As a therapist, nothing makes me happier than when a client comes to session to tell me about personal work they have done outside the office. Therapy once a week is a great start to one’s mental health journey. As with most things, however, the more time dedicated to improving your mental health, the more results you will glean. The integration of technology and mental health is an important area that people can use to further their work on their own time. While social media can have a negative effect on health, there is a growing interest in how technology and wellness can come together to help people. Try incorporating some of the elements below, along with regular weekly therapy, to achieve your mental health goals.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great starting place for anyone who is interested in incorporating more mental health information into their day-to-day life. Clients are usually the ones talking in therapy, but I sometimes hear clients say that they are unsure of what to talk about in session. If this is you, try incorporating a podcast around a particular mental health issue that relates to your experience or an area of interest. This can provide information to later break down and process with a therapist. Mental health podcasts can have the added benefit of undoing the feeling of aloneness many people feel around their mental health issues.
Good apps vs. bad apps
It is important to note the distinction between apps that help up and apps that hurt us. There are a lot of apps that can make us feel bad about ourselves. Instagram and Twitter can provide us with content that starts us on a cycle of compare and despair. Unfortunately, people can lose a lot of time on these apps and not realize the negative effects they are having. A bad app is one that promotes negativity in your life. A good app is one that makes you feel good or promotes behaviors that make you feel good. The more time and space we give bad apps the worse we will feel.
Mental health apps
One mental health app that promotes wellness and can be a great companion outside of the therapeutic space is Happy Not Perfect. Happy Not Perfect is a one stop mental health shop. There are meditations, affirmations, and guides designed by mental health professionals to help get you through any challenging situation. Happy Not Perfect can help you check in with yourself and along with therapy help you recognize and sit with emotions. There are other mental health apps, like Headspace, more focused on meditation that can help you practice meditation and wellness in addition to your therapeutic work.
Other helpful apps
There are a lot of other apps out now to help us live our best lives. They might not be specifically focused on mental health and technology but they can be used to make us feel better. How we sleep, how we eat, and how much we walk around or move our bodies all affect how we feel inside. For example, Pacer tracks your steps and logs your work-outs to help you meet your daily goals for being active. Fooducate is an app that helps you understand what you are putting into your body and helps improve diet through education. Sleep Cycle is an app that helps you monitor and understand your sleep patterns to make sure you are getting enough rest. Sleep is an important part of mental health.
Watch: 4 Tips for Getting Better Sleep
Incorporating technology into mental health is an important tool we can use on our journey to better ourselves. We already use technology without thinking about it, sometimes to our detriment. By making technology work for us, rather than against us, we can take more control of our mental health and overall wellness. Having apps that help us feel better in addition to having regular therapy can help us lead better lives.
How do you incorporate technology into your wellness routines? Join the conversation in the comments below!
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