App Spotlight: Simple Habit

As a therapist I know all too well that most of us need a bit more tender loving care in our day-to-day lives. It's not easy to find time to practice self-care when you're bombarded with daily worries connecting to performing well at work and at home. That's not to mention maintaining your relationships.  Ironically, all these stressors can negatively impact our health too. That is why it's so important that we consistently give ourselves time to restore and recharge.

The aptly named app Simple Habit seeks to help people do just that, create a new daily habit of restoration and rejuvenation.  Mindfulness strategies are very popular these days both in and out of therapy sessions.

Mindfulness as both a philosophy and practical strategy can help us better cope with the world around us and be more present. Research suggests that mindfulness based cognitive strategies can even help combat anxiety and depression. Simple Habit offers both a free version of the app and a premium version. Both versions give users access to guided meditations and mindfulness exercises. With over 200,000 users around the world, there's evidence that many people need a service like this.

On a smartphone, Simple Habit becomes a digital mindful lifeline where you can practice mindful breathing or meditation while on a walk or on your daily commute (just don't do it while you're the one driving). There's a library full of meditations and exercises led by coaches, therapists and yogis to help you achieve daily inner balance.

If greater inner peace is something that you're looking for, Simple Habit could certainly be worth trying. I tried it myself and found it to be relaxing and a great adjunct to my established daily mindfulness practices. For beginners, it represents a welcoming introduction into the world of mindfulness and meditation. Simple Habit is available in the Apple Store and Google Play.