Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Whether you want to get fit, save money, or find a new job, these apps will help you stay on track and make sure you don’t abandon your New Year’s resolutions.
It’s a new year and magazines at this time are usually championing a new you. But we’ve all been through far too much these past few months to give in to such pressure from the outside world or ourselves.
Still, there is something to be said about taking time to recalibrate yourself and practice true self care. Resolutions can be reframed to instead be things you want to accomplish to lead a calmer, healthier life, especially now. To remove the burden of your sorting through ways to embark on some changes, we’ve found some apps that can help.
If you need one app to rule them all, keep track of your resolution progress with Strides (iOS) or Loop (Android). For something a little more specific, check out the list below.
Be More Fulfilled
How to live a fulfilling life has baffled philosophers for centuries. One practice that is proven to help get you there is taking stock of what you already have. You can do that with Grid Diary, which lets you journal your day via helpful prompts to focus on gratitude, family, and friends. The prompts are customizable, so you can focus on what’s important to you.
Eat More Healthily
Eating healthier means different things to different people.
If you want to track calories, MyFitnessPal (iOS, Android) makes it easy, with a database of over 11 million foods. If something’s not there, enter it manually or scan a UPC code. But its integration with fitness trackers and apps really makes it a winner, giving users an overall picture of calories in, calories out. If you want a more formal program, you’d do well to join the time-tested Weight Watchers (now known as WW) and use its accompanying app, which includes 24/7 support from a coach.
If you’re concerned about the quality of your food, download Fooducate (iOS, Android), which gives every food in its database a letter grade for nutrition. To find a healthy alternative to favorite splurges, scan a product’s bar code, and the app will offer up suggestions.
The only way to know exactly what you’re eating is to make it yourself, though. With SparkRecipes (iOS, Android), you can search the database of over 500,000 recipes to find the ones that fit your taste and nutritional needs. For those who aren’t skilled in the kitchen, there are video demos and plenty of tips.
Maybe 2021 is the year you go vegan or vegetarian. Plenty of apps can help you make the adjustment in what and where you eat.
For those with disordered eating, just the thought of food-related resolutions can cause anxiety. Rise Up + Recover (iOS, Android) helps you manage feelings related to food-related issues.
Get Fit
Most workouts are now home-based, and obé Fitness guides you through classes, whether you’re a novice or a gym rat. For a monthly fee, you can take unlimited live and on-demand HIIT, dance, sculpt, yoga, pilates, cardio boxing, barre, and other classes from your phone, tablet, or streaming device.
When you don’t have enough time for a full workout, try J&J Official 7 Minute Workout (iOS, Android). The app’s name is a bit of a misnomer, but in a good way: it offers a range of workouts from seven to 32 minutes each; they were developed by the director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.
Improve Your Health
There hasn’t been a year in our collective memory in which we’ve truly absorbed the lesson that health is everything. It can be overwhelming to get one clear picture of your medical history, though. FollowMyHealth (iOS, Android) is a good place to start for a repository of basic health information, a way to track medical appointments, and a source to share with (and in some cases communicate with) your physicians.
This has been a breakout year for telemedicine. Doctor on Demand (iOS, Android) comes to your phone or tablet. You can see a physician immediately or schedule an appointment. Prescriptions are sent to a pharmacy near you. Doctor on Demand accepts insurance but also accommodates the uninsured.
Quit Smoking
Aside from the fact that it’s difficult to text and smoke at the same time, your phone can help you put down that cigarette for good. MyQuit Coach (iOS) creates a personalized plan to help you quit smoking. Android users can do the same with Stop Smoking.
For additional motivation in the form of meditation, supplement a stop-smoking app with Quit Smoking With Andrew Johnson (iOS, Android). The Sean Connery–sounding hypnotherapist is soothing and effective.
Find a New Job
Unfortunately you could be one of the many who face unemployment in this pandemic. Or this much time to reflect could have made you realize that you need a job or career change. Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for a new job, LinkedIn (iOS, Android) lets you manage how employers see you and puts you in touch with colleagues and employers past, present, and future.
To ensure your resume is in top shape if you do get a call, use Resume Star (iOS). You won’t have to worry about format, fonts, or anything except filling in your details. Android users can try Resume Builder.
When your connections and resume snag you an interview, make sure you’re prepared by reading up on the interview questions you’re likely to be asked and even the scoop on whether the company is a place you want to work. Glassdoor (iOS, Android) has reviews of workplaces from current and past employees, salary ranges, and the lowdown on what it might otherwise take you months at the water cooler to learn.
Spend Less Money and Save More
Budgets might not be your thing but having one can give you some peace of mind. Mint (iOS, Android) lets you plug in some basic banking information, make a few decisions about how much you want to spend on what, and then keeps you in line.
If you’re trying to find a way to save and it seems impossible for many reasons, you’re far from alone. Give Digit (iOS, Android) a try because the app analyzes your spending and sets aside what you can afford into savings accounts geared toward your goals.
Having debt can drag you down mentally. Feel free in the new year with a plan to pay it down with Debt Payoff Planner.
Use Your Time Better
Productivity does not mean taking on stress. But getting a handle on your habits can help you achieve more of a sense of calm. With Productive (iOS), you can watch your progress as you build good behaviors. It’s a helpful way not only to see how you spend your days but also to decide how you want to spend them. Smarter Time is a similar product for Android users.
If you feel like productivity management might actually take too much time out of your day, then you’ll likely benefit best from a simple but efficient to-do app such as Todoist (iOS, Android).
Self Improvement and Personal Growth
Therapy is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself. Yet it can also bring up its own issues, such as cost, inconvenience, and worries about the stigma of seeking help. Fortunately, there are many online therapy apps that can help to reduce and eliminate some of these concerns.
Meditation is another way to bring more peace to your life. Even a few minutes a day can make a difference, and there are lots of apps to help guide you.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
