There are apps for literally everything. Need to order groceries? There’s an app for that. Want to double-down on your self-care? You’re covered with that too. Can’t fall asleep? There’s plenty of apps that will help you drift off into dreamland. And then there's motivational apps. These apps can be super helpful, especially during these social distancing days, when it can sometimes take some serious determination just to get out of bed. The benefits of keeping motivational apps handy on your phone include feeling, well, more motivated.
Whether you need help staying inspired to work toward your goals, accountability with sticking to healthy habits, or want to ditch the constant worrying thoughts, there’s an app that will help keep you fired up. Below, seven apps worth downloading for an instant boost of motivation.
Here are the best motivational apps to download now
Happy Not Perfect
Price: free
Launched in 2018 by Poppy Jamie, one of our 2020 Changemakers, Happy Not Perfect is an app that focuses on daily rituals and meditations that will help bring some calm to your life. (Poppy worked for three years of aggregating behavioral studies and developing the app with neuroscientists and researchers before launching the app.) With over 300+ meditations, including the Happiness Workout, plus sound baths and more, you'll find something on this app for you. There's also a premium level, where you can access even more meditations and content. And, for all of May, those who sign up for the premium content (by clicking this link on your phone) will see 50 percent of their purchase go towards The National Council of Behavioral Health's COVID-19 Relief Fund—which works to place resources directly in the hands of community behavioral health providers who are at the front lines, helping people with mental illnesses and addictions.
Forest
Price: $1.99
Need some motivation to stay off your phone? The Forest app does just that with an eco-friendly twist. Here’s how it works: When you want to focus on a task, you start up the app’s 30-minute timer, and a virtual tree starts to grow as you get things done. If you close the app before the time is up, the tree dies. The cool thing is that as your digital forest expands, you earn credits which are then used to plant trees IRL via tree-planting organization Trees for the Future.
Spirit Junkie
Price: $1.99
Perfect for spiritually-inclined, Gabby Bernstein-loving folks, the Spirit Junkie app is your daily dose of inspiration. You wake up to a new affirmation every day written by the best-selling author and spiritual teacher herself like, “When I honor what I have, I create more of what I want” and “I’m ready to go big, rise up and step into my power.” You can set them up as alarms too, so they pop up on your phone throughout the day and keep your mind and energy locked on all things positive.
Fabulous
Price: $9.99 per month
If you need a loving push when it comes to changing your habits, check out the Fabulous app. The science-based app asks you first to select a goal—like drinking more water, meditating regularly, getting better sleep, or not procrastinating. Then it tells you which small habits you should start to implement on a day-to-day basis to reach your goal making it easy, and, dare we say, fun to stay on track.
Sanity & Self
Price: free
As its name suggests, Sanity & Self is all about taking care of your sanity and inner self. It features hundreds of audio sessions (think podcast-style) that support you in all different areas of life, including stress management, anxiety relief, relationships, better sleep, productivity, emotions, and sex. There’s also a self-discovery journal to help process what’s coming up for you and a mood tracker. The premium membership ($9.99 per month) also includes unlimited messaging with their roster experts that include therapists, life coaches, meditation teachers, and more who offer tailored 1:1 support with navigating your specific challenges.
ThinkUp
Price: free
Got a negative Nelly in your mind you want to kick to the curb? ThinkUp can help reduce negative self-talk and step up your positive mindset with affirmations. You sort through 300+ expert-recommended affirmations that cover motivation, career, relationships, achieving goals, dealing with anxiety, and more. Or, you can use some of your own favorite mantras. Here’s the cool part: It allows you to record the affirmations in your voice and add music to the background. Then you simply listen to the recording in the morning and before bed for at least a month to rewire your brain to think in a more empowering way.
Day One
Price: free
Journaling is a powerful tool that can help you feel better when you’re feeling low. With the Day One app, you can get your journaling on digitally anytime, anywhere. You don’t even have to use words in your entries. You can add photos, video clips, audio recordings, or drawings to give some color to your journal entries. If you upgrade to the premium version, you can sort your entries by categories like a gratitude journal, daily diary, workout logs, and motivational quotes.
Peptalk
Price: $69.99 per year
If you love listening to podcasts, you’ll likely be a fan of Peptalk. It’s filled with motivational audio recordings on a wide range of topics including, fitness, business, self-improvement, health and wellness, relationships, spirituality, and more. Expect to hear familiar folks on the app such as Will Smith, Brendon Burchard, Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuck, and the one and only Oprah Winfrey.
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