1 The Calm App
I won’t lie: Harry Styles talks me to sleep on stressful, sleepless nights. Guided sleep meditations and sleep stories are just two of the benefits to being a Calm subscriber. There are breathing exercises, Masterclasses, meditations, stretches, and programs the whole family can use. Even my children enjoy the sleep stories, meditations, and breathing exercises available.
#2 MyFitnessPal
While I am not a paying subscriber, I do use the free version of this app to keep a nutrition journal. I found during quarantine that I have a tendency to skip meals when I’m working. For those of you who don’t know, doing this can actually cause weight gain — as counterintuitive as that sounds. I began tracking what I eat to figure out how to bring more balance to my diet. I eat healthier now because I am holding myself accountable for what I consume — but doing it without denying myself the food I enjoy eating.
#3 Goodreads
In previous years, I wasn’t able to read as much as I liked. It mostly has to do with the fact that I now write books, and reading them began to take a backseat to the crafting of new stories. But in the year of 2020 with schools canceled and life in chaos, I found more time to read. Creating felt impossible, so I sat down and finally dove into my TBR pile. I far exceeded my yearly reading goal, which I track in the app. I also read reviews, left reviews for each book I read during the year, and found suggestions for books I might enjoy.
#4 Peloton
Even without the Bike or Tread, the Peloton app offers plenty of content for users. From strength training and yoga to cardio apps and meditations, the app is worth the monthly subscription cost. By the end of last year, I’d ordered the bike, and while I had thought before my order that the app would be superfluous, I quickly realized that the app and its instruction is kind of the point. Previously bored with stationary bikes, I found myself absolutely loving these classes. I’ve seen a significant impact on both my health and happiness with using this app.
#5 Medium
No, Medium doesn’t pay me for this endorsement. I had the app pre-COVID, but I will say that I used it more during the last year. With the new app format, I can quickly see new posts from people I follow as well as new posts on publications. While the app is free to download and use, I do choose to pay the $4.99/month member fee in order to support writers whose work I enjoy.
#6 QuickBooks Self-Employed
This may not seem like an app that adds to either health or happiness, but it does keep my finances healthy. And I was certainly happy when filing my taxes was so much easier using the information I had gathered on the app during the year. The app is user-friendly and makes it easy to keep track of income and expenses. Being financially healthy can help us reach our life goals.
#7 Perifit
This one is for anyone with a vagina. Perifit is a Kegel exerciser that connects to a gaming app. It may sound crazy, but it’s more like crazy genius! Strengthen your pelvic floor, but have fun doing it with these games. While it does require that you pay the cost of the device, it is a wonderful app for anyone who wants to do their Kegels each day with a game.
#8 Tapping Solution
Tapping isn’t a new technique, but it is relatively new to me. The form of tapping used in this app is Clinical EFT, an evidence-based method that’s been proven effective in over 100 clinical trials. I’ve used this app for calming anxiety, coping with stress, and even addressing feelings of loneliness. While much of this app is free, there is a paid subscriber level to access all the guided tapping mediations.
#9 Mantra
Mantra is exactly what you’d think it is — an app that gives users a daily mantra. There is a free and paid version of the app. I tried the free and eventually switched to the paid version with a discounted offer so that I could access more of the backgrounds. Starting the day with a mantra is a wonderful way to support our mental health.
#10 Spotify
While there are many worthy apps that could have made this list, we should never underestimate the power of music to uplift and motivate us. Customizing playlists for any and every mood can be a wonderful way to support our health. As a mother of children on the spectrum, I even have playlists designed for each of my children so that I can help them relax when they are becoming anxious or overstimulated.
It can be so easy to get sucked into the vortex of email or social media, but sometimes our smartphones can actually improve our happiness. Whether that looks like laughing at memes online or finding apps that help support our goals, technology’s advances don’t have to be a downer. We can find a way to make them work for us.
This does mean we need healthy boundaries around our phones so that we aren’t plugged into them every minute of the day. It may require having limits on what we spend online, how much of the day we’re on our phones, and even what content we expose ourselves to when we use them. Used well, they can enrich our lives. Used without intention or boundaries, they can become a giant time suck where we can get lost in the Bermuda Triangle of whatever apps most engage (and distract) us.
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Previously Published on medium
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