Each one of us has been on a wild ride ever since 2020. As per Statista, COVID-19 has claimed over 2.6 million lives so far and has forced at least 20 percent of the world into some form of lockdown during the time period.
As the pandemic continues to cause great havoc in our lives, most of us have found ourselves riddled with anxiety and stress. We are always worried about the uncertain future. At such times, what we need is a way to see the silver lining. What might help is our ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This is where apps can come in handy – if you choose the right one.
Post-2020, app usage has increased significantly. According to App Annie, in 2020, app downloads increased to 218 billion! And the time spent on apps increased by 20 percent to reach four hours and ten minutes.
Among the various apps you use, try to incorporate these relaxing and fun apps in your life to get your everyday positivity.
1. Live Happy
If you are already interested in positivity apps, the chances are that you might have heard of Live Happy. This app has been a popular choice of many for quite a few years. It implements concrete findings from positive psychology to provide a solution that truly boosts feelings of optimism.
Rather than providing short-term relief, the app aims to develop life-affirming habits through various activities. It divides the features as per the positive feelings it invokes. This includes feelings like strive, savor, thank, optimism, social, and explore.
While in ‘savor,’ users are prompted to create an album of their happy memories, ‘strive’ calls for setting goals for different facets of your life and then prioritizing and achieving them.
The only downside of this app is that it is only available for iPhone users and is considerably pricier than an average iPhone app.
2. Big Barn World
You read that right – we have included a farming game in a list of apps that can get you everyday positivity!
In today’s highly isolated world, a multiplayer social game is just what one needs to keep themselves connected with others. And this airG scam free app does just this. While you might not be able to meet your friends and family as often as before, you can surely show them your virtual farming skills.
Apart from being a great social exercise, farming games tend to be quite relaxing since they don’t come with the urgency of taking quick decisions for optimum results. Instead, you take your time in deciding what plants you want to grow and watch as they get ready for harvesting.
Even though it is all virtual, it reinstates a sense of responsibility among players. Let’s face it; no one wants their previous crops to die just because they didn’t take care of them! Hence, such games take your mind off of the worries of life, thereby providing relief.
3. Pozify
A lot of you would agree that one of the most depressing things is having a bad day and then switching on the TV or logging onto social media to find a piece of devastating news being displayed. Yet, the media prefers reporting bad news because it makes for a more attractive headline.
As per PNAS, grabbing the attention of the audience through negativity has increased by a whopping 28 percent in 2019! A 2017 survey by the American Psychological Association discovered that 56 percent of regular news-watchers find the exercise stressful and depressing.
This is what Pozify aims at combatting. Rather than creating a negative echo chamber, this social networking platform promotes positive news and encourages people to create and share such stories by rewarding people who do so.
Users are rewarded in the form of POINTS which they can use to purchase products or get gift cards from the app developers. You can also choose to donate a chunk of your rewards to charity – which is bound to make you feel great!
4. ReachOut Breathe
There has been an increase in the onset of Anxiety disorders. In fact, as per World Health Organization, everyone in thirteen individuals suffers from some form of anxiety. And according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, such disorders affect over 40 million adult US citizens!
While it is advised that you seek professional treatment for the betterment of your mental health, there are certain apps out there that can help you manage anxiety and panic attacks. One such solution is ReachOut Breathe.
This app aims to teach users the act of controlled breathing that helps to relieve panic attacks, stress, and anxiety. The solution does so by offering a visual aid to help guide users about managing their breathing.
The best part about this app is that it allows you to customize the experience as per your requirements. For instance, you can alter the duration of the exercise as well as the breathing intervals to align it with your current abilities. As you learn the art of controlled breathing, you can alter the app accordingly.
Additionally, the app also monitors the users’ heart rate before and after the deep breathing session to track the effectiveness of the practice.
5. The Gratitude Journal
Regular introspection is the best way to ensure a positive outlook in life. Various experts have identified a positive correlation between writing journals and mental peace.
Many find keeping and maintaining a journal to be quite a hectic task. Thankfully, there are apps out there that condense the function of a journal while offering similar benefits.
For instance, The Gratitude Journal allows you to document five things you are grateful for every day. It is much easier to maintain this bulleted list compared to a comprehensive diary. You can choose to add photos to your list and protect it with a password.
This exercise is likely to make you aware of your privileges and hence happier than before. During your dark days, you can revisit the journal and appreciate the things you have.
Ending Remarks
Each of these five apps will provide the ideal environment for maintaining a positive outlook in life. However, at the end of the day, it all comes down to how you view and process the world.
Understand that stress and anxiety are a part of life. Make sure that you don’t let it overshadow all the good things. Take your time to destress. You can do this!
Author Bio:
Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on twitter: @michellejoe524