Tag: iOS

How to make Self Care fun

Our lives seem to be getting busier and busier. There is much to do, and less time to do it in. Frequently that leads to stress and anxiety as we struggle to fit everything into our day. I know I’m not very good at prioritizing taking care of myself. Hopefully these apps will help make it easier to fit in time for self care.

1. Aloe Bud

Aloe Bud  is an easy way to make sure you’re taking care of yourself every day. The app sends gentle nudges throughout the day, reminding you to drink water, eat, reach out to friends and more. Instead of guilting you if you aren’t doing well, Aloe Bud encourages you to celebrate even the small victories.

You can download Aloe Bud in Apple’s App Store.

2. ToDon’t

The ToDon’t app might sound like the opposite of self-care, but hear me out. The app works on getting you to procrastinate bad habits or what you don’t want to accomplish that day. ToDon’t could potentially help you avoid bad choices like checking social media or letting laundry pile up.

You can download ToDon’t from the App Store or the Play Store. 

3. Calm

Whether you live with anxiety or just had a busy day, Calm can help you find a few moments in the day to feel peaceful. The app offers hundreds of meditations on topics including anxiety, stress, sleeping, forgiveness, gratitude and more. The sessions range from three to 25 minutes long. The app is free to download, but in-app purchases range from $15-$80.

You can download Calm from the App Store or the Play Store.

4. Lumosity

If you play games to distract yourself or wind down from a long day, this could be for you. Lumosity lets you play games, learn and improve your mind all at once. The app includes puzzles, memory games, logic problems, meditation techniques and more. As you play, you can track your progress while learning your strengths, weaknesses and cognitive patterns.

You can download Lumosity from the App Store

10 things they don’t tell you about having a smartphone.

Here are some things that people don’t tell you.

  1.  You can’t overcharge a smartphone
  2. Smartphone battery life isn’t the same as your old phone. You will probably need to charge it every night.
  3. You don’t need to drain your battery all the way occasionally.
  4. Pressing the power button and turning off the screen doesn’t turn off the phone. It puts it into a low power standbye mode. The phone stays on, still able to receive calls and messages, and some apps are able to still able to access data. To completely turn off the phone, hold down the power button for several seconds, and it will ask you if you want to turn it off.
  5. If your phone is making weird noises all the time, it’s probably a email notification. You can turn that off completely, or I recommend setting a Do-Not-Disturb time. This will allow you to set a schedule where your phone won’t make noise. Look in the settings for phone numbers to make an exception for so that the phone will ring if they call you during that time.
  6. Be careful of your data usage. Make sure you’re on Wi-Fi before you download anything. Turn data off for apps that you don’t want to be accessing the internet when you are out and about. Good article http://www.cnet.com/how-to/11-ways-to-trick-android-into-using-less-data/
  7. Siri and Google Now. Use it, learn it, love it. Siri guide: http://www.apple.com/ios/siri/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-features-com. Google Now: http://lifehacker.com/top-10-awesome-features-of-google-now-1577427243
  8. Make sure you read the permissions that an app is asking for. If it’s asking for permission to access things that it really doesn’t need access to, maybe find a different app.
  9. You now have access to the accumulation of human knowledge. Use your phone to connect with people and learn new things. Find your curiosity again, ask things
  10. Explore, ask questions, don’t be afraid. Look in your phones app store and check out what’s available. Have fun!