HOW TO
Crush your bad habits
We all have big ideas of ways we can improve our lives. When these involve giving something up rather than adopting a hobby, fitness regime or new challenge, it’s usually bad habits (or chocolate) that are first on the chopping block.
Yes, finding the willpower to stick with these convictions can be difficult, but don’t worry, you’re not alone in your endeavours. Whatever bad habit you’re looking to break, apps can help you reach your goals. You can thank us later.
Get help to quit
If you’ve tried to stop smoking before, chances are you forced yourself to go cold turkey and crumbled to your cravings. Instead of setting you up to fail, Quit Genius takes a different approach, encouraging you to keep smoking. At least at first.
While this might not sound like the most effective way to quit, there’s method behind the seeming madness. Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques, the app’s multi-step programme guides you through changing your thinking about – and relationship with – smoking.
Not until you feel mentally ready to quit will the app ask you to put down the lighter. And even then you’re supported at every phase of your new smoke-free life.
Ditch the junk food
When it comes to dinner plans, convenience doesn’t need to mean an instant reliance on your fast food takeaway of choice. Helping you eat more healthily without eating into your free time, Kitchen Stories offers hundreds of delicious recipes while teaching you some handy new skills in the process.
Letting you search meals by categories – including a handy “20 Minute Dishes” section for when you’re short on time – the app is filled with delectable delights backed up with nutritional details.
And don’t worry about your limited kitchen abilities. Each recipe is accompanied by a range of handy How-To videos that will teach you everything from basics such as chopping herbs to more advanced techniques like making your own gnocchi.
Reduce your stress levels
All this self-imposed pressure to improve an element of your life can be stressful. And when it’s your stress levels that you’re trying to temper, that’s not a good combination. Fortunately, apps can help here, too.
Headspace offers a broad range of guided meditations and breathing techniques to help you clear your mind after a busy day’s work or frantic evening at home.
With meditations ranging from two minute hits to more substantial sessions, the app can help you clear your mind and hit the reset button. There’s even a section dedicated to helping with stress and anxiety.
Quit being a quitter
Potentially the most difficult bad habit to break is your trend of giving up. Yes, it’s difficult to eat more healthily, stick to a bedtime or avoid giving in to that craving, but by gamifying the process of sticking to your convictions, Streaks makes every day’s goal feel like an achievement.
Once you’ve set your targets, the app will build a daily to-do list. Achieve your daily goal and the streak continues, fail and you’ve broken the chain and will find yourself back at square one.
Relaying information such as your total completed days, longest successful streak and overall completion percentage, Streaks pairs your desire to improve with your competitive nature to great effect.