Years ago, when my kids were little, I barely had time to breathe, let alone do anything else. Ok… I’m exaggerating a bit, but most parents can relate to what I mean.
My kids are young adults now, but I still need to parent them (to some degree) and they still keep me busy. Case in point, our daughter just had her debit card stolen, and now we have to pay her bills until she gets a new card. Ugh!
Being a parent always keeps you on your toes, no matter what the ages of your children are.
But it’s not just children. Your job, your home, and a variety of other factors take time away from “you time.”
Sometimes I NEED a few minutes to myself, to “decompress” and gather my thoughts. I know many people feel the same way.
Life throws a lot at us. Parenting, work commitments, family problems… it can all make you feel like you are being pulled in a million different directions. As a result, we are often stressed, and have feelings such as anxiety, frustration, sadness, or just completely worn out.
What if there was a way to redirect your negative energy into more positive energy? Well, now there is an app that can help with that called Mindcurrent. It helps you relieve stress, create clear, focused thinking, and regain your sense of control. After using it for just a few minutes, you will find you can reduce your stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration.
The app is free and you can download it at mindcurrent.io/iphone (iPhone) or mindcurrent.io/android (Android).
Here is a little more information about the app.
With personalized recommendations from the world’s leading psychologists, Mindcurrent helps you visualize your emotional and behavioral patterns, so you can make better choices every day.
To improve recommendations, you can optionally allow the app to access heart rate and activity data from the Health app in order to obtain a more comprehensive view of how daily activity affects your emotions.
Use Mindcurrent to:
– Build self awareness, focus, and a calming sense of control for a happier, healthier mind.
– Reduce stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration by eliminating unwanted influences.
– Visualize your emotional and behavioral patterns to build healthy mental habits for greater success and stronger relationships.Built by leading psychologists, data scientists, and behavioral artists, Mindcurrent helps you feel better with complete privacy. Your information is protected, encrypted, and will always be yours because Mindcurrent does not sell, share, or own your data. The more you put in, the better you’ll feel, and the more personalized your recommendations will be.
I downloaded it to give it a try. Mindcurrent does not require you to provide them with any personal information when you sign up. It just asks for your name, email and phone number. The app will also ask you about what kind of recommendations you want (stress, parenting, relationships…). You can select them all, or just the ones you feel you want to focus on the most. I checked them all except relationships. I have a great relationship with my husband and with others (family, friends, co-workers). I didn’t think I needed help in that area. But I can always change these options later if I want to.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll come to a screen with a colorful circle. Around the circle you’ll see keywords like Stressed, Excited, Anxious, Happy, Focused, Relaxed, Tired, and Sad. Using your finger, tap anywhere in that circle that pinpoints how you are feeling at that moment. Based on what you select, Mindcurrent will personalize recommendations for you based on where your energy is at that moment.
Next, Mindcurrent will offer you a selection of brief videos. They typically range from 1-3 minutes, but there are a few that can last up to 8 minutes (based on the ones that were suggested for me).
Some of the videos feature leading psychologists who provide advice or insights about your overall wellness and simple things you can do to reduce your negative energy or fatigue.
Some of the video topics I have found (and used) include;
- Learn Happiness
- Focus Infusion
- Power Breath
- Successful Day
- Life a Coworker
- Confidence Infusion
Most of the videos feature the psychologist. You can watch the psychologist, or you can remove their video and just listen to them, especially if you don’t want other people to see what you’re watching.
Sometimes the psychologist will ask you a question, and a box will pop up for you to write down what is on your mind (like a journal entry). The psychologist does NOT see your answers/response. None of this is live. These are pre-recorded videos. What you write down is only seen by YOU and ONLY YOU. That way you can be as brutally honest about how you are feeling without anyone else knowing.
I like that the videos are brief. I sit down in a quiet room so that I can fully focus on what they psychologists is asking me to do (focusing, breathing exercises, writing things down in the app’s journal…).
I really enjoy the videos in this app, and I am looking forward to them adding more.
I feel relaxed and more focused after I spend a few minutes in the app. I have so much going on right now that I NEED these moments to myself. To gather my thoughts and get myself on track to get things done.
I appreciate the breathing techniques often suggested, as well as other tips. For example, in the Mindful Eating video the psychologist suggests turning off the television and putting down your phone while eating. He also suggests putting down the fork/spoon in between bites and focusing on what you are eating, so you are being more mindful of it. These are great tips! Most people shove food in their mouths without even realizing what they ate. Being more mindful of how you are eating and what you are eating could help you to make healthier choices, and enjoy the simple act of eating.
This is not something you can listen to in the car (unless someone else is driving). You want to be someplace quiet where you can focus on the recommendations being presented to you. For example, you can listen to this at your desk at work with headphones, or at home, or right before bed, or any other time and place when it might help.
The app keeps track of your energy levels in an “Energy Report”, so you can see what areas you need help with the most. Along with your energy and thoughts, Mindcurrent also lets you capture what things (or people) are influencing you, so you can see these patterns and learn more about yourself. Just thinking about what was influencing me helped me realize what was affecting my mood at certain times. It’s really quite insightful.
So far, I am really enjoying this app, and I have tried many of the suggestions from the videos, so I am learning some great techniques as well.
The app currently has a 5-star rating in the Apple app store. One of the reviewers commented on how Mindcurrent is a better way to start your day than mindlessly scrolling through Facebook. I completely agree.
If you are interested in learning more about the Mindcurrent app, or if you would like to download it to try it out for yourself, visit mindcurrent.io/iphone (iPhone) or mindcurrent.io/android (Android).
You can also visit the official website, www.mindcurrent.io. In addition, you can check out the app on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Is this an app you would try? Why or why not?
Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Kimberly
*I have partnered with Mindcurrent to bring you this information. Although compensated, the opinions expressed are entirely my own and not influenced in any way. All app images are from my own personal phone and app account.