You’ve heard it before – we’re living in unprecedented times. And it’s more important than ever to practice self-care. Stress builds up sometimes when we don’t notice it, and it can pour over into various areas of our life. Stress is really a healthy part of daily life, because a little here and there can light a fire under us to work towards our goals and deadlines. But too much causes an imbalance. To maintain that balance, these are my favorite five apps.
From rain to waterfalls, laundry machines to airplanes, Rain Rain has the perfect sound for everyone. Mix sounds to create the perfect ambiance to fall asleep to. I personally love the “Rain on a Tent,” “Desert Wind” and “Crackling Fire” all make the best combination to fall asleep to. But see for yourself – white noise helps ease the brain into deeper sleep by drowning out non-threatening sounds that are out of our control.
Low-pitched, droning sounds like rain on a roof or the rumble of an airplane reduce alertness and help dozing off. Continuous and repetitive sounds compared to intermittent ones put the brain into a mellow rhythm.
Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and even sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple, as it taught me the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day.
This app has a free Basics pack, a 10-day beginner’s course that guides you through the essentials of meditation and mindfulness. It’ll give you a solid foundation to build your practice on.
With this all-in-one app, you can learn the life-changing skill of meditation, get more restful sleep, listen to music to help you focus, watch video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching, hear audio programs taught by world-renowned mindfulness experts, and view nature scenes and sounds to enjoy while relaxing, sleeping, working or studying.
Calm is a leading app for meditation and sleep, with guided meditations, Sleep Stories, breathing programs, masterclasses, and relaxing music. Recommended by top psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts.
This unique app will allow you to explore human origins and the nature of the universe with specialists in metaphysics, and ancient wisdom. Gaia has thousands of inspirational films, documentaries, and thought-provoking shorts.
The app also has a blend of yoga, meditation, personal transformation, and alternative healing content to help you enhance your physical, spiritual, and intellectual capabilities. The goal is to deepen your mind, body, and spirit connection, and explore transformation through consciousness expansion.
Most horoscopes ask what month you were born, but Co–Star asks what minute, because it’s incredibly precise. Not only that, the planetary data is straight from NASA, coupled with astrologer insight, bringing you the finest in astrology that was previously only available to those with a personal astrologer.
Co–Star generates hyper-personalized horoscopes, and you can also see the horoscopes of friends, see what’s up with them astrologically if they’re having a bad day, and, of course, see if it’s a good time to lay low or make big moves with your career.
Laura Notorangelo is an Arizona State alumna and works as a Digital Consultant in Chicago. You can follow along with her work and life on Twitter at @LauraNotor and Instagram at @Laura_Notor.