This weekend, I’m going on a trip to California. It’s my first time on the West Coast, the first time I will ever see the Pacific Ocean and Redwood forests. I’m excited beyond measure, because one of the things I love to do most is travel.
4 Apps Perfect for Improving Your Mental Health
April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There’s an app for everything, even for improving mental health. However, with so many options available, how can someone know which is best? Make sure to always check reviews, testimonials and even ask doctors for recommendations. Most people are attached to their phones 24/7, so it’s wise to make use of that dependence and download an app or two that can improve mental health.
There’s a variety of different quality apps available, some are backed by professionals, and others are more user-friendly than the rest. Choose one based on comfort and credentials for the best results. Here are four of the leading apps geared towards mental wellness.
1. BellyBio
This might not seem like a mental health app at first blush, but it certainly is. This app utilizing deep breathing techniques to help users fight anxiety and stress, but it doesn’t just provide advice. There’s a very user-friendly interface that can actually monitor breathing patterns and provide real feedback. Breath control is a natural, very effective way to address mental health issues.
2. eCBT Calm
Based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this app provides a bevy of tips for using relaxation techniques to help with stress, anxiety and even minor panic attacks. It’s scientifically backed, regularly updated and there are methods for every person. When put on a smartphones home screen, it’s an easy way to remind people to check in with their mental health throughout the day.
3. Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a great tool to help someone go to sleep and sleep soundly. Sleep is paramount for a holistic healthy life, and Andrew Johnson’s soothing voice helps users practice the tools they need to sleep without the aid of medication. It also includes an alarm clock that gradually wakes the mind, so that users can start each day refreshed and on a peaceful note.
4. Magic Window–Living Pictures
While this isn’t technically marketed as a mental health app, many research studies show that looking at nature (even virtually) can reduce stress and induce a calmness. Taking a break throughout the day to look at soothing natural photos is a great way to force someone’s mind off those TPS reports waiting to be filed. Instead of reaching for the pot of coffee or browsing Facebook, spend a few moments being whisked away to jungles or beaches by way of this app.
No app can do it all, but these can certainly provide avenues for a healthier mind–and life. Try out other online mental health resources to make a daily mental checkup easy.
Do Not Trip Out While Traveling. Use Tripit Instead.
February 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Most of us can agree that when traveling for work or when taking a vacation, it is definitely not about the journey and all about the destination. Planning, organizing, and coordinating a trip can make many of us trip out and possibly loose a few hairs, but the website Tripit, has come to our rescue and helps us keep the hairs on our head and our much needed sanity.
Walk away as your driverless car parks itself and picks you up
January 16, 2013 by 1 Comment
Cars are becoming more and more independent from the driver and although we are clearly ready within technology are we truly ready as drivers to walk away when our cars are still moving? At CES this year the automotive motor company, Audi unveiled its self-piloting car, one in which you can use your smartphone to park your car without any further instructions besides a touch of an app.
Facebook Nearby: A Mobile Discovery Experience for Your Business
January 4, 2013 by 2 Comments
If you have a business page setup on Facebook and looking to gain more local people on your page as well as spread your brand further within your community, Facebook Nearby is a new mobile location based feature that has been helping profiles thus far but as of last month, Facebook decided to add a global update to their feature and include “Nearby” for businesses as well.
Facebook Apps are more Accessible with Less Searching
January 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There are many Facebook apps on Facebook and finding ones that best suit your page or profile means a lot of time needs to be spent searching or you may even be better off going one by one. Although the apps have been available to the public to create their own or to use them, let’s be honest, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack to find one that does not have a glitch.
Since many of us have done the searching and trying out of many Facebook apps some of us have been more successful at discovering ones that work, however, this does not mean that we can remember the name of it or even find where to look for the specific app a friend requests more information about. Not necessarily because we don’t know where to look (although this could be the case) but often times we forget to rid of the ones we have tried and have failed us.
Facebook Page Manager for the iPhone
December 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
To some of you this may be considered old news, yet to others this could be valuable new news that may help with time management when it comes to your multiple Facebook Pages or for businesses that have one Facebook Page, either way, using your mobile device to manage your page on Facebook can certainly decrease the loss of interaction if you are unable to sit in front of a computer all day.
Buffer App has a Brand New Share Button, Adds Facebook Analytics
November 30, 2012 by 1 Comment
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the scheduling, posting and time managing tool Buffer. The app has been a terrific addition to my smartphone and the web-based Dashboard interface makes rearranging what you want to share when super easy and efficient.
Recently, Buffer has designed a brand new Buffer share button for your blog or website so your audience/readers can easily share to multiple social accounts at once or schedule for later. Giving your community an opportunity to share now and later or to choose one or the other and to which social platforms the content is best suited for helps them receive more actions such as likes, comments and shares.
How to Use Technology to Reward Your Customers
November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The bent head, the lifted arm, the intense focus in the eyes, the face bathed in a slightly blue glow—this is becoming the new familiar—the tech savvy customer, strolling down the street or through a store, smartphone or tablet in hand, ready to scan barcodes and search Yelp reviews at a moment’s notice. They’re here to stay, and the best way to keep them coming back to your business is to reward them and their technological proficiency. Here are a few great ways to use technology to provide the ultimate customer satisfaction:
1. Discounts at Their Fingertips
Take advantage of the siren song of the sale by using a website like Coupon Sherpa. The site’s mobile app notifies shoppers of coupons available in their vicinity making it a great way to get a passing customer off the street and in your store. Once inside, there’s no need to print a coupon, let their phone and your POS scanner do all the work. Customers will love getting a hassle free discount.
2. Long Live the Loyalty Card
There’s no business like return business. By all accounting, return customers spend more money, and generate more word of mouth sales that any other type of customer. So show your loyal shoppers you care by giving them easier access to your loyalty program discounts. Rezoop will show you how. Their easy to navigate website is free to use, and allows companies to design a digital rewards program to their unique specifications. Rezoop then issues a bar code which can be placed at point of sale for shoppers to scan with their handheld device. No more easy-to-lose, expensive-to-produce stamp cards, no fees, no frustrated customers wondering why they need to divulge personal information to a sales clerk. Everyone wins.
3. Contests are for Winners
Winning a contest creates customer loyalty and brand affection, and online contests are a simple and free way to provide customers with the chance to win products or services you may have already been willing to give away for free. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are all great venues for online competitions and giveaways, and since customers carry their internet with them everywhere they go, online events can be promoted in store, and customers can participate while they shop.
4. Extra Credit for Referrals
Encourage loyal customers to make referrals and give new customers reduced rate incentives using PostcardMania. This site can be employed by individual companies to create unique referral rewards programs, and provides postcards with tear-off referrals to give to customers, making it easy for anyone to participate. PostcardMania also uses social media to market these rewards programs, and when a customer shares a PostcardMania blog post, they are eligible for a monetary reward in the form of credit. PostcardMania is a great way to show customers, old and new, that their business is highly-valued.
Top 5 Medical Apps
November 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
With the cost of health insurance increasing and many people going without insurance at all, medical apps can be a lot of help. Although they do not take the place of visiting a health care professional, they can give you confidence in dealing with a sick baby or finding healthy ideas for weight loss.
