There's an App for That
There is no shortage of wellness apps (and this list is by no means exhaustive) but does include some that we have tried and loved recently:
Woebot is a chatbot who helps you monitor mood and learn about yourself. Drawing from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Woebot talks to you about mental health and wellness and sends you videos and other useful tools depending on your mood and needs at that moment. In a recent study conducted at Stanford University, using Woebot led to significant reductions in anxiety and depression among people aged 18-28 years old, compared to an information-only control group. 85% of participants used Woebot on a daily or almost daily basis. You can read the entire peer-reviewed study.
Headspace introduces the basics of mindfulness and meditation in a soothing British accent. Its free version does have limitations but they recently added a “weathering the storm” section that is designed to support you during the current global crisis.
With everything from classes and exams to friendships being moved online, we need to give ourselves a break from screens now more than ever. The Flora app incentivizes you to stay away from your smartphone by planting a virtual seed- if you can focus on being present, it grows into a healthy tree, but if you cannot resist the pull to the digital world- the tree will be killed.
Houseparty makes it super easy to stay in touch with friends and loved ones while we are keeping apart. It’s great for groups that don’t all use the same type of phone and it also has games and quizzes to pass the time with your friends.
If you need a respite from the endless COVID news cycle- check out the Good News Network. Being exposed to positive information benefits us emotionally, physically, and mentally- a study showed that people who watched concentrations of positive news and media experienced decreased levels of stress and anxiety.
Finances might be tighter than usual right now so it’s important to keep track of where your money is going. You can use Mint to view your spending trends and create budgets. Over time, you can analyze your money habits and identify ways to improve your finances. Mint also allows you to set reminders to pay your bills and get warnings when your account balances are too low to pay them. Best of all- it is totally free to use.
Habit
Habit is a simple tracker that allows you to choose your own goals, set reminders and keep track of your adherence. No bells and whistles- but watching your streak build up is very satisfying.
There's a lot of information out there so the Student Health and Wellness Health Promoter, Lindsey Wachter, is doing the work for you and letting you know about her recommendations.