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App ideas to help practice self-care

minute read

    When life gets busy, you may find it difficult to prioritize yourself. You may find it helpful to take some time out of your day to take care of yourself in the way that works best for you. A self-care app is one way for you to do so on a regular basis.

    What is self-care?

    Self-care activities look different for everyone, but the goal is the same: taking steps to attend to your physical and mental well-being. This means finding ways to support your overall health including hygiene, nutrition, exercise and even a spiritual practice. Self-care has also expanded from a clinical definition to include things that are relaxing, calming or just make you feel good.

    So why is self-care important? Taking care of yourself may help reduce stress and anxiety, increase happiness, increase physical health and allow you to react better to daily life. Self-care can look different depending on the day or where you are in your life and can shift and change over time.

    There is no one way to practice self-care, but there are some self-care activities you can try out to find which might benefit you.

    How to practice self-care

    Because self-care encompasses every aspect of your life, you may find that you want to incorporate a variety of self-care activities to nurture different parts of yourself. If you feel like you want to let off some steam or get out excess energy, you may want to start a fitness class or sign up for a gym membership. If you find your brain is often swirling with thoughts, spending time each day journaling may help.

    It could be helpful to sit down and take inventory of the things that you find empowering, relaxing or joyful. Then, you can find ways to incorporate these activities into your self-care routine.

    Additionally, you may want to take a look at where you feel like your self-care is lacking. If you're feeling tired, what are some steps you can take to remedy that? Maybe you want to start going to bed earlier or try to eat a more balanced diet. If you're finding it hard to unwind, think about setting aside time for a relaxing bath a few times a week.

    Some common self-care ideas include meditation, talk therapy, drinking more water and spending time outside. An important aspect of self-care is that you can make it whatever you want it to be to best suit you.

    Self-care app ideas to consider

    If self-care is new to you and you're looking for a way to incorporate these activities into your routine, you may want to consider downloading a self-care app.

    Physical health apps

    If you're looking to exercise more or sleep and eat better, try exploring apps related to physical health. There are apps that can help you find a balanced meal plan that works for your lifestyle and dietary needs, as well as ones that can help you track your diet through mindful eating.

    If you're chronically dehydrated, you may want to try one of the many apps that send you notifications and reminders to drink water throughout the day. There are also some that gamify your hydration goals by letting you log your water throughout the day to accomplish a virtual task.

    There are many ways to use apps to get more physical exercise as well. For instance, there are apps that can get you access to different fitness classes in your area, as well as ones that act as a personal trainer right on your phone.

    Mental health apps

    Mental health apps aim to help you improve your emotional well-being through things like meditation, therapy and mood tracking.

    If you find mindfulness practices challenging, you can consider a meditation app. Many apps will guide you through meditation, so no worries if you're a first-timer. Many meditation apps also include features designed to help you fall asleep, such as soothing story times or calming music.

    There is also a wealth of apps that offer therapy in different forms. Some set you up with a therapist so you can engage in talk therapy virtually. Others offer cognitive behavioral therapy activities to help you process and work through any personal issues.

    If you're looking for patterns in your mental health to find ways to improve it, you may be interested in journaling and mood tracking apps. These can help you log how you're feeling, when and why. You can then look back on it to see if you can find common stressors that you may want to address.

    Relaxation apps

    Having a little downtime to do things you find relaxing can play a big part in taking care of yourself. For instance, after a long day at work, it might be nice to zone out on the couch with a coloring app.

    There are also many apps that can help you better engage with your hobbies, whether that be baking, knitting, creative writing or games.

    What's more

    Self-care is a deeply personal thing that can look different for everyone. Whether you know exactly what self-care activities you're interested in or you're looking for inspiration, there's likely a self-care app out there for you.

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