Ready to Change Your Life? Let These Self Improvement Apps Guide You
When many people hear ‘self help’, they might think of books or hypnosis tapes. But the self improvement industry has come a long way in the 21st century. It was worth $9.9 bn in the US a few years ago.
Mixing sound psychology with technology resulted in a plethora of self improvement apps. They’re aimed at different results, whether that’s quitting smoking, staying active, or learning a new language.
Read on to learn which self improvement apps can get you back on top – and keep you there.
1. Daylio
It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint why you’re feeling low. And you don’t always want to keep a physical diary to log your moods.
Enter Daylio. This simple app lets you track your moods, and log what you were doing at the time.
You might suspect your job is making you feel terrible. But seeing it on screen as part of a graph within the app makes it easier to understand.
Tracking your moods as they’re associated with activities lets you see what activities pick you up and what puts you down. Daylio is easy to use and its helpful reminders mean you won’t miss tracking your mood.
2. JourneyCloud
Journaling has existed in some form for centuries, whether it’s as a private diary or an online blog. And you might be wondering why a journal app appears in a list of self development apps.
Keeping a journal helps people work through depression, anxiety, and stress. It’s also a great way to track your progress in learning an instrument or a language.
You may not want to blast your personal thoughts all over the internet. And physical notebooks might not suit your lifestyle.
JourneyCloud lets you access the benefits of journaling and the joys of technology at once. Simply type your entries on your phone or tablet, secure in the knowledge they’re safe in the cloud.
3. SuperBetter
As far as personal development games go, they don’t come more fun than SuperBetter. In a persuasive TED talk, creator Jane McGonigal claims playing it can give you ten extra years of life.
It uses the concept of gamification to turn self development into a series of quests. Start by choosing your goal – weight loss, overcoming anxiety, or becoming more active are popular choices.
Perform three ‘quests’ every day and use ‘power ups’ for an instant boost when you need it. Earn points every time you use the app.
You can also buddy up with other users for support. It’s completely free and also syncs with the desktop browser version.
This is the app recommended by university professors and mental health care professionals. Use it to become the best version of yourself.
4. Calm
The mindfulness craze didn’t slow down once people understood how beneficial the practice was. Even a single session can help reduce anxiety.
It can be difficult to train yourself to practice mindful meditation without some kind of help. The Calm app, like many others, provides guidance to get you started.
A range of soothing natural sounds, like rainfall or water lapping at a beach, create a backdrop to your meditation. Narrators guide you through each meditation, which start at three minutes long.
The app really comes into its own when you buy a subscription, granting access to meditation programs. But it’s one of the best self improvement apps.
Check out our ultimate guide to mindfulness.
5. Loop
Loop is an app dedicated to habit tracking. Some people use habit trackers to check habits they want to break. But Loop helps you build a steady positive habit using reminders.
Select a habit, such as writing or reading. And choose a time for notifications.
Its calendar lets you check you’re keeping up with your new habits. It’s a great way to follow your progress and build a new ‘you’ in the process.
6. Elevate Brain Training
Not all self improvement apps are about meditation or gratitude. Elevate Brain Training instead aims to help you improve your cognitive skills.
Work on your memory, math skills, focus, or speaking skills, among others. The app contains over 40 games and creates personalized daily workouts to help boost your cognitive performance.
The skills help with mental arithmetic and spelling, among other things. So they’re useful skills to improve.
7. Moodspace
Moodspace is a good all-rounder. It prompts you to note three positive things that happened during your day.
It also asks you to note things you’re grateful for, helping you to see the more positive things in life.
Moodspace has a ‘thought diary’ section if you want somewhere to keep track of your thoughts throughout the day.
It’s not intended as a replacement for medical treatment for depression. But it’s a good supplement to keep you going on what can be a difficult path.
8. 7 Minute Workout
You’ve given your mood a workout – what about your body? Exercise is crucial to your self development. It helps beat laziness and boost your productivity.
But we’re also busy people and 7 Minute Workout recognizes that. Everyone can find seven minutes in their day to do a workout, even at home with no equipment.
It uses the principles of HICT (high intensity circuit training) so you can maximize the short duration of each workout. There are videos for each exercise so you know you’re performing them right.
And for the calorie counters among you, it’ll let you track how many calories you’ve burned.
Use These Self Improvement Apps Every Day
Many of these apps work well together. You might use 7 Minute Workout as part of your morning routine. Then track your daily gratitude with Moodspace before bed.
Fit in one of Calm’s commuter meditations on the way to work. And rack up points with SuperBetter quests during lunch.
Any, or all, of these apps can help you meet your self development goals and become a better version of you.
Each app may not suit your lifestyle, so try out these self improvement apps and see which works best for you.
And why not check out our other self improvement articles and plan your New You now?