But staying home for a long period of time can be a little rough, and, for the looks of it, we’re going to be in lockdown for a while. So how can we make the best of our time and use it to our advantage? Well, here are a few categories of apps that can keep you busy and distracted during these uncertain times, but that can also help you grow as a person.
Apps to Keep Up With the News During Quarantine
While you shouldn’t cross the line and get caught in the current infodemic surrounding the current situation, you still need to know what’s up. It’s important to know what your government decided, what you need to do and what is happening around you. However, keep in mind that there’s a lot of fake and alarming news out there, so you should only get your information from trusted sources. Here are a few suggestions from us!
1. AP News
With a clean and intuitive user-experience, AP News has self-written articles, as well as from local, national or global sources for you to read. The topics are really diverse, from sports to technology, politics, and everything – so you won’t miss a thing that interests you. The app itself is free, but it has ads to support itself, and there is no premium version that would let you get rid of them.
2. Feedly – Smarter News Reader
This RSS reader is currently one of the most popular news apps on the market. You can pull content from various sources and, in time, you can build your own network of news from your favorite places. It’s already integrated with Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, Pinterest, IFTTT, the works. Also, you have access to your feed from both mobile devices and your computer – which is a really nice touch.
3. Podcast Addict
This is a multi-purpose news app. Combining an RSS reader and a podcast app, it can most certainly quench your thirst for news. You can subscribe to your preferred news sources, so you can add them to your feed. Of course, there are better RSS readers, and better podcast apps, but this combination is quite unique and it saves the space it would take to have dedicated apps.
4. Reddit
Most people, when they say Reddit, they say memes and fun. But you should know that if it’s trending news, it’ll be on Reddit too. You can subscribe to the subreddits that interest you – and it’s highly likely that you will find anything on Reddit, from fashion to politics. If you don’t take yourself too seriously and are up for a nice forum discussion, you should check Reddit out, if you haven’t already. You should also try some of your local news apps. Usually, they’re not too bad and they keep you informed about your local community. If you don’t know their names, you can search your popular news channel to see if they have their own app. For more suggestions, check out our article Newsworthy Free News Apps.
Best Apps to Keep Your Mind Active During Lockdown
Maybe you’re still in school – and you still have to take online courses. But even if you’re not, it’s always good to keep your mind active no matter what. So here are a few fun apps that can help you do that!
1. Lumosity
This app has a series of brain games that focus on different areas, like memory, problem-solving and attention span. You get a series of 3 games every day, changing every day so that your brain keeps being challenged. And, to add a little stress factor, all the games have to be completed against the clock. Also, the graphics and design look pretty neat, so the app itself is really pleasing for the eye.
2. Elevate – Brain Training Games
Developed with experts in education, this app has the same format as Lumosity. Little games, time-based, that focus on different parts of your brain. You can watch your progress, based on your scores, or on the mistakes that you make (or stop making!). This app has its way to keep you motivated. The app claims that if you use this app 3 times per week, you could experience dramatic cognitive gains and even increased confidence. Sounds good to us!
3. Peak – Brain Games & Training
This is another app that follows the same pattern. Developed with the Department of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, this app uses brain games and tricky puzzles to challenge different parts of your brain, all to keep your mind active. With 10 minutes per day, you can complete a full brain workout – and you can even track your progress!
4. Happify
This app is a bit different. If you need an extra boost of happiness in your life, try to Happify yourself. A quirky combination of quizzes, gratitude journals, polls and activities that have simple purposes: reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts, improve emotional well-being. If this sounds like what you need, we encourage you to give this app a try.
5. Remente: Self Improvement
This app is also a little atypical. Instead of training your brain, this app can help you improve your overall life and habits. It comes with a daily planner with a to-do list, but also with long term goals that you should aim for. Also, it can help you get an overview of your actual style of life, you can keep a mood journal or read self-help articles.
6. AnyBooks – Free Download Library, novels&stories
This app is one of our personal favorites. There are very few books that we’ve searched and not found on this app. If you’re looking for a new habit to form during this quarantine, then it should be reading! From classics to modern writers and even aspiring writers – you can find it all on this app. There are lots of things you can learn online! For more apps, we suggest you check out our following articles:
Android Apps For Kids Learning: Tech to Teach Your ToddlersBest Android Apps for Learning the Japanese LanguageRead Hemingway by Learning How To Download Free Books On AndroidBest Language Learning Apps for Android to Gain Fluency
Best Apps to Improve Your Mental Health During Quarantine
Mental health has been gaining more and more attention recently – which is a great thing. And during times like this, it’s perfect to keep trying to work on yourself – or even to keep yourself afloat if you feel you’re slipping away. Always be mindful and don’t let anything drag you down!
1. What’s Up
This app uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy strategies in order to aid you in battling depression, stress, and anxiety. You can use the habit tracker to keep you committed to improving yourself and to see which of your current habits are toxic. This app also has a “Get Grounded” page, with 100+ questions to help you find out what you’re feeling if you can’t put your finger on it.
