πŸ“±Apps:
Health & Wellness Edition

πŸŽ‰ I’ve been shortlisted for the Tab’s Future 100 list for the community building work I have done with Code First: Girls for the last two years and spreading good vibes on this blog πŸŽ‰

Send me some love by voting for me πŸ‘πŸ» here. I would greatly appreciate it! πŸ€—

After posting a very intensive Twitter poll, today I’ll be sharing my favourite health and wellness apps that have helped me on my fitness journey. They’ve helped me stay on track and keep a record of my health data (which I am currently very obsessed with!) I’ll be covering apps that have helped with both my mental and physical health.

Fuerteventura (2017)
Fuerteventura (2017) – Yes, I am that mermaid that washed up on shore. πŸ§œπŸΌβ€β™€οΈ

Apps: Mental Health

πŸ§˜πŸ»β€β™€οΈCalm – Introduce meditation practice into your life

Does this app need an introduction? 😝

Calm (app)
Calm (app)

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you’d know how much I LOVE Calm. It has given me guidance that I truly needed at the lowest point in my life and now shows me light every day. I’ll be writing a separate post on the 600+ days I’ve been using Calm, but for now, πŸ”— download it, and give it a shot! I 100% recommend it.

You can find out about how I started getting into mindfulness and meditation practice here.

πŸ’™ Five Minute Journal – gratitude practice

I’ve talked about Five Minute Journal a few times before.

For those that are unfamiliar with it; it is a journal that allows you to cultivate gratitude practice into your everyday life by asking a question you probably don’t ask yourself: What are you grateful for?

Five Minute Journal (app)
Five Minute Journal (app) – 3 things I am grateful for…

When I first started practising this, I realised how much I took things in my life for granted like the roof over my head, my nutritious meals, my body for getting up and doing all the things that allow me to make the most out of life. Filling out the journal every morning has set my days out to a more happy one. Along with meditation, I can happily say that has helped with my mental health a lot over the past year.

πŸ”— Download Five Minute Journal

πŸ“ MoodNotes – A journal for your mood

MoodNotes animation demo
MoodNotes (app) – How are you?

I downloaded MoodNotes one night when I wasn’t feeling my best – I was feeling very anxious with negative cycle of thoughts that I couldn’t seem to shift at all. Although meditation did help, I felt like I needed a little more guidance and positive reinforcement.

MoodNotes is an enhanced mood journalling app based on an approach to psychotherapy called cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), it aims to help users learn to identify and modify problematic thinking habits.

Once you’ve input how you’re feeling that day, you’re given the option to “re-think” any negative emotions you may have been feeling by making you aware of “traps” you may have fallen into. An example of a trap that I often found myself falling into often is “Catastrophizing”:

Once you’ve identified a possible trap, it asks you to think of the situation without the trap, so if you weren’t blowing things out proportion in the situation – what could you change? Do have control over anything? How do you feel now? Is there a different way of looking at that situation that isn’t attached to negative emotions? Can you cultivate a different, more positive way of thinking?

After this, you can adjust your initial feelings after reassessment.

The app then offers you a suggestion looking forward, in the case of catastrophizing – even if the situation is undeniably bad, are there any positive consequences that might emerge from it?

MoodNotes demo - traps
MoodNotes demo – traps

For instance, in a rejection for a job you really want, you might think that it’s all over and you’ll never get employed. Maybe take a different approach – realise that this failure will set you up for something positive in the future – something that was meant for you. In my case (because this was definitely a journal entry for me) – I created a spreadsheet that allowed me to reflect on each rejection and apply the main learnings to future applications which I’ve been much more successful with.

I have enjoyed using MoodNotes these past few months – I’ve identified a lot of my main traps which has allowed me to be more mindful of them when they arise again, hopefully improving every single time.

πŸ”— Download MoodNotes


Apps: Physical Health

❀ Clue – understanding your period and reproductive health

Clue (app)

…and not being ashamed of talking about it.

I discovered Clue over a year ago. I actually hit my app-niversary with them a few days ago, it’s great to see how the app has developed to be better over time!

At the time of finding Clue, I just got a Fitbit and started tracking everything from steps, calories I was burning to sleep. I increasingly started to realise the more I got into the world of health apps, that people weren’t talking about the one huge thing that the female population go through and that’s… periods.

Stumbling upon Clue was refreshing because it wasn’t just an app that helped me track when Satan comes and tries to ruin my life (a little bit overdramatic, but the breakdown of the uterus lining every month is actually very dramatic), but also really encouraged me to stop feeling ashamed about periods. Because there is nothing to be ashamed about, it’s a natural part of life.

The app has helped me become more mindful of the common patterns I have throughout the month from mood to digestion (because of the hormones that change all sorts of things) and allowed me to act on any changes if need be. I’ve also learnt loads of interesting things about cycles, culture and sex from their newsletters and website – very educational!

