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Doom scrolling, social media anxiety and checking work emails are all pretty bad uses of our smartphones! But believe it or not, you can relax with your phone, putting it to better use. There are apps for pretty much everything these days, and many of the best are even free. Yay!
Like most people you probably have your phone with you all the time. More than calling and texting, you can use modern phones for meditation, and even reading your favorite books.
Playing Mobile Games
One of the most popular uses of smartphones, besides using social media, is playing video games. Video games in your pocket are nothing new. But the power of modern smartphones rivals that of a game console these days. From classics like Minesweeper and Solitaire to modern franchises such as Assassin's Creed and Fortnite, there are many to choose from. However, the control system of smartphones lends itself well to turn-based strategy games.
Relax with Your Phone Using Meditation Apps
Meditation is a popular way to relax. All over the world, around 275 million people practice meditation on a daily basis. The benefits include reduced stress, more energy and focus. However,it can be hard to do and takes years to master. But as we always say, there's an app for that. Apps such as Headspace offer different types of meditation and relaxation guides for the specific benefits you want. Some are free but you need to pay for more advanced features.
How About Guided Breathing
It can be quite a challenge to meditate and release your mind from the burdens of modern life. If you have an excited mind, then guided breathing might be a better option. Similar to meditation, you focus on breathing. However, there is no mantra. Yet some swear by breathing methods for stress relief, focus, and energy, much like meditation. Apps such as Rootd offer various guided breathing exercises to help you achieve the results you wish to achieve with your time.
Coloring Book Apps
You might think coloring books are for kids! But they have exploded in popularity over the past few years. Coloring therapy is recommended for reducing stress and anxiety, similar to art therapy. Maybe it works because we aren't all artists. But creative expression is known to be excellent for mental health. Apps like Colorfy offer all kinds of images for you to color with your phone or tablet. Perhaps this is a little better than carrying an entire book around with you!
Sounds to Relax with Your Phone
Tons of people use their phones to listen to music with apps like Spotify and Amazon Music. Music is well known and recommended as therapy and for relaxation. There are other ways you can use the audio of your smartphone to help with sleep, anxiety, and stress reduction.
Different types of noise
One of the biggest issues you may have is poor sleep. About 30% of people experience insomnia at some point in life. Different noise types can help with sleep problems. These include white noise, brown noise, and pink noise. You can use YouTube and sleep apps for these.
The sounds of nature
Your phone can transport you to another place! If you can't get away from the hustle and bustle of life and to an exotic destination, there are apps that can help you. Nature sounds are used for relaxation and include birdsong, whalesong, thunderstorms, and sounds of the forest.
Binaural beats and brainwave entrainment
Binaural, brain what? Don't be scared by these big words. Binaural beats are used for brain entrainment. All it means is using an offset of frequencies in each ear to maintain a steady frequency when combined. Each frequency has varying effects such as relaxation or focus.
The audio capabilities of your phone can help you relax. Common ways to use your phone include white noise for sleep, listening to the sounds of nature, and binaural beats. Any of these can help take you away from the stress of life for a little while, with positive effects over time.
Apps to relieve tension
Can anyone say they don't experience tension now and then? Tension is often overlooked because of more serious issues such as depression and stress. However, tension can be a symptom of stress and needs work. But how do you relieve tension? We don't have a massage therapist in our pocket. That would be weird. But you have apps that can teach you how to relieve tension yourself. The most popular app for this is Acupressure: Heal Yourself.
Sit Back with an Audio Book
Literature is a popular way to spend some time. But maybe you don't want to read all the time. Not everyone can read either because they never learned, have vision problems, and have a plain dislike of books. A popular alternative is audiobooks. Apps such as Audible offer an excellent selection of almost every popular book ever written. These include books by authors like Stephen King, JK Rowling, and John Grisham, which you can listen to on the couch!
Relax with Your Phone with a Good eBook
It can be easy to assume that print is dead. And there is an argument for that. But is it really? One survey found that 65% of people actually prefer a printed book over an eBook. However, eBooks have many benefits. For example, you can carry an entire library in an eReader or reader app on your phone. Additionally, you don't have to carry around a bulky book when you want to read it. You can catch up on a story by whipping out your phone whenever you can.
Catch Up with Friends and Family
There are many disadvantages to using social media. Many of us use it for all the wrong reasons, with negative effects. But how about using social media for what it was intended: to be sociable? Catching up with family and friends (real friends) is a great way to pass some time and relax with your phone. Pretty much any expert will tell you that social interaction, even on the phone, is excellent for dealing with issues such as isolation, depression, and loneliness.
Summary
A quick fix of gaming is a popular way to relax with your phone. You can also use it for sounds such as white noise, nature, and binaural. You can also catch up with friends on social media.
