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We live in an age of readily available distractions, and the pandemic's prolonged existence has made us even more reliant on our gadgets for work and play. While technology has made the hardships of frequent lockdowns easier to bear, we’ve also developed certain unproductive electronic habits and our phones have become a magnet that tempt us to check for emails, breaking news or even social media updates more often than we like. How much would you be willing to give up in exchange for your emotional well-being? During this pandemic especially, mental health issues must be addressed and prioritised above all else, and many people are under a lot of pressure to deal with them.
As the overall goal of World Mental Health Day is to raise global awareness of mental health issues and generate support for mental health initiatives, the day allows those working on mental health issues to discuss their work more openly and everything that needs to be done to make mental health care more accessible for people in Malaysia and around the world.
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day – which falls tomorrow – is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’, and it aims to bring the focus on health beyond the physical in a world that’s currently fighting the coronavirus. To help you in your quest for improved mental health and well-being, Apple has curated a line-up you’d appreciate when going about your daily life; from purposeful apps to enhanced features on watchOS 8’s Mindfulness app and Apple Music playlists that aim to make mental health care easily accessible to everyone through technology.
1. Breathe In: Meditation & Sleep
(Compatible with iOS, iPadOS & macOS)
Overwhelmed by work, household duties and everyday life? One word to always remember is to breathe. Through this app, which includes a 4-6 sequence and other breathing exercises to help you take control of your day, you’ll learn how to focus on your breathing to calm down your heart rate and release tension in your body by doing four-second inhales and six-second exhales. It also stimulates your vagus nerve, which reduces the fight or flight reaction and lowers adrenaline.
Get it here.
2. MindFi
(Compatible with iOS)
Find a comfy spot, relax and take a moment to reflect. MindFi is a science-based mental wellness coach designed to help you develop sustainable habits while enhancing and monitoring your well-being anytime, anywhere. Founded by Bjorn Lee, the idea came from his own experience with meditation, which he began to practice as a way of dealing with high stress. With hundreds of meditations for you to pick from depending on your mood or time of the day, MindFi can bring some calmness and wellness into your day. Expect animated breathing exercises, guided meditations and curated videos by coaches and experts sharing their best tips and tricks. It's up to you to remain mindful and live in the now, whether it's to strengthen your mental focus or simply relax.
Get it here.
3. Wakeout! – Move and Smile
(Compatible with iOS, iPadOS, macOS & watchOS)
Physical activity helps to release endorphins, which cause a happy feeling in the body. Founders, Andres Canella and Pedro Wunderlich aim to make the world a happier place through movement, so they tested out exercises using whatever they could find at home, from plant pots to watermelons! Wakeout! includes a variety of fun and easy-to-follow physical activities that allow you to enjoy the app's unique ways of getting your body moving throughout the day. For instance, coffee lovers will dig the “Coffee Inhales” exercise, where they’ll need to grab coffee, bring it to their noses and inhale the delicious aroma, allowing them to pause and enjoy the blissful morning ritual.
Get it here.
4. Mindfulness App
(New to watchOS 8)
In watchOS 8, the Breathe app becomes the Mindfulness app, with an improved Breathe experience and a new session type, Reflect, which lasts for as little as one minute and can be done anywhere, anytime. Instead of pausing to inhale and exhale, the app will ask you to reflect on something – for example: "Reflect on one thing you're grateful for and think about why you appreciate it so much." With new animations that are easy on the eye and tips to help users get more from each session, both Breathe and Reflect will help you to unwind your mind in a jiffy!
Get more details here.
Keep calm with Apple Music Playlists
Undoubtedly, music has been proven to be effective in helping people cope with stress and anxiety. In line with World Mental Health Day, Apple Music has curated a series of wellness playlists to help you relax your mind and let you ‘travel’ to your happy place. These feel-good, soothing sounds will also guide you in meditating and reflecting whenever the need arises.
5. Healthy Mind: Relax Your Mind by Zane Lowe
“The Relax Your Mind playlist was just me searching for songs that I felt spoke to that theme,” says Zane Lowe about this handpicked collection of comforting songs designed to help you find a sense of peace on any given day. “You can’t control everything in your life, but the music that you choose can alter your mood.” From Radiohead to James Blake, Moses Sumney and SZA, the tracks were handpicked by Zane for their messages: “Please don’t live in fear. Everything’s not lost. Be here now. Be present. Even when you’re at your most out of control, there is music that can stitch those things together.”
Get it here.
6. Pure Calm
This playlist was created to offer you a place of quiet in the chaos; a little oasis in the cluttered landscape of modern life, mixing the mellower side of jazz, contemporary classical and instrumental music. Tune in for some soothing melodies as you go about your day in a world that’s both loud and busy.
Get it here.
7. Pure Meditation
Some scenarios require a soundtrack that blends into the background without drawing attention to itself. Gentle ambient music, acoustic new age, Tibetan prayer bowls and the occasional sounds of ocean waves and rainfall make up this soothing mix designed to help you clear your mind. This playlist is updated on a regular basis, so you can add apiece to your library if you like it.
Get it here.
Featured image: Max van den Oetelaar/Unsplash
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