πŸ”— Download Clue

πŸƒπŸ»β€β™€οΈ Fitbit app – to capture EVERYTHING

I totally fell in love with my Fitbit when I first got it back in November 2016 and have since loved tracking EVERYTHING it allows me to – steps, calories, sleep, water intake and food (although I don’t use it for my food tracking – intuitive eating right now!) I also have the Fitbit Atria which measures my body fat %, weight, muscle mass and BMI. Do I love the Fitbit ecosystem? YES.

My favourite part all the tracking is the graphs produced with MY DATA. I find that super cool – especially over time – I mean, look at those graphs change! WOOHOOOOO. Wow. Shook. Blowing me away. πŸ˜‚

Lean vs Fat - Fitbit smart scale
Lean vs Fat – Fitbit smart scale

Tracking all this using my Fitbit has definitely helped me make more mindful, smarter decisions about lifestyle changes I have decided to do. For example, data on my sleep over 2017 revealed that I only had about 5 hours sleep on some days because of my early 5 am routine that my body couldn’t seem to get out of! I started to burn out real quick. Solution? Change my sleeping pattern and try to establish an evening routine (still a work in progress, however!)

Sleep stages on Fitbit
Sleep stages on Fitbit

I was empowered knowing that data from my Fitbit to make these changes – as Brandon has said:

I have the Fitbit Blaze but thinking of upgrading to the Fitbit Versa because of the newer features and it just looks SO BEAUTIFUL.

πŸ”— Download Fitbit

πŸŒ… Zero – Keeping track of your Fasting hours

Zero (app)

I started intermittent fasting back in February but couldn’t maintain it with my busy university, work and volunteering schedule – no matter how much I planned it! I recently started getting back into my 16:8 fasting system (16-hours fast, 8-hour eating window), Zero has helped keep track of my fasting hours.

I could do a whole blog post on IF (which I will, with photos!) but for now, I recommend Zero for a simple way to track your fasting hours. It’s also very aesthetically pleasing which is a plus!

πŸ”— Download Zero
πŸ“Ή Getting Started with IF by Fledge Fitness

πŸ‹πŸ»β€β™€οΈ Aflete – Workouts!

Those that follow me on Instagram would know that I am currently doing the Grace Fit Guide #3. I’ve enjoyed doing her guides since July last year and particularly enjoy having them on my phone because I don’t have to carry around notes with a workout or have them in my not-so-well-structured Notes app.

There are definitely improvements I’d like to see on the app itself – but it’s functional for its purpose. Again, the GFG and guides, in general, are a whole different blog post! It’s a great starting point for those looking to get into fitness. Also, there are other guides, not just Grace’s in the app – all very much well-thought out. If you’re struggling with a routine, guides on Aflete may be your first step!

πŸ”— Download Aflete
πŸ‘ Grace Fit Guide


Moving forward

I need to reiterate Brandon’s quote once again:

If you want to change something, track it.

Since I started tracking aspects of my health on my smart devices, it has helped empower me to take control of my health because as I’ve said before, your mental and physical health is at the centre of everything you do – so why not make sure everything is at its optimal level?

I’m increasingly becoming interested in health tech and could go on about some things I’m looking forward to in the digital health space but that’s a separate blog post. πŸ€— For now, I’d recommend some interesting reading on TechCrunch and this article on definitions of health tech and the importance of it in our growing techy world.

Have you got any favourite health and well-being apps? Comment below! πŸ‘‡πŸΌ

23 responses to “πŸ“±Apps:
Health & Wellness Edition”

  1. I love Calm! I also use BellaBeats tracker. It’s made for women and tracks sleep, steps and stuff, meditation, and women stuff. XD plus it’s pretty and you can wear it a few different ways.

    1. I’ve seen you post about it on Twitter I think! I’ll have a look πŸ‘€

  2. Thank you for sharing this. It’s really important to be self aware and just be mindful of what’s happening to your boddy and to your surroundings.

    Sheena | http://www.sheenaalovessunsets.com

    1. Thanks for reading Sheena!!

  3. Ohhh I love the MoodNotes idea… But of course it’s not available on Android. Hah. I’m a big proponent of CBT instead of the indiscriminate doling out of prescription drugs, so this would be an awesome app to use on my phone. Maybe I’ll download it on my iPad to have on those days I might need it!

    I used to keep track of EVERYTHING on Fitbit too… Until I started feeling like Fitbit ruled my life, and I couldn’t take even a step without it being quantified by Fitbit. I literally had to “break free” from the bind because I got so obsessed with it. Lol. Everything in moderation, Hiro… It was really helpful when I was doing my first round of weight-loss though. Now, I’m trying for another round, but I’m going to find a different way to go about it XD

    1. I LOVE having you on Fitbit, that challenge we had was so much fun! I was always like DANG IT HIRO IS WALKING AGAIN DANG IT to stay on top of the leaderboards πŸ˜‚

  4. I’ve been meaning to download more physical health apps because I just started working out.

    I absolutely love Clue! It’s super accurate and now I never have to worry about when I’ll get my period because it’ll notify me starting a few days before I’m supposed to get it. πŸ™‚

    Thank you for these wonderful suggestions! I’ll definitely try Aflete!

