Any which way, there can be few people on earth who haven’t at some point identified with the feeling of needing some external input to help get started. But the positive news when it comes to the doldrum-languishing drive in 2022 is that, like for almost everything else, there is a motivational app for that. There are a number of them, all a click away (hello motivation apps for Apple watches).
Whether you need an impetus to get up and go or to start that new mindfulness habit, a motivational running app, or motivational apps for weight loss, we take a look at some of the best free motivational apps out there.
Motivational Apps To Help You Jumpstart Your Day
As with so many things, there are a lot of choices there when it comes to the best apps for personal development and motivation. It helps, then, to have a good overview of what you might expect from those choices. Life Tech has a great blog outlining some of the top offerings.
If you feel you need positive affirmations to get your day started in the right way, it recommends Think Up, which will fill your mind with positive thoughts as you go about your business. If, on the other hand, you want to start your day by filling your heart with inspiration and your head with a can-do attitude, then Daily Motivation is a great place to start. It has thousands of speeches on fitness, success, and productivity to boost you as you get ready for the day ahead, all alongside stirring music and videos. Meanwhile, if you need a reminder of your ‘why’ as you prepare to achieve your goals, then iWish Bucket List will remind you of your vision – often using your own imagery to speak to you personally.
If, on the other hand, you need an emotional lift each morning, then join the millions who already use Smiling Mind, which helps users to tune into body and mind before setting about their tasks. Similarly, Mindfulness Coach de-escalates stress before it begins, while Omvana slows you down with guided meditation while also allowing you to set goals for the day. Read the full article on Life Tech here.
Affirmation Apps
Sometimes it’s not enough to think a positive thought. You have to hear it said out loud. Happier Human has a round-up of thirteen free motivational apps which deal with affirmation. It tells us ‘Affirmations are positive statements you tell yourself to change the way you think about certain things. For instance, if you are in a stressful situation, you can use an affirmation like ‘I can do this' or ‘I am better than this problem’ to instantly lift your spirits and turn the odds in your favor. In the same way, affirmations help you overcome self-sabotaging behaviors like self-criticism, procrastination, and overindulgence. Through these words, you help yourself get back on your feet to continue the fight.’
Amongst its comprehensive recommendations, it highlights Think Up which, in concurs with Life Tech, is one of the best motivational apps for 2022, allowing users to flood their brains with positive thoughts daily. Meanwhile, Louise Hay Affirmation Meditations is the brainchild of the titular Louise Hay, one of the trailblazers of the self-help movement. The author of You Can Heal Your Life, the app gives users sixteen of Hay’s most powerful affirmations which she believes are the key to a happy life. Another of its top motivational apps in 2022 is Grateful, which does pretty much what it says on the tin. It encourages users to answer daily prompts, such as ‘What made you smile today?’ The rationale? That gratitude helps with positive thinking and, in time, returning to your thoughts of thankfulness can be akin to creating your affirmations.
InStar Affirmation Writer also gets the thumbs up from Happier Human – its premise that cognitive psychology can improve personal growth and performance. Meanwhile, I Am is designed to ‘rewire your brain and change your negative thoughts into positive ones. It aims to boost your confidence and self-esteem by affirming your dreams and ambitions. It helps you believe in yourself and realize what you are capable of.’
To find out more about these apps and to discover the full gamut of recommendations for motivational apps for iPhone as well as the best motivational apps for Android, read the full article here.
Motivational Quotes and Speeches Apps
Happier Human is a go-to resource for round-ups of apps that help us to feel happier. As it reminds us, ‘Life doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to be. The odds won’t always be in your favor, and you can’t always be 100 percent happy. It may hurt to admit it, but it is perfectly normal to fail sometimes. Even though you get down on yourself sometimes, it is not a good idea to sabotage yourself and dwell on those feelings.’
Helpfully, it rounds up inspirational apps, including motivational quote apps, to see us through. One interesting example is Forest, which helps users to stay focused by prompting them to plant a tree and then assist with its growth every time they eschew unhelpful or distracting activities, such as browsing social media.
For others, motivational quotes are extremely helpful. Motivation: Daily Quotes is a resource that allows you to choose from quote categories and then read positive and inspiring statements throughout the day for well-timed pep talks.
Daily Quote is another option for those who find motivational quotes useful. As Happier Human says, ‘If you are looking for an app that can provide you with inspirational messages daily, then this is a good choice. It offers a premium membership that allows you to search for your desired quotes and do away with advertisements, but we think that the free version is already enough to serve as your daily dose of inspiration.’
