Stress, an unavoidable part of life, is our body’s natural reaction to difficult circumstances and it can lead to heart disease, diabetes, headaches and depression. To help mitigate the negative effects of stress, PyxisCare has discovered twelve FREE self-care apps and websites that we can practice daily.

According to research, there are five primary areas of self-care. They are mental/emotional well-being, physical/recreational, environmental, social, and eating healthy. Take a look at the resources below and find what works for you. Each resource represents one or two of the five wellness areas.

1. Tara Brach Meditation – It Works! While there are lots of resources for meditation, Tara Brach is one of the best. Her website contains free guided meditations in multiple categories including basic, heart, and open awareness meditations. My favorite one so far, posted in January of this year is titled “What Matters to your Heart?” If meditation is your relaxation technique of choice, this option is for you. (Mental/Emotional Well-being)

2. Yoga with AdrieneYoga is a great option for those who want to put some physical activity into their daily routine, but also want the calm, centering of meditation.  There are many health benefits for yoga beyond relaxation, including improved strength, balance, flexibility, and mindfulness. Yoga with Adriene is a free Youtube Channel offering high quality videos for all levels, all bodies, all genders, and all souls. Adriene urges her viewers and subscribers to “Make time for you. Go deeper, have fun. Connect. Fall off the horse and then get back on. Reconnect. Do your best, be authentic and FIND WHAT FEELS GOOD” So if yoga is your go-to way to fight stress, this Youtube channel could be the free resource you are looking for. (Physical/Recreational and Mental/Emotional well-being)

3. Charity Miles: Start a Healthy Addiction If running, walking, or bicycling are more your speed, we recommend Charity Miles. Use Charity Miles to log miles and they will donate to a non-profit, thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors who agree to donate a few cents for every mile you complete. In exchange, you see their logos. You can also use the app to run pledge drives. Charity Miles supports a variety of nonprofit organizations, such as ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, UNICEF, Save the Children, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Knowing that your activity supports charitable causes might just motivate you to move every day. (Physical/Recreational and Social)

4. A Crafty Way to Heal: DIY Bath SaltsThe relaxation benefits of a warm bath and crafting are divine. Imagine combining them to create a project that will leave you feeling accomplished and relaxed. The link below includes 31 Homemade Bath Salt recipes that you can make with things you already have in your pantry! With salt, baking soda, oils, herbs, and fragrances of your choice, you can create the ultimate relaxation experience at little cost. https://www.sunrisespecialty.com/diy-bath-salts (Mental/Emotional well-being)

5. Atmosphere The undisputed champion of relaxation is sleep.A free favorite resource is Atmosphere, which customizes your sleeping environment though sound. Sounds include waves, rain, animals, traffic, music, fans and even their special binaural and isochronic sounds which can reduce anxiety, relax breathing, and even aid in healing. You can pick and choose different sounds from different scenes to create the perfect customized sleep atmosphere for you at absolutely no cost. Happy napping! (Environmental)

6. Free Playlists: From Pandora to Spotify Many of us turn to music to process and destress from a hard day. Only you know what music brings you calm and healing. No matter where you find your music, you can find a specially curated playlist designed to aid in destressing. Try Pandora’s playlists towards relaxing.  Spotify offers several relaxation stations.  Youtube has a channel titled Soothing Relaxation. FREE, FREE and FREE. (Environmental and Mental/Emotional well-being)

7. Coloring Book for Adults: A Free App The benefits of coloring for the mind are unquestionable. I’ve done the research and this app has MORE free options than other coloring apps.Coloring Books for Adults offers 168 colors – and all are free! You get 8 free drawings in the Relaxatimtheon category, plus several other categories. If you DO become addicted, you can buy a subscription and expand your choices. This coloring app is available on both iOS and Android. (Mental/Emotional well-being)

8. Deepak Chopra – Be guided by a guru As a medical doctor, Deepak Chopra shares research based knowledge of how stress affects the mind and body. To counter symptoms of stress, Deepak offers guided meditations, articles, and podcasts that intersect physical health, spirituality and mental health. Reading his website is like taking a university class! Deepak is the founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit devoted to researching well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a health company focusing on health, spirituality, and wellness. One of my favorite Deepak quotes is, “Treat every moment as a gift, that is why it is called the present.”
   (Healthy Eating, Mental/Emotional well-being and Environmental)

9. Feelmo.com – Cope with your feelings better. Have you ever felt overwhelmed and unsure of how to cope with your feelings?  There’s an app to help you with this! Feelmo.com is designed by therapists to help you describe and define your feelings, which can lower their intensity and create higher emotional intelligence. When we experience strong emotions, our brain can go into fight or flight, and it’s hard to think rationally. Feelmo.com uses an intuitive emotions explorer to help you identify and process your feelings. We all experience emotions in various degrees throughout the day. This app simply helps us understand them better. (Mental/Emotional well-being and Socia)l

10. Meetup – Whatever intrigues you, there’s a group for you. Looking to connect with new people with like-minded interests? Meetup is a social networking site that allows you to find and join groups with your own personal interests. We are made to connect with others, and the benefits of social interaction include creating a sense of belonging and safety, decreased risk of dementia and overall better mental health. Whether your hobby is studying butterflies, watching your favorite sports team, or finding friends to bicycle with, there’s probably a group for you. (Social)

11. Cronometer – Set and reach your health goals. We all like to create goals for better health in January. We pledge to eat healthier, exercise more, walk daily, etc. But, if you’re like me, life can sometimes get in the way of meeting these goals. I recently discovered, Cronometer, a powerful health and fitness app where you input your daily food intake, establish fitness goals and track your progress. It connects with other popular fitness tracking devices. The app is free but you can pay to upgrade to more advanced options. (Eating Healthy and Physical/Recreationa)l

12. FitOn: The best free workouts. If you want to exercise but you’re unsure of how or what to do, try the FitOn app. It gives you unlimited access to the world’s best workouts,
    guided meditations, and articles on healthy eating and meal planning.  Trouble sleeping? You’ll even find suggestions on this topic. The app contains a wealth of resources that is sure to meet your needs. (Eating Healthy, Mental/Emotional well-being and Physical/Recreational)

As we move into 2023, try to make self-care a priority in your life. Hopefully one of these self-care tools will speak directly to you. It doesn’t matter which resource you use, do SOMETHING. Whether it’s five minutes of deep breathing, or a girl’s getaway, you will benefit with better mental health, lower blood pressure, and more peace in your life.

Mindy