“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
We all agree with Aristotle’s classic adage, but we struggle to implement it. With the pandemic’s disruption, it can be hard to get into optimal gear hence why establishing healthy habits is a must.
Fortunately, we have an embarrassment of riches as far as mobile apps are concerned. Some of these are for leisure like for sports betting, for productivity, or to help you create and maintain powerful habits.
These apps focus on habits that maintain and improve your physical and mental health so you can keep growing and achieving:
Insight Timer (Meditation)
The pandemic has only helped aggravate our stress and mental health issues. Practicing meditation has never been more important and with all the apps out there, it’s tough to pick one. But start with Insight Timer.
This app features thousands of free guided meditations, which you can choose from based on the situation. Whether you want to incorporate morning meditations before work or need one to help you through your stress and mental fatigue, there is a set for you.
The stats and milestones help you track your progress so you can feel inspired when you start hitting your goals or improving on them. Integrating meditation to your daily habits will help you master your own thoughts and focus on what truly matters.
Available on iOS and Android: Free
Water Reminder (Health)
As far as staying healthy goes, most of us forget to drink our daily hydration requirements. Drinking water and staying hydrated has countless health benefits and can also help improve your mood, reduce headaches and migraines, and help you with your workouts.
Water reminder is as simple and fun as reminder apps go. You can install it as a widget on your iPhone and update it as you drink water or other types of fluids. It also calculates factors in sugar intake, calories, and alcohol content for you.
The app will send you reminders every hour to have a glass of water and you can adjust your settings based on your physiology. It’s so simple yet you’ll feel rewarded every time you hit your daily goal.
Available on iOS and Android: Free
Elevate (Brain Training)
When it comes to brain training apps, you can flip between different ones to get the most out of them. But if you had to pick one, go with Elevate, which was selected by Apple as App of the Year.
Elevate helps improve your focus, math skills, and processing speed, all critical daily cognitive skills. In fact, Elevate claims that users who have trained at least three times per week have reported dramatic gains.
Whenever you have downtime or in-between projects, do a quick run on Elevate, which should only take around 10 to 15 minutes. There are over 35 games, which adjust to your skill level plus personalized workouts according to your preference.
Available on iOS and Android: Free
Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer (Fitness)
Of all the free fitness apps available right now, Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer may be the aptest during these times. This app was created for introverts or folk who want to do their workouts at home (ergo most of us during lockdowns).
The app is perfect for quick morning routines as it features ten different 5 to 10-minute workouts, 10 to 30-minute randomized full-body workouts, and over 100+ exercises in total.
Developed by a certified personal trainer, the app features a video showing how to do each exercise. Adding workout routines to your daily habits even if it’s just between 10 to 30 minutes every day will help you stay physically fit and mentally sharp.
Available on iOS and Android: Free
Podcast Apps
Podcasts are some of the best things to come out of the Internet. At the right hands (or ears), they are like a library available to you at just a click. Whichever podcast app you pick is down to your preference.
If you have an iPhone, the Apple Podcasts is already a solid one. Others include Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and RadioPublic. Most of these apps allow you to download episodes so you can listen to them wherever and whenever.
Bolster your workouts by listening to podcasts. It can help stimulate your creativity and give you new ideas. Listening to some during the morning while you shower is also key as is putting it on as you drive to work.
You never stop learning and you never stop growing. Podcasts are just one small handy tool to have to help you keep with this.
Young man using a mobile phone -DepositPhotos
