Happy 1st March!

It's a new month, which means the chance to start some new habits for the month! Because I've been assigning a new resolution to achieve per month, I have decided to make March all about getting enough H20. Why is that important? Well, aside from being the purest life giver on this earth (seriously, I'm not joking) it's been proven to reduce headaches, improve attention, reduce hunger and even prevent wrinkles - all of that plus it's free. It truly is one of our best resources on the planet, so I thought I would try and stick to the 2 litre a day rule.

Like all things I throw myself into, I wanted an app to help me. If you hadn't realised yet I absolutely love helpful apps - I've got my Strava for all my running, my On Trees app to show all my bank accounts in one place & budget plus my coveted Dominos app for when hunger strikes. So seeing as I have so many I thought I would share my top 3 that I have been using, starting with my latest free app download...

Waterlogged - FREE

I've been using the app for a few days now and I absolutely LOVE it. It's the simplest way of logging your water intake and has the loveliest user interface. It has set containers with their volume measurements that you can use, or add your own containers.

As you log your water intake the bottle fills, and what's more neat is that the water in the bottle on the screen tilts when you tilt your phone. Awesome! The app also syncs to your Apple Health (if you have iPhone) so you can see the full data on there with anything else you've recorded. It's a free app so it's nothing to try!

Nothing fills me with more nerdy pleasure than seeing the confetti on the screen when I reach my 2 litre goal for the day, despite the fact that for the past few days I have needed to wee SO much. 

It's also been quite a revealing app - The first day of recording what I drank was abysmal. I realised that I didn't drink enough, especially when I'm working on lots of commissions because I tend to just drink tea like it's going out of fashion, so it's really given me a good kick in the rear to try and stay hydrated more. 

Come back to me at the end of March to see if my hydration plan has made me more attentive, less wrinkly and headache free!

Headpsace - FREE for 10 days, payment plans thereafter

After going on a meditation retreat last year I was determined to keep the practise going when I got home - but I kept finding reasons and excuses to not do it. Partly I really struggled because I liked the guided meditations that we had on retreat, and at home I couldn't really re-do that. So when I discovered Headspace I was beyond excited to get back on my meditation game. 

The app is so painfully lovely I get distracted sometimes by the amazing animations and graphics that have been designed, and Andy's voice, well, that is so soothing I could seriously just listen to him on repeat all day long. I think this app is awesome for anyone who has never tried meditation as it's free 10 day foundation course really covers the basics such as how to sit properly, how to count the breaths and even what to do should unruly thoughts pop on by.

The animations that come with it help illustrate Andy's points and make the practise plain and simple, not some mystical and difficult hobby. 

After the 10 day free trial you can then choose to pay for the remainder meditations which I have gone for. You can pay monthly at £9.99, or yearly which works out cheaper monthly however is a bigger outlay. Discount codes do come by often so make sure you sign up to the mailing list if you've downloaded the app! I purchased the yearly bundle with 3 months free thanks to those handy discount codes. 

Knowing that the app is counting how many days in a row I'm meditating, and even the total number of hours, are great motivators for me to make sure I'm doing it for at least 10 minutes a day. After the foundation course they have heaps of meditation courses available to help with everything from anxiety to sleep, pregnancy to creative block, plus quick ones for situations where you may be having a meltdown and need a quick fix.

Hear and Now App - FREE

This smart little app is also a new addition, and it will blow you away. 

The simply premise is that it's an app to help you be mindful, to help you breathe through stress. I haven't delved too deeply into it yet but what I've used so far has been really insightful. 

The app uses your camera and flash on the back of your phone to measure your heartbeat. As you rest your finger cover the camera and flash, the app with register your heart rate and then ask you to follow the inhale/exhale commands on screen. It will read your heart rate before and after the exercise to see how well it's slowed your heart rate down. I was lying in bed when I was doing this, not stressed in the slightest, but a few minutes doing this and my heart rate had significantly slowed down. It even measured how complex my heartbeats were and how well my heart rate could be controlled. Mind. Blown.

This little app is on my speed dial app list for any time that I might suddenly be feeling very stressed, and coupled with Headspace I should be a totally horizontal woman by the end of 2016. 

If you're a health app freak like me, I'd love to hear about it! Do you have any apps that help you stay on track with your physical and mental health? Drop them in the comments below!

Deborah x