Welcome back to Food For Thought my mental health and exercise blog where I aim to spread awareness about mental health and the benefits exercise has on improving not only your physical health but also your mental health. To get a better understanding of the importance of understanding mental health and exercise check out my other posts, Healthy Mind and Body and The Truth About Mental Health and Exercise. Also for more information on social media positive and negative effects on these topics check out my two other posts, The Good the Bad and Social Media, and Finding the Balance in Using Media.
There are thousands of apps in the Apple app store all varying in purpose and impact on people’s lives. Trying to find one that works for your lifestyle or has the information you’re looking for can be overwhelming and frustrating when it seems as if there are none that work for you. I have found three apps that I think can help provide resources to improve everyone’s mental and physical health.
Simple Habit: Wellness &Sleep
Price: Free with in-app purchase
Description: Simple Habit has many different ways to incorporate mindfulness into your life through meditations, coaching, motivational guides, and stories by experts in the field all there to help reduce stress and sleep better. The app works for those who have busy lives and are finding it hard to incorporate time for themselves into their day by providing on-the-go meditation. The app also has content specific for certain life events like waking up, having a bad day at work and commuting. As mentioned in other posts, adding mindfulness into your life can help reduce anxiety and stress and improve your mental health. By adding this app to your phone or watch you can help improve your mental health while still living your busy life.
FitOn: Fitness Workout Plans
Price: Free with option to buy the Pro version
Description: FitOn is a great app for those who want a personal trainer without the price. The app offers a variety of workouts including cardio, strength dance and pilates that can be created into a customized workout plan. These quick and effective workouts are also led by celebrities like Jonathan Van Ness and Gabrielle Union making this a unique experience. With the ability to view the workouts on multiple devices you can use this app anywhere you go whether that be the gym, home or your hotel room making physical activity accessible to help improve your physical health.
I am – Positive Affirmations
Price: Free
Description: Daily affirmations or words of praise, appreciation or affection that help rewire our brains to help reduce and potentially change the negative thought pattern many people have. Words of affirmation are known to improve mood, increase the likelihood of changing behavior and improving mental health as well. This app allows you to set times where you will receive notifications with different affirmations that can be related to stress, self-care or work. By having these affirmations pop up on your phone you can focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
There are many other great apps that will help improve your mental and physical health that will also fit into your lifestyle. These three are a great place to start to see what you like and don’t like to be able to find techniques that help you improve your overall health.
Food for Thought 