Did the past year fly by for you or did it feel like two stretched out years squashed into one? The jury is out at The Fruit People office, but it hardly matters anymore. The endless stream of “new year, new me” posts is gushing forth and you’ve either risen with the tide or are desperately reaching out for a lifesaver. In the hype, it is easy to forget that this time of year can also be tough on your mental health if the January blues take hold.
What are the January blues?
Not to be confused with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is caused by a person’s biology, the January blues is a situational issue. Christmas is over and boy, was it expensive. Now you’re back to work and the weather isn’t making that fact any easier to digest. If you overindulged in December, you’re probably feeling worse for wear and maybe struggling to keep those New Year’s resolutions. Family who came to visit over the holidays are gone away again and everything just feels a bit blah.
Luckily there are some fantastic solutions sitting right in the palm of your hand (if you’re reading this on your phone!) We’ve picked 5 of our favourite apps to help you beat those January blues, check them out…
Awesome apps to download in January
Gift yourself some much-needed Headspace
It only makes sense to start with a meditation app, but this isn’t just any app. Ryan Reynolds, Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Watson all swear by it. As for the guy who created it, that’s Andy Puddicombe, a Buddhist monk from Bristol. The app itself provides secular guided mediation sessions to help with all kinds of situations. Meditation is not about silencing your thoughts, as many people think, but rather it is about becoming self-aware so that you can improve your relationship with your mind. Start off with a free trial and test out the Basics pack. If you like it, subscribe and you’ll get access to a vast library of guided meditation sessions for your every need.
YNAB because money can be stressful
Did you expect us to include a finance app? Christmas can be a tough time for many people moneywise, making January feel like the worst hangover ever. Now is the opportunity to take back control of your finances. Give your good intentions material form by downloading YNAB (You Need A Budget). This nifty budgeting app keeps track of all your expenses, helps you to set goals and provides you with all the real-time information you need. The app syncs up to your bank account so that everything is working together to create beautiful charts that make your finances so much easier to get a handle on.
Track your screen time with AntiSocial
AntiSocial is an app that is going to help you kick your phone addiction which only exacerbates the January blues. Yes, an app on your phone will help you use your phone less…bear with us. Now you can track what apps you use the most and automatically cut yourself off if you go over time. Block apps and even compare your usage with other people around the world. Find out exactly how many times you unlock your phone (that one is going to hurt) and receive daily, as well as weekly reports. It’s free and there are no ads, so there’s no excuse not to download this one.
Run to raise money for CharityMiles
Want to get fit and feel good while doing it? It’s not an easy ask, but we think we’ve found an app that does just that. January is the time for New Year’s resolutions but how do you get motivated when the January blues have got you down? CharityMiles is a clever app that tracks your running and, for every mile you log, CharityMiles donates money acquired from their corporate sponsors. We think that this is a particularly great way to bust the January blues because not only do you get fit and get some headspace (all about that headspace) but you are also doing good for other people. Sometimes focusing on the needs of others rather than yourself can restore a more balanced perspective while also making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside because you helped.
The Breathing App for healthier huffs and puffs
Do you appreciate stylish graphics and a super clean interface? Then you need to check out The Breathing App. It’s all about using resonant breathing techniques to balance your heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, respiration, and many other automatic bodily functions. Some people are sceptical about the ability of breathing techniques to influence your body, but if you’ve ever heard of Wim Hof you’ll understand the extreme power this practice can have. He acquired the nickname, The Iceman, by breaking 26 Guinness World Records, mostly for extreme cold related activities. However, if climbing Mount Everest in just your shorts and shoes is not an immediate goal, you could always use resonant breathing to simply destress, improve your sleep and boost your resiliency.
Spread the good vibes to your office this January by ordering a FREE trial of our yummy fruit box to be delivered right to the door!
