The first mobile apps started off as very necessary tools to organize native functions of your phone such as contacts, calculator, audio player, video player, games voicemail, call logs, calendar, photos, and settings.
They also exist to organize information on the web so it is more ready accessible on a mobile device—web browsing, maps, news, social media, streaming services like food delivery, shopping, banking, payment, and e-learning.
But now you can expect an app to exist for almost any area of your life and any interest or hobby you want to explore. For instance, I recently learned about camping apps, an app to prevent food waste, an even app to help New Yorkers find participating restaurants willing to let non-customers use their bathrooms—like an airbnb for toilets.
Wellness apps are on the rise
The latest app category to dominate the app store is wellness. Especially during and after the COVID pandemic, when it became obvious that self-care and mental deserve our attention. Ironically, spending too much time on your phone can lead to fatigue, but hey if you are going to spend time on your phone, at least try meditating with it.
The Tapping Solution App
Free or Premium ($11.99/month, $399 lifetime)
One of the most unique wellness apps out there, The Tapping Solution offers prescriptive, guided tapping meditations according to topics such as anxiety, weight loss, relationships, current events, chronic pain, and more. The method transforms negative beliefs into positive beliefs by reciting statements as you tap through a series of points on the face. As an avid user of the app, I can say it works. Download.
Streaks App
Designed to helped you develop and keep new habits, the Streaks App let’s you set how often you plan to do something—or avoid something—and motivates you stay on target so you don’t break your streak. And according to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, the best way to make a new habit a part of your identity is to not break your streak. Download.
Mooda App
If you are mostly interested in tracking your emotions and moods on the fly, Mooda keeps it simple with colorful emoji-like blobs to identify feelings and a space for notes or journaling. I love an app that you can purchase once, and don’t have to worry about upgrading to premium. Download.
Sleep Cycle App
Designed to improve your sleep, Sleep Cycle addresses a few areas. A sound library of music, meditations, and stories help you ease into sleep. During the night, through microphone on your device, the app listens to sounds you make during sleep and uses machine learning to analyze patterns. Finally, you can set an alarm that detects your lightest sleep phase, so it goes off at an optimal time. I thought it seemed a bit invasive—I don’t know if I talk in my sleep—but, apparently, they never share your data. Download.
stoic.
A perspective-shifting app, Stoic helps users turns obstacles into life lessons by teaching the principles of stoic masters.I doubt I will “never feel bad again,” which is a pretty big claim; however, I found it very simple and useful. You check in each day about your overall mood, priorities, and prompts for exercises to shift your mood and get you ready for your day. Download.
Calm
Free, or Premium ($69.99 annual, $399 lifetime)
A study of 200K iPhone users found Calm to be one of the top three apps that left people feeling happiest after spending time on it. Head of Mindfulness at Calm, Tamara Levitt wrote and recorded the content for their meditation library. Premium access gets you celebrity guest instructions like Lebron James, Tara Brach, and Jay Shetty. Download.
Insight Timer App
Free, Member Plus ($9.99/month, $59.99/year)
Calm’s biggest competitor, Insight Timer is a huge library content contributed by a worldwide community of teachers—kind of like a Spotify for meditation. Plenty of free content is available with options to tip instructors. I’ve been using the app for years and their best feature is the timer itself which offers various Tibetan bowls sounds and options create sound reminders at intervals during the meditation. Download.
Woop App
A science-based roadmap for achieving goals, WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. I checked it out, and the simple series of prompts is helpful for identifying what you want, visualizing the results, and identifying any obstacles in the way to come up with a plan in the form of a statement: When X happens, I will do Y. Download.
TimeShifter: The Jet Lag App
Developed by scientists and used by astronauts and CEO’s, Timeshifter finally fixes jet lag by creating a plan to help you balance any disruptions to your circadian rhythms. Simple putb in your itinerary and Timeshifter suggests simple actions to take such as when to avoid coffee, when to nap, and when to expose yourself to light based on time zones differences. You can even begin adjustments before you travel. Download.
Flipd App: Where the productivity community meets
Free or Premium ($5.99/moth, $42.99/year)
A chill time-management tool geared toward high achievers and students, Flipd helps you track how much time you spend on tasks with custom timers and a bird’s eye view by days, weeks, or months to see your overall progress. You can also join study groups, celebrate wins, and get access to lo-fi music to stay focused. Download.
Summary
This is just a short list of apps that have stood out among the plethora of choices in the App Store. Try them out and let us know what you think in the comments. And feel free to drop a link to your favorite wellness app!
