5 Apps To Improve Well Being

Apps that aim to improve your body, mind, sleep, etc. are a dime-a-dozen. Below are five apps for your well-being that cut through the static. But remember, these sorts of apps are most effective when you commit to them. Use them frequently, find your minimal effective dose and stick with it.

f.lux

How many hours a day do you spend in front of a computer screen. Three? Nine? Twelve? f.lux is a soothing desktop app that adjusts your screen color based on two factors: the time of day and the kind of lighting you have. Your screen will automatically brighten in the morning and get dimmer at night. A significant amount of blue light is cut down, giving your eyes a rest and improving your quality of sleep. Free and potentially game changing.

Headspace

Meditation. It’s all the rage. Plain and simple, mediation is good for sleep, reducing stress, focus and basically being any sort of high functioning human. Naturally, there’s a slew of meditation apps to choose from. However, few apps can measure up to the level of delight Headspace provides users. Its slick and playful design makes your ten minutes of daily meditation that much more enjoyable. Explore the free version or step up your mindfulness with one of Headspace’s subscription plans.    

HealthyOut

Diet is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We all know this. And yet, everyone ends up after a long day of work chopsticks deep in cartons of lo mein, dumplings and white rice. HealthyOut is a standout dieting app that locates restaurants near you serving dishes that meet your specific diet requirements. The app’s most popular filter? The “Not A Salad” filter. Yea, we can relate to that feeling.

Sleep Cycle

The typical sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes as you go from light sleep to deep REM-sleep. You repeat this cycle several times a night. Being awoken from deep sleep by a buzzing alarm is miserable. The Sleep Cycle app monitors your movements in bed through sound analysis. Your optimal 30 minute wake-up phase is determined according to your stage in a sleep cycle and your desired alarm time. Sleep is the best meditation says the Dalai Lama.

7 Cups

Today, one’s mental health issues can be neglected for years on end. Therapy can be inconvenient or pricey and often it can be hard to find others to confide in. Venting is healthy. Enter the 7 Cups app. Promoted as “Emotional Help On Demand,” the app gives you just that. Chat with trained active listeners and let out all your woes. You can choose your ideal listener, some of whom are licensed therapists. Totally anonymous and totally free.