There are times when using your cell phone is cool, and there are other times when you should definitely put it away.

Some Examples

When you’re waiting at the bar for your friend and you don’t know what to do with your hands? Sure, whip it out. When you’re at grandma’s birthday party? Nah. Leave it home. When you’re mad at your S/O and you want to let them know so you sit on the couch pouting and scrolling Instagram? Absolutely.  At a concert? God, no. Don’t be that person. When it’s time to get ya head and body right? …You thought I was going to say put it away, huh?

Well sometimes it’s good to quiet your mind and work your body like they used to in the good old days. But other times… There are some really great apps for that.

Most days I wake up, eagerly hop on my yoga mat, do a quick flow, and then sit right down and meditate before I even think about doing anything else. But there will always be those days when you’re just not feeling it. Workout and meditation apps are great for those low motivation days or for people just starting out and looking for a little guidance. Here are a few of my favorites:

STOP, BREATHE & THINK

Stop, Breathe & Think is a really cool (free) meditation app because as soon as you open it, a screen pops up that asks you to press a button that will dim your screen for 10 seconds while you check in with yourself. After that, it asks how your feeling physically and then how your mind is doing. You can check any number of feelings from fulfilled or open-minded to apathetic, clingy,  depressed, overwhelmed or resentful. After you add your emotions, it suggests a number of guided meditations that might help with how you are currently feeling. I always find them to be pretty spot on, and it’s nice to feel seen and heard, even if it is by an algorithm! They also give you the option of hearing each meditation in a few different voices so you can find the one that soothes you best.

BUDDHIFY

Buddhify is another awesome meditation tool. It only costs $5 and it offers endless amounts of zen. Talk about a deal! When you first open Buddhify, you’re greeted with a bright color wheel with a question in the middle: “What’s happening?” The 12 spokes around it each have a couple words describing a feeling or a situation. Ie: Just meditating, waking up, work break, stress, or can’t sleep. When you click on the category that most suits your current state, you are shown 6 different meditations, each one offering a solution or an alternative emotion you might like to feel instead. In each category you will find meditations of different lengths, so if you only have 5 minutes…Buddhify has still got you.

7 MWC

The 7 minute workout app is really cool for a quick, efficient workout. I’ve never been very big on moving quickly, so I’ve always gravitated towards yoga. But unfortunately, we all need to get that heart rate up a few times a week. 7 MWC is awesome because it guides you through a straightforward HIIT circuit that gets your blood flowing and your heart pumping. And we love it because, well, it’s only 7 minutes. It’s perfect to do in the morning before work because you don’t have to wake up an hour earlier to get it in. If you’re a little more dedicated to the cardio game than me, do a few rounds back to back! The app also lets you set goals and keeps track of how many workouts you do in a day/week! It’s like a personal trainer, but not so judgy.

So, as much as we like to hate on all this cell phone culture (I really do love to hate on it!!) it certainly can have it’s perks. So, my friends, download, and go in health!