For more detail on these, and more inspirational app recommendations, read the article here.
Vision Board Motivation Apps
For some people, writing things down or hearing words spoken aloud is motivation enough. But for many others, a visual tool is necessary. Vision boards help people to see their goals and thus achieve them. And, as Live Bold And Bloom’s article tells us, ‘When you have a clear picture of what you hope to achieve, your mind starts to accept your plans as reality.’
The good news is that these days you don’t need to create a board physically; rather vision board apps and websites can act as your ambition canvas. And their benefit? That once your mind has a visual concept of what your brand of success would look like, it believes it is achievable. And, as we all know, self-belief is vital if you are to achieve what you set out to do. All you need do is choose your goals, select the appropriate words and images, and then choose the website or app that suits you best.
Corkulous is one of the most popular vision board apps, its versatility scoring its points with its fans. With the appearance of a traditional corkboard, you can add sticky notes contacts, and emojis – whatever gets the creative juices flowing.
Dream Vision Board App is another resource that helps you to see your goals, all while suggesting affirmations that will underscore your self-belief.
Mind Movies, on the other hand, uses video content on the basis that people respond better to moving images. As the article tells us, ‘The app allows you to compile your images and phrases into a video slideshow. You can even add music to make the video more compelling and inspirational.’
For more on these Vision Boards plus a host of other recommendations, read more here.
Mindfulness Apps
A decade ago few of us had ever heard of the term ‘mindfulness’ – at least not in its current context. Now it is everywhere and being mindful in many aspects of our lives has become big business. Apps related to the practice experienced a vast increase during the pandemic as we were collectively forced out of our daily routines – all while staying home, sitting tight, and, in many cases, growing increasingly anxious.
So how to navigate the profusion of apps out there for the mindful curious? Helpfully, Mindful.org takes a deep dive into the best free apps available.
Insight Timer, for example, is useful from the perspective of offering some 80,000 free guided meditations, as well as 10,000 teachers who can help tackle stress, insomnia, and relationships. And who, these days, doesn’t have a problem with at least one of those things?
UCLA Mindful is another recommendation that is well worth checking out, especially for newbies. As the article tells us, ‘Developed by the Mindful Awareness Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the app features about a dozen meditations of different types in English and Spanish. You can learn to focus on your breath, your body, or sounds; work with difficult emotions, and cultivate loving-kindness in sessions ranging from 3 to 19 minutes long.’
And Healthy Minds, founded by neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, is another great resource for anyone struggling with mental health – or simply wanting to improve the way that they think about things. Divided into four pillars – awareness, connection, insight, and purpose – the app offers you a sitting or active type of practice, depending on what suits you best.
For more recommendations, check out Mindful.org’s blog post here.
Meditation Apps
What is meditation, asks Healthline, as it delves into the question of the vast number of apps that deal with the subject and which ones rank highest. It tells us, ‘A meditation practice uses techniques to focus your attention and awareness on yourself, a thought, an object, or an activity. Meditation has been practiced by many different cultures for thousands of years to increase spiritual awareness.’
Amongst its benefits are the reduction of stress, the improvement of sleep, and the decrease of blood pressure. Not bad at all for a practice that can, in some cases, take as little as five minutes each day.
Take Breethe, for example. It promises that it will show you how to de-stress and sleep better in just five minutes each day, all thanks to your assigned personal mindfulness coach.
Another extremely popular example is Headspace, which has dual use: in the daytime, it helps to promote calmness, wellness, and balance. At bedtime, it switches modes to help you sleep better using music, nature soundscapes, and storytelling.
Calm, too, has legions of fans and is multi-award-winning, thanks to its ability to help users relax. How? By employing a variety of techniques, from breathing exercises to Sleep Stories with actors like Matthew McConaughey and Jerome Flynn. Got stressed little ones? There is even a Calm Kids section for those aged three to seventeen.
Summary
There are not many of us who couldn’t do with a motivational boost now and again. Happily, these days, we need no longer rely solely on friends or our inner cheerleader, and can, instead, delegate that task to the world of digital apps. Whether you need help to get up and go, to unwind at the end of the day, or to meditate your stress away, having a reminder in your pocket can be a powerful tool. After all, who couldn’t use a helping hand when it comes to the formation of new healthy habits? Since many of the apps are free, the only thing you need to invest in yourself is time. And what is more important than that?
October 2022