2. MindShift CBT – Anxiety Canada
Lots of love for this app. MindShift promotes trying to change our perspective on anxiety, rather than just pushing our feelings aside and labeling them as “bad”. It’s especially good for teens or young adults, but we personally think that it could help anyone during tough times. You can think of this app as your to-go place when things get intense, emotions get rough, and when you need a change of pace and someone to cheer you on.
3. eMoods Bipolar Mood Tracker
You don’t have to be diagnosed as bipolar in order to benefit from this app, even though it’s designed with that in mind. You can track your feelings or symptoms with this app and, in time, you will be able to see your changes of mood in a color-coded calendar. It can better help you understand your mood swings and what causes them and, perhaps, even make you work towards a solution.
4. Headspace: Meditation & Sleep
This is a meditation app – don’t scroll down yet! The app has grown a lot over the years and the sessions they deliver are truly amazing and effective. You have the chance of learning the skill of mindfulness with only a few minutes of your day. There are hundreds of meditation sessions that focus on different things, like stress or anxiety. The app itself needs a subscription, but, due to the current situation, they have a free section dedicated to helping you get through these uncertain times with a sane mind.
5. Calm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax
This is another amazing app concentrated on mental health. Whether you’re an expert on mindfulness or just getting started, the app surely has something you’re going to enjoy. Grom sleep stories, breathing exercises, relaxing music or guided meditation – you choose your own path and see what feels good. All you need to do is a little exploring!
Best Apps to Get In Shape While Staying Home
The thought might have crossed your mind: you have to stay home, you’ll become a couch potato and will forever be married to that comfortable sofa. However tempting that may be, there is no excuse! This is the perfect time to lose – or gain weight – or improve your general health. So keep that body moving!
1. Noom: Health & Weight
Noom is one of the best calorie trackers we’ve seen. Not because it has more advanced algorithms or the best design ever, but because of its perspective on weight loss/gain. Noom is all about empowering, flexibility and help, rather than restrictions and distress. It uses scientifically-proven technology that identifies your thoughts so that it can provide you with a diet plan to reach your goal. Its flexible system lets you set and aim for short and long term goals that you wish for.
2. 30 Day Fitness Challenge – Workout at Home
No gym doesn’t have to translate to no exercise! This app offers you training plans that will help you reach a specific goal – planned out for 30 days. Each day you will receive a set of exercises to do, with the difficulty increasing from day to day. There are detailed videos of the exercises and, the best part is … you don’t need any kind of equipment! Just good spirits and motivation!
3. Home Workout – No Equipment
Another great fitness app – actually, a fitness guide. Obviously, it has workout routines for you to try, suitable for staying at home. But that’s not all – it has food charts, facts about nutrition, weight tracker and many more. So it’s like having a personal trainer living with you – but not taking any of that precious personal space. The only downside of this app might be the ads but, hey – the developers have to be supported somehow, right?
4. 7 Minute Workout
So, you’re staying at home, but you’re still a busy person. Working from home, kids to take care of and those personal projects that you’ve been putting aside for a while. Okay, but do you have 7 minutes? We think you do, and so do the developers of this app. The 7 Minute Workout app, as the name suggests, will provide you with short workout routines that will help you get closer to your goal in the most effective manner possible. No excuses!
5. Google Play is flooding with fitness-related apps. If you want to see more, we recommend you read our related articles:
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Best Apps to Get Your Workflow On at Home
Since you are staying home, you probably have to work as well. But sometimes, it’s easy to get distracted and procrastinate (oh, don’t we know!). So here are some apps that can help you stay on track with your tasks and breeze through that task list in no time, while also enjoying it!
1. Forest: Stay focused
This app = amazing. It’s basically a timer that prevents you from seeing your phone as a distraction. But, it does so in a very lovely way – according to how much time you spend working, you can grow a little cute forest in your app! the design is simply eye-pleasing and, honestly, it might sound silly, but really motivating! And the best thing – based on your time using the app, it can turn your virtual trees to actual ones, if you buy the pro version. so, not only will you say bye to procrastination, but you will also be helping the environment!
2. Habitica: Gamify Your Tasks
If you’re looking for a fun way to keep track of your tasks…look no further. This app makes you feel like you’re the protagonist of a video game, and your missions are the tasks in your to-do list. Create an amazing avatar and start checking off your goals, in order to level up! It’s a very easy and fun way to keep motivated and organized – and you can even compete with your friends. Who is the overachiever in your friend group?
3. My Phone Time – App usage tracking – Focus enabler
This app is here to show you how you spend your time. Wish you were more productive? Use the focus timer on this app – it blocks you from using distracting apps for a period of time that you set. You can also see detailed statistics about how and for how long you’ve used certain apps, and try to set limits and boundaries to your addictiveness. So this app can boost both your productivity and online habits!
4. There are tons of productivity apps on the internet today. Check out our related articles to find out more:
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What Other People Ask
Life Indoors – Keep Busy During Quarantine!
There are so many things you can do during this time at home. So try to see it as an opportunity to grow! Be more productive, more mindful, take care of your mental and physical health. Read a new book, start a new hobby. So many things! But most importantly, take care of yourself! We hope that the apps we’ve suggested can help you in this current situation – we know that we’re going to use them! So, what do you do at home? Which app is your favorite? Let us know in the comments down below!
