B'well therapists do not live under a rock; we know that we exist in a day and age when there's an app for everything- including our mental health- and while we believe there's nothing quite like IRL connection, we were curious to try some of the apps we've seen and have even had recommended to us by clients. So in this blog series, we're sharing our reviews of some of the apps we've tried* one week at a time this summer.
*Worth mentioning b'well counseling services is not an affiliate or sponsor of anything we're reviewing and we are definitely not getting paid to share our opinions on these products!
Today it's me, Katie, here to share some of my experiences from this past week...
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What app did you use for one week? Happy Not Perfect
What were your impressions before you started using it? I'm a little weary of anything selling "happiness" but I was interested to try something that integrated mindfulness, gratitude, and neuroplasticity all in under three 3 minutes of use!
How was the interface for this app? It was OK. Nothing overly-impressive. For folks who like organization and structure, you'll like the home screen. Products with a more eclectic, artsy feel appeal to me more so in this way, I wasn't super inspired by this app. But back to the question, easy to navigate and clearly labeled. The set up is a lot like another app I use (Calm) and the only draw back to both of these is sometimes there's just too much too choose from in each category.
What about the app was helpful? I loved that for the daily practice I didn't have to pick and choose, it just did it for me. And as much as I'm trying to take more and more mindful time, I also appreciated that this was something I could use in just a few minutes to reset between tasks, clients, or transitions in the day.
What would you add or take away from the app? I would have loved to have some quick body connection work (besides breathing) in the short-practice.
What did you notice after using this app for one week? The first thing I noticed was I was wanting to use it more and more. Because I've been practicing gratitude for a while now I think I have already been rewired for appreciation but this definitely boosted that. The most impactful thing I noticed was that now, instead of picking up my phone and opening my email, voicemail, or Instagram, I go straight for HNP, which is a- OK with me! Usually when I'm done doing a quick exercise on there I don't really want to stay on my screen anymore.
Who would benefit most from this app? Anyone who feels like they just are not made for meditation or mindfulness practices.
What's the cost for this app after a free trial? $11.99/month of $59.99/annually