In a society where our phones are never far from our hands, it is important that we remember how to use them to help improve our physical and emotional wellbeing. We hear far too often about the issues caused by social media but what about all of the good that various wellness apps add to our lives. Ensure that you have the right wellness apps on your phone will help you to lead a balanced life but what apps should you have on your phone? The following list shows apps that I use on my iPhone 12 but you may need to find the equivalent if you are using a different device.
Top 5 wellness apps you should download
1. Forest
If you have trouble putting your phone down and find your productivity needs a boost then Forest is a great tool to help you to do that. Plant a seed when you want to put your phone down and stay focused. Leave your phone alone and your seed will grow big and strong but break focus and exit the app and your seed will wither. As well as doing this when I need to get a task done I also use Forest when out for dinner or when sitting and having a conversation. The more you use the app the larger your forest will grow and visually seeing how much you have been able to focus really does help. You can also help grow a forest in the real world as coins collected in the game can be exchanged and allow organisations to plant a real tree. Forest costs £3.49 and the way it makes me focus each day means it is the best £3.49 I have spent in a while.
2. Sleep Cycle
Getting a good night’s sleep and waking up at the optimal time really does make a huge difference to your day and the Sleep Cycle app helps you do just that. It monitors your sleep cycle using the microphone and will wake you up when you are at your lightest point in sleep (with a 30-minute window) making the transition from sleep to morning a lot easier. Sleep Cycle also features some built-in relaxing sounds and sleep stories to help you to nod off at night. You can even record your sleep sounds so if you have been told you snore or talk in your sleep but you don’t believe it this app will soon reveal the truth. With a free and premium option, you can test it to see if it helps before unlocking more of the features.
3. Calm
When it comes to mentioning wellness apps I couldn’t really skip Calm. For $49.99 on an annual subscription Calm provides you with a huge variety of meditations, breathing exercises, sleep stories, stretches, music and masterclasses. Each day there is a daily calm for you to take part in. Calm has a 7-day free trial so you can find out if it is the right app for you before you part with your money. Calm is my meditation app of choice but there are lots of others that may be suitable. If you have never meditated then I also recommend Headspace which is great for beginners.
4. Waterlogged
Drinking the right amount of water each day can have huge physical benefits yet so many people fail to drink the recommended two litres a day. Waterlogged allows you to keep track of your water intake and for £3.49 you can upgrade to premium and it will remind you if you fail to update your intake at regular times throughout the day. Using an app to help you increase your water intake in highly recommended.
5. C25K 5K Trainer
There are absolutely loads of fitness apps out there but as someone who doesn’t exercise regularly, I always turn to C25K when I want to move more. The original Couch to 5K app, C25K is a gentle running program that builds up your ability to run from nothing up to being able to run 5K within 8 weeks. There are lots of couch to 5k apps available now so try them out to find the one for you.
With an app store full of possibilities and wellbeing apps that help in every corner of your life your phone can soon become the tool you need to thrive in a world where people are too busy, too tired and too stressed. I don’t know what I would do without my iPhone 12 and the apps that help to support my day to day life from keeping me focused to ensuring I get enough sleep my phone has a positive influence on my physical and mental wellbeing.
This post is a collaboration with O2, but all thoughts and experiences are my own.