The phones are a great tool for most information guiding your daily routine. But they can also work to help change your life for the better. There are apps for diet, exercise, mental health, breathing techniques and just about any aspect of quality of life. They are available at the touch of a button, providing instant feedback on things you can (or should) be doing to help you navigate the ocean of life with aplomb.
Like the Olympics motto of faster, higher, stronger, the apps encourage you toward a better, stronger, happier you.
If you haven’t jumped on the smartphone bandwagon, you probably will in the next year. Right now, more than 90 percent of Americans have smart phones, according to the Pew Research Institute. Their survey of American mobile phone users found that 29 percent of those owning a smartphone feel that they can’t imagine living without one.
We can all use a little help from time to time with our lives, and if the help is available by merely reaching into a pocket, purse or backpack, all the better.
That’s why an increasing number of software developers are directing their attention to mobile phone applications. It’s a land rush, and once they have captured your attention and developed brand loyalty, they can translate those eyeballs into revenue. Thousands of new applications make their debut each month, promising to make your life easier, healthier, more restful, more exciting, more challenging…more everything.
Most of the applications require you to input data on how you feel, what you eat, your moods of the moment and other pertinent data. The idea is to use the power of numbers crunching and data analysis to detect patterns in your behavior. Once the parameters are established, the apps can guide you toward smarter choices. A few of them also create networks of people who can reach out and chide you if you fall short of your goals or offer a few words of support that may spur you on.
Here are a few key apps that can help improve your health. As with any tool, how you use it, when you use it and if you use plays a big part in its efficacy, and no claims are made as to whether any of these will really improve your life. But certainly it can’t hurt and might help to explore a few of them and see if they can lead you down the path to the perfect existence.
1) PaperKarma – Junk mail is the bane of human existence, and the stress of dealing with it is sometimes more than certain people can handle. With this app, you merely take a picture of a piece of junk mail with your name and the business, and the app will reach out and get you permanently unsubscribed. This is a free app.
2) Stress Check Pro – This app measures your heart rate through the camera and light features of an iPhone. You cover the camera lens with the soft part of your fingertip, and the phone will analyze the variations in your heartbeat. The more it’s used, the better you can monitor your stress levels. While the Stress Check Pro doesn’t offer a solution to the stress, it can help you identify triggers and take steps to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
3) Breathe2Relax – Breathing is essential to life, and the right breathing techniques can reduce stress and stop those flight-or-fight reactions. The app will measure your breathing rate via a survey, then uses graphics and text to offer instructions on letting go of the stress.
4) MoodPanda – You’ve never seen an unhappy Panda, right? This app will create a graph of how you’re feeling at any given moment, based on your response to questions. It requires you to input how you’re feeling at any particular moment, so it’s probably not a great idea to use it during a business lunch. As you continue to use the app, you learn more about what is stressing you out and how to cope. You can also share your angst with Twitter and Facebook.
5) MealSnap – How many calories are in that container of Kung Pao Chicken? Was this salad really the right choice? Take a picture of the dish and MealSnap will do an analysis of the nutrition benefits. If you regularly use the app, you presumably will start making better food choices and learn to eat healthier. It’s also a great tool for keeping track of your calorie consumption.
BONUS APP: StickK – This is a nagging tool that has a financial incentive to live up to your commitments. You sign a “Commitment Contract” with the site that will bind you to perform a workout. If you fail to keep that commitment, you have to pay money to a charity. You can also create a circle of supporters who will presumably encourage you to fulfill your contract. A daily diary of achievements will presumably spur you on to arriving at your goal.
No matter what goals you have in life, there’s likely an app for that already available or just on the horizon. They can help guide you toward the lifestyles and achievements you wish to create. Just remember to keep your phone charged, and don’t use the app while driving.