Over the last few months, life has been pretty hectic & I’ve felt a tad overwhelmed with everything that’s been going on.
The only way I can describe it is feeling as though every time I try to get my head above water, the tide seems to pull my feet from under me again and again.
I was adjusting to a new job, getting ready for trips away, trying to sort out life admin with the flat & I just couldn’t seem to get myself back on track & feeling organised.
I became a ball of anxiety & stress for a good few weeks so I decided to download some apps to my iPhone to see if they could help me get my head back in the game.
Moody
I first heard about Moody after listening to an old episode of the Keeping it Candid podcast, just by chance!
I’m quite an emotional person and I wanted to know more about what’s going on with my body and how it impacts my mood.
The great thing about Moody is that it doesn’t just concentrate on the changes going on during your monthly menstrual cycle – it incorporates plenty of other factors that could have an impact on how you’re feeling.
Features of Moody include:
- Keeping track of your monthly cycle
- Daily updates on your predicted hormone levels
- Tips to alleviate PMS symptoms
- Daily weather reports with suggestions of how this might affect your mood
- Lunar phases & the impact this could have on how you feel
- Log to keep track of symptoms with option to record a daily memo
- Helpful articles & daily advice
I started to use this every single day to get all of my thoughts out of my head and on to my phone to work out what was stressing me out and how I could make it better.
Tracking how I felt each day was really cathartic and helped me to put things in perspective. I could also start to see patterns forming.
One of the things I needed to work on was creating a schedule so I could set aside time for certain tasks instead of feeling completely overwhelmed by all the things I want to achieve.
I’ve started using my Dear Diary planner (need the 2020 version – these are the best planners ever!) & my Apple Calendar app religiously to note down my plans & get prepared for what’s coming up.
One of the other things I noticed I really needed to do was take time to actually relax instead of keeping busy all the time.
And that’s where Calm came in…
Calm
I’ve seen the Calm app advertised so many times but I’ve never downloaded it before because of the price, choosing to use Headspace’s free sessions over & over instead!
However, I was feeling so stuck a few months ago that I was willing to pay the £35 a year price tag to have an app that would help to calm my brain.
What really sold me is the fact that I’d listened to Stephen Fry reading the bedtime story, ‘Blue Gold’ on a YouTube ad and it had sent me straight off to sleep!
I now use the Calm meditations every morning & evening with a warm eye mask. It’s so relaxing and really sets me up for the day or helps me wind down at night.
The soundscapes are amazing when you need to focus too – I always have one on in the background when I’m writing.
I’ve used the bedtime stories when I’m struggling to sleep and found them a great help, in particular the Matthew McConaughey & Stephen Fry recordings.
I’d recommend it to anyone – such a great app.
Clementine
I’m not entirely sure how I heard about the Clementine app but I’m so glad I did!
This little beauty is such a great pick me up for the days I feel like climbing back into bed & hiding under the duvet all day.
There are a few different sessions under categories like ‘Confidence’ or ‘Sleep’ and each audio session is recorded by a hypnotherapist to help you change negative ways of thinking into positive ones.
I absolutely love the ‘Confidence’ sessions – I use them in the morning if I’ve got a big day coming up or I’m not feeling my best & it really helps me to focus and centre myself.
Even if I only listen to one of the five minute recordings, that’s all it takes for me to feel energised and ready for whatever the day holds.
So glad I found this app – the best part is it’s absolutely free!
FitBit
I bought a Fitbit Charge 3 a few months ago & I absolutely love it – I just knew I’d get addicted to it!
The screen on the actual Fitbit has started to die a little (boo) but I love the app – it’s motivated me so much.
I started going back to the gym in September after a couple of months working out at home or walking around the beach.
The gym is a huge help to me physically & mentally & my Fitbit has helped to keep me on track.
As you’ll know if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, my heart function isn’t the best & keeping physically fit is particularly important to me for that reason.
So with that in mind, I was really intrigued to see what my heart rate was like when I’m working out – it’s pretty normal for my age group which I’m super glad about!
I also love hitting 10,000 steps a day (which usually only happens on weekends!) or hitting 30 active minutes for the day – so satisfying.
I’ve put on a little bit of weight over the past year (way too comfortable in my relationship) but I’m now using MyFitnessPal along with Fitbit to keep an eye on my food intake and the pounds are dropping off.
Countdown+
This isn’t necessarily an app for health or wellbeing but it’s helped me to have something to look forward to when I’ve been feeling a bit down.
It’s literally just an app that gives you a countdown for all the exciting or important things you have coming up.
It sends me notifications every day so I know I’m one step closer to my next holiday, work trip or family get together.
I’ve popped in all of the important dates in my diary so I can organise myself before I head off & count down the days til I’m exploring new places.
It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
Let me know your favourite apps,
Allie x
Allie Morgan - Writer & Cancer Survivor 