In the age of technology
Today's lifestyles are tough on the mind, body, and soul. Our daily routines may include being online and connected to our phones, staring at computers screens, and living away from our loved ones. Because of this, we often feel the urge to record all our ideas, experiences, and interactions.
I definitely can take this to the extreme, my Myers Briggs type is INTP, which means I have a passion for knowledge. While this is often a positive characteristic, my passion for knowledge also causes me to default to doing research on my devices or scrolling through social media in my free time. Like many others, I also have ADD plus I am a nocturnal creature, this combination can easily cause me to spend way too much time on my screens.
As I've faced my addiction to my devices head on, one of the things I've learned is that mindfulness takes mindfulness...but it also breeds mindfulness. While I do set boundaries with technology there are also ways to optimize tech in a mindful way to actually enjoy the benefits.
See below for some of my favorite apps to keep me zen in the digital age.
I love this app for how simple and user-friendly it is! This app has a great interface with calm and cool color tones to get you in the mindfulness mindset. This app is great because it has meditation options for being mindful, loving kindness and unguided meditations with great nature sounds. There are also breathing exercises and sleep options to help you wind down from the day.
FREE
This is a favorite with many and you can even find meditations by celebrities like Russell Brand and Goldie Hawn. It shows you how many people are using it with you. It's simple to use, with a good UX design. We love how much free content there is - there are many guided meditations. We also love the meditation timer!
FREE
Hatch Restore Is a sleep aid device that you purchase that combines a sound machine, sunrise alarm, smart light, meditation app, and an alarm clock into one smart sleep assistant. The machine is approximately $129 and they also have an app to use with it. There is a free version but we love the premium version for all it’s bells and whistles. Such as various sleep meditations and sounds. We know this is on the more expensive side but we love that this device comes with an app that upgrades with the latest technology instead of having the need to buy the latest upgraded device which saves on costs in the long run.
APP: FREE VERSION | PREMIUM $49.99 per year
DEVICE: $129.99
4) SPIRIT JUNKIE
This is a card deck app by Gabby Bernstein, author of The Universe Has Your Back. This contains 52 energetically charged cards featuring beautiful watercolor illustrations and empowering messages to provide divine guidance, inspiration, and support as you strengthen your spiritual connection. A lot of the messages are a great reminder to set to be mindful and set an intention for your day.
$4.99
This app comes complimentary with your Iphone but if you are an Android user you can download the equivalent QualityTime. You can use these apps to monitor how much time you spend on your phones throughout the day and provide useful breakdowns to see if you're hitting your mindfulness with tech goals. Screen Time even has features like app limits, communication limits and a screen time passcode to keep in alignment with your digital wellness.
Do you have any apps you use to help you feel zen with your devices? Let us know in the comments below.
