We’re now halfway thru February and I have to ask… how are your new years resolutions going?
Have you fallen already or are you staying strong?
I don’t have the best track record with sticking to my resolutions, so I’m always looking for hacks and tips to help me out. Luckily for all of us, there are tons of apps available and I’ve selected a few of my favorites to share with you…
Want to get more organized?
I always have bits of paper from newspapers or scribbled notes and lists falling out of my diary. I recently started taking photos on my phone of things like book covers or short documents and then I discovered Google Keep.
It allows you to make quick notes on the go including voice memos, keep as many different lists as you want and incorporate photos of receipts, documents and anything else you might need to find later. You can also search your notes and lists and even share them with friends and family
Compared to other list and note apps I’ve used in the past, Keep is much more visually appealing with options to colour code and has replaced my messy note books and bits of paper.
Stop snoozing
I have a horrible confession. I once hit the snooze button every 10 minutes for 4 hours. I’m the kind of person that needs this money shredding alarm clock. Until it’s made available on the market and destroying dollar bills is no longer a federal crime, I’ll have to make do with apps like WakeOrDonate or iCuckoo. Both of these donate money to your chosen charity every time you hit snooze. The only problem is, they might make you feel less guilty about staying in bed…
Improve your sleep
One of the biggest problems with using laptops, ipads and cell phones in the evening is the blue light they emit which suppresses melatonin production. This makes it harder for you to fall asleep and distorts your natural sleep-wake cycles.
The solution is apps like f:lux and Twlilight which allow you to filter the blue light and dim your screen automatically after sunset. Try it on your kids’ devices to help eliminate pre-bedtime hyperactivity.
You might also want to try an app like sleepyt.me which tells you when you should sleep and wake up to make sure you’re at the end of a sleep cycle. This helps you to wake up feeling refreshed instead of groggy.
Be healthier
This has got to be the most common resolution. I keep track of what I’m eating with MyFitnessPal. Keeping a record of everything you eat really helps stop overeating and this app gives you the nutritional content of over 5 million foods, tracks your progress and gives you access to recipes and articles.
Accupedo monitors how many steps you take every day through your cell phone, even if it’s in your purse. You can count individual steps and see how far you’ve walked in miles.
Want to reduce your stress levels?
Meditation doesn’t come naturally to me and I need all the help I can get so I use Headspace. You start off with 10 free guided sessions that last for 10 minutes. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can get access to longer sessions targeted at different aspects of health, relationships and your personal performance including unlocking your creativity. The app tracks your progression and I love the graphics and cute animations that are included in some of the sessions.
You might also want to try Calm which gives you mediations from 2 – 30 minutes as well as beautiful scenes of nature and calming sound tracks. A strong selling point is the 7 days of sleep program it offers.
Take your firm to the next level.
Ok, so this isn’t an app
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