According to SADAG, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is estimated to affect half a million people every winter. The symptoms include depression, anxiety, lethargy, social withdrawal, overeating, oversleeping, weight gain and difficulty concentrating, among others. Although this disorder is only diagnosed in 2 - 3% of the population, many of us experience one or more of its symptoms during the winter season.
Of course, it is important to practice self-care and mental health awareness all year round. But, keeping track of your moods and behaviour in winter can help combat symptoms of SAD and other mental health illnesses. Achieving this goal can be tricky, especially for us busy Joburgers. To help you keep track of your moods and meet those fleeting milestones, we've complied a list of the best apps for self care practice.
What Is Self Care?
Before we dive into the list of self care apps, we thought we'd give you a definition of what self care is and what it might look like for you. With the rise of social media and technology, self care has become a buzz word of sorts. You might assume that it involves a lot of priming and pampering or cliched affirmations. While there is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a spa day at home or singing your mantras in the mirror, self care can be about more than your beauty routine. It is any practice or activity that promotes mental, emotional and physical well-being. These three keys elements are vital to making it through the chilly season. Because let's face it, who wants to get out of bed at the crack of dawn to exercise in the middle of Joburg June? Certainly not us.
This is where self care apps come in handy. While they do not replace the care of a registered counsellor or psychologist, they can assist us in sticking to our goals and staying mindful. Apps also help trick our brains into associating self care practices with fun and mental stimulation. Download a few self care apps this winter to help you be the very best version of yourself. We've tried and tested our top picks so you can rest assured that these apps will benefit you in one way or another.
Better Sleep
Good sleep is essential for mental wellbeing. It can be difficult in winter to get the rest you need. Whether from the cold night air or an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleeping well can be a challenge. Downloading a sleep tracker app is useful for monitoring your sleep patterns. We recommend Sleep Cycle - a free sleep tracker that monitors how long it takes you to get to sleep, as well as how long you stay asleep, snoring, and restlessness. The app also features an alarm system that wakes you up gently as you begin to rouse from deep sleep. It's a super peaceful way to start your morning and get you motivated for the day. You can download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Mindful eating
We don't know about you, but we find it incredibly challenging to stick to our eating plan in winter. Everything seems so much more enticing and satisfying. Rather than restricting yourself, we recommend that you download UnDiet Your Mind - a revolutionary mindful eating app. The purpose of this app is to dismantle diet culture and teach body acceptance. It also guides users towards becoming intuitive eaters that are able to listen to their bodies and eat what they need to achieve optimal nourishment. There is a great community of users on this app to offer you support and guidance through your mindful eating journey. Embrace your body this winter by downloading the Undiet Your Mind app. You won't regret it.
Self reflection
Self reflection is key to understanding your self care needs. But this activity needn't be as serious as it sounds. We recently discovered the Finch Self Care Widget Pet - a self care app that helps users incorporate daily reflections, goal setting and deep breathing exercises into their busy schedules. You will be tasked with naming and caring for a newly hatched finch. Help your finch grow by writing daily affirmations, completing quizzes or planning for your day ahead.
We love this app because it provides encouraging prompts throughout the day. It's a wonderful app to introduce teenagers to self care practices as well. Parents can add their children to their Tree Town Community and send them hugs and messages of gratitude too. We all need a little extra care every now and then, so show your loved ones some appreciation by getting them to download Finch.
Get moving
There are a ton of fitness apps out there to get you up and moving this winter. Check out our list of the best fitness apps to help you keep the blood pumping. It doesn't matter what kind of exercise you prefer - there is a fitness app out there for everyone. Your fitness level is no problem either. Whether you are a complete novice or a marathon runner, there is no excuse for skipping out on exercise this season. Your exercise regime needn't be complicated. Join a ParkRun event in your neighbourhood and track you steps with a handy step counter app. When you reframe fitness and exercise as an act of self care it becomes a whole lot easier to motivate yourself. So throw on those running shoes and get your mental health into the best shape it's ever been in.
Do you use self care apps? Tell us about them in the comments below!
