Favourite Things… Apps!
This is the first in a series of blogs all about my favourite things because…. well, who doesn’t love lists?!
We’re all generally spending more time on our phones these days so I thought I’d kick things off by talking about my favourite apps. Might as well put that device to good use! Covering meditation to movement, organisation, navigation and film editing, everything included on this list is on here because I use them regularly. Here we go…
- Insight Timer — Meditation
First in the list because a global pandemic is obviously a *tad* stressful and I find meditation to be an invaluable tool in my toolkit for dealing with stress! Especially at night, when my busy brain seems to wait until bedtime to start frantically trying to figure everything out.
I first came across this app because one of my all time favourite writers/humans in general, Elizabeth Gilbert, did a guided meditation on fear (which, predictably, I love!). That was a couple of months ago and I listen to a guided meditation on this app every day without fail now. There’s a huge range of topics and teachers to choose from, including various guest appearances. Simply put, it’s brilliant. Find a quiet space (or put some headphones in!) and take a few minutes to recharge.
2. Down Dog — Yoga / Seconds — Intervals
Another fairly recent discovery that I’m wondering how I ever lived without. At the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, I spotted that Down Dog had a free trial lasting for a month. I’ve had a lifetime aim of doing more yoga and whilst I go through phases, most lasting a couple of weeks or so, I’ve never managed to do it consistently. Until now! I did a yoga session every day throughout April using this app and I loved it so much, I then paid for the annual subscription so I could carry on for the foreseeable future. So far I’m on track for daily May sessions, too!
You can choose your level, the type of yoga you want to do, the length of the class and even if there’s anything in particular you want to focus on (tight hip flexors, anyone?) — the app does the rest. Unlike other apps/YouTube videos I’d bookmarked before, you get a different class every time and I think this is one of the reasons this app works so well for me, I don’t get bored!
Bonus: Down Dog also has a few sister apps for things like HIIT, Pilates and Barre that you can also access under the one subscription. I haven’t tested those out because I enjoy putting my previous Personal Training/Kettlebell Instructor qualifications to good use and designing my own circuits/strength sessions… but if you’re stuck for home workout ideas, this could be a great resource! You might also find the Seconds app handy for planning home intervals!
3. Komoot — Adventure Planning / Navigation / Discovery!
Until I discovered Komoot, I was in a semi-abusive relationship with Google Maps — it would regularly send my road bike and I into fields, trespassing through private roads and it apparently seemed to have no concept of why stairs are not ideal when you’re cycling. But, in between these frustrating/baffling detours it would work okay-ish, just well enough for me to keep going back.
Then I discovered Komoot and realised just how much better life could be! Total game-changer for adventure planning / navigation in general. For example, I love that you can pick the type of bike you have and it adjusts the route accordingly, you can plan multi-day tours with useful things like camping options or supermarkets bookmarked and you can even check out cool places that other adventurous souls have tagged on the map that you may want to include on your route. It’s navigation, adventure planning and community all rolled into one brilliant app. Way too many features to list here but suffice to say, I love it!
Currently using it to un-slump my lockdown training and check out new running/cycling routes close to home. After 2 months of the same ol’ trails/roads, these mini adventures really are bringing me SO much joy right now! It’s like designing a DIY treasure hunt — pretty addictive!
**Full disclosure: Komoot are one of the official sponsors for my next adventure but I’ve been using this app since 2018!
4. iMovie — Movie editing!
Speaking of adventures… I use this app for all of my mini adventure films and for plenty of ad hoc projects in between. It’s very user friendly and makes editing quite fun! You can add titles, add music/sound files (for example, voiceovers) and really easily splice the footage together, as well as slow down/speed up the clips as you wish. Perfect for most basic film projects and definitely all you need to make a film on your smartphone!
5. Five Minute Journal — Gratitude
Chances are, if you’ve heard me talk about daily habits you’ll know that I’m fully committed to doing a daily gratitude list every night. It’s something I find absolutely invaluable. I used to have a written journal for this but I started using the 5 Minute Journal app because it was easier to travel with. I like it because you can set a reminder (so no excuses!) to do it (both morning and evening) and it prompts you to write how you could have made the day better in the evening section, too. I find it really useful to reflect on what I could have improved — catches sneaky bad habits like a net and makes you accountable!
Fellow plant eaters, this is one for you. It’s like discovering the Great Library of Alexandria — for your belly!
Veggie/vegan options have become much more mainstream in most restaurants these days but this app is still genius and I wish I’d discovered it much sooner. It uses your location and shows you nearby places that cater to vegans/vegetarians — whether they have veggie options on the regular menu or if it’s a completely vegan cafe. Makes life SO much easier when you’re hungry and somewhere new! Each place is rated and you can also see reviews left by other users.
This app has led me to discovering some really cool places and some delicious meals that I’m sure I wouldn’t have found otherwise. Simple, but brilliant!
Lastly….
7. Evernote — The glue that holds my life together
Evernote is List HQ for me — I use it to plan all of my projects (from adventures to events and all sorts in between). I break each project down and prioritise them all into daily/weekly targets with — yep, you guessed it, more lists!
I also use Evernote to organise notes from books that I read. Anything I find interesting, gets written under the note for that book, which makes it really easy to scroll through later — making it the perfect tool for research, too! You can also go one further and have different notebooks for each project/category. Bliss!
Again, I used to have an actual handwritten journal for my (many, many) lists and lots of post-it notes (hooray for colour coding!) but I love that I can access Evernote wherever I am — very handy considering I’m normally on the move!
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I hope you find this useful! Any apps that you love? Please do comment and let me know!