    1. Thanks Meaghan! Let me know how you get on. I love Clue SO much – I recently got a Fitbit Versa and now have Clue on my wrist for easy access. πŸ˜†

  5. Okay, I can be pretty tech challenged (hence my constant awe of you haha), so this is SUPER helpful. I NEED to get the 5 Minute Journal. I tried to start a gratitude journal but I did a terrible job of maintaining it. Having something easy to access like this would make it much more do-able.
    I also love MapMyFitness to track my runs. I’m super competitive and I love beating my own times and splits!
    Thanks for sharing these lady!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

    1. I hope you enjoy 5 Minute Journal, it’s such a wonderful habit to get into! *big hugs*

  6. I’m currently using a period tracker app myself (not Clue, but another one called “Period Tracker” lol), and it had been helpful. Not always accurate with the predicted “Flooding of the Red Sea,” but it does help me get prepared few days prior. It also helps me determine my sudden mood swings to see if they were caused by PMS or I’m just naturally feeling bleh at that time lol.

    I was also doing that “five-minute journal” habit months ago but using a standard writing app on my Kindle, but I’ve been happy and positive almost every single day being inspired by other things that I’ve lost track of it. I like the idea of Moodnotes, but, not available for Android. πŸ˜…

    It’s a bit of a coincidence that you wrote an entry about different types of apps. I sort of mentioned a few apps myself on the latest blog entry, but a bit different. πŸ˜…

    1. I didn’t realise MoodNotes was not available on Android – I hope they develop one because it honestly is a wonderful app!

  7. Wow, I shall download Clue now. I always wanted to find an app to track my periods. Thanks for sharing!

    1. No worries Sakura! I hope that you find it useful.

  8. I’ve used the Zero app before and actually found it very useful! I didn’t get to stick to IF because I like to eat early in the day but it’s something I want to try again when my schedule allows it!

  9. These are some great apps! I have a couple of alternatives you’ve mentioned (like one that’s legitimately called Grateful). It’s great that you’re finding time to step back and reflect on what’s going on. I think one of my all-time faves is My Fitness Pal where I can log all of the food I’ve eaten during the day. It helps to be conscious of what’s in the food you eat and all. Thanks for sharing these apps!

    1. Thanks for sharing your alternatives! Grateful sounds awesome – I’ll go and have a look at it πŸ‘€

      I’ve tried My Fitness Pal before I think but often forgot to log, I’ll definitely try it again because I’m often estimating all my calories. πŸ˜†

  10. I use Calm, thanks to you, Pauline! I’m not in the habit of using it every day, but I have felt it has helped a lot, and I feel better on days when I remember to use it.

    Five Minute Journal reminds me of when I used to use an app called Happier. It encouraged you to share at least 3 things that made you happy each day, and it had a community/social media aspect. I really liked it when I was actively using it! I think I eventually got out of the habit of recording each day, so I ended up uninstalling it. This reminds me that I should consider getting back into it.

    Oohh, MoodNotes sounds interesting, especially since I learned about CBT only recently. Clue also looks really useful! I think it was recommended to me when I was trying to get pregnant. That’s great that it’s been very educational too. Definitely agree that periods aren’t talked about enough when it’s such a big part of our lives.

    I love the Fitbit app too! It’s really encouraged me to be more active, and the sleep tracking was really useful. I never realized how little sleep I was getting, since I wasn’t taking into account the times I wake up and how long it takes me to fall asleep.

    Thanks for all the recommends!

    1. I’m glad that you’ve been trying out Calm, Cat! πŸ’« It really has helped ground me since I started using it!

      Congratulations on your pregnancy once again – thrilled for you 😁

  11. These seem like awesome apps! In fact, I really should give that Mood Notes a try at least! I have a hard time keeping my depression in check, and it seems like some of these could really help with that. It’s awesome that you use all of these to work for you though!

    1. I hope they work for you too! Keep me updated! πŸ€—

  12. Thanks for sharing these, Pauline! I also use some of the apps you listed, and I’m totally in love with Fitbit too! This semester, I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle and tracking my activity on Fitbit has been very helpful. I love seeing the effects of all the changes I’m doing as well as the areas I need to improve on.

    I haven’t heard of MoodNotes but I’m downloading it now! My mental health is a mess recently and I need something to help me come to terms with my feelings and thought processes πŸ˜›

    1. Just read your recent blog post! Sending you loads of love and light ✨ I hope MoodNotes helps!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.