Back-to-school craziness have anyone feeling a little… crazy? We’re sharing a few of our favorite apps to help you find and make use of those few moments of “me time” in the midst of your money-making-carpool-driving-dinner-making-homework-helping-permission-slip-signing busyness. Even if it’s just a few minutes, you’ll be glad you took a moment for yourself.
If you have one minute to spare: Make self-care a habit
When’s the last time you did something for you? Whether it’s meditating or working out, calling a good friend or taking that probiotic everyday, building these good, self-care habits can be hard when your day is filled with “Mom mom mom mom mom mom”s. With a habit-building app like Balanced or Productive, you can set self-care goals big (get a massage once a month) or small (drink three glasses of water today), and the app will remind you of your goals, celebrate your progress and keep yourself accountable for taking time for you.
If you have five minutes to spare: Zen out
Mediation doesn’t have to be twenty minutes of ommm-ing or nothing at all. The benefits of taking just five minutes to breathe deeply and focus inward can decrease your stress, lower your blood pressure and help you make it through the afternoon. Finding a meditation app you connect with can take a try or two since you’ll want to find one with a voice that won’t make you want to scream (not very zen). Personally, I’ve enjoyed Stop, Breathe, Think (free), Buddify ($5) and the new OMG I Can Meditate (free). You can also just set your phone timer for five minutes, close your eyes and focus on taking longer and deeper breaths — until the kids pile into the car asking for a snack.
If you have 15 minutes to spare: Work out
Don’t have 30 or 60 minutes to exercise? No worries. High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) has been shown to be a quick and effective way to fit in your exercise in small doses with benefits that continue throughout the day. Try Keelo, which tailors its HIIT workout suggestions based on your age, gender, fitness level and available equipment. The workouts average 15 minutes with options as quick as eight minutes. The app also has instructional videos to show you how to do each exercise correctly and a built-in timer to show you when you move on to the next exercise. Did we mention the app is free? #noexcuses
If you have 26 minutes to spare: Nap
Raise your hand if you’re tired. While you may not be able to score a few extra hours at night, you might be able to feel a whole lot more rested with just 26 minutes. I know, I know. It sounds a bit crazy. A 26-minute nap? I wouldn’t believe if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. But I have a dear friend who takes a 26-minute nap most days. She falls asleep in just minutes and wakes up seconds before the 26-minute alarm goes off. It’s crazy, but it’s also crazy effective. Using Nap26, you’ll “learn” to get to sleep fast, get restful sleep and wake up refreshed, un-groggy and ready to rock the rest of your day — all in just 26 minutes.
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