Happy Not Perfect’s mission is to change the way we look after our minds. This couldn’t be a more welcome or relevant cause here in the UK, where – at any one point in time – a sixth of the population aged 16 to 64 has a mental-health problem (according to the statistics body, NHS digital).
The app is backed by scientific research. In its quest to model mindfulness to a generation of frazzled millennials, it offers over 300 meditation, coaching and breathing sessions and a range of expert guides for navigating tricky situations.
The bedrock of the app, though, is its daily seven-step “refresh” routine. Step One: check in with yourself and label the emotion you are feeling, by choosing from a great list. Step Two: breathe, using the Happy Not Perfect guided technique. Step Three: let go of your worries by journaling and then (virtually) setting fire to them. Step Four: write a gratitude list. Step Five: play a quick mindful distraction game that changes each day. Step Six: set yourself and write down a simple challenge for the day (because achieving it will give you a crucial hit of dopamine). Step Seven: make someone else feel good by sending them a Happy Not Perfect vibe.
It’s all very well thought-through, which should surprise nobody as Poppy clearly has wellness in her blood. Among the key members of Happy Not Perfect’s expert team – which includes performance and breathing coaches, meditation and yoga teachers, a neuroscientist and a Buddhist monk – is Poppy’s mother, a psychotherapist.
The app has attracted plenty of high-profile attention.
Vogue said: “Meet Happy Not Perfect, a new mindfulness app that actually works.”
Stylist Magazine reckons: “This clever app is transforming the way we view mindfulness.”
But user reviews are equally positive.
One happy customer says: “The ‘refresh’ feature has blown me away. It’s exactly what I wanted in a wellbeing app – simple, meaningful, user-friendly, engaging and peaceful all at the same time.”
Another raves: “The beauty of this app is that the steps required are simple yet so effective. Being able to write thoughts down that are troubling me and set fire to them really does help. Beautifully designed and satisfying to use.”
In addition to the app, the Happy Not Perfect site also features several illuminating articles along the wellness theme and a small shopping section (which is another example of how carefully Poppy has considered what her consumers want) that sells a pleasing range of Happpy Not Perfect merchandise, like notebooks, eyemasks and an aromatic chill-out spray.
She says: “Our minds can be minefields if not managed… no one should be left alone, and I hope Happy Not Perfect can ensure that no one is. It’s on hand, like a friend, to relax your mind, process your thoughts and offer a new perspective. We’re in this together.”
We feel calmer already.
By Becky Ladenburg
July 2019
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