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Eating Disorders, Favorite Things, Self Care, Stress

My Favorite iPhone Apps for Health and Well being

September 27, 2017 By Robyn 12 Comments

There are so many iPhone apps out there that a couple years ago I found myself with like 86 downloaded apps on my phone….but I used less than 10 of them. There really is an app for everything. But what I’ve learned is that too many apps end up paralyzing me. So here are a handful of apps I use everyday that have made my life a little simpler and a lot less stressful.

If you’re a woman, no matter what your health situation or life season, I high recommend tracking your period. Even if all you do is input when you started your period and when you ended your period. Not only is it really helpful for your health care provider, but you can see if there is a pattern to your cycles. There are a jillion apps out there, I just happen to use iPeriod which I find very user friendly and simple.

I started using Evernote a few months ago and it has helped me stay semi-organized. I’m not a super organized person to begin with but this helps – although I’m still learning how to use this app well. I hate cluttering my computer with folders and documents so instead I keep lots of those things in Evernote. It’s also great when you come across a quote in an article or random information/recipes on the internet and want to save them. I copy and past intuitive eating information and quotes all the time. And it’s a great way for me to save journal articles that I read so I have them on hand for later. I try to clean out the folders often so it doesn’t get too cluttered. And I like how I can access the app from my desktop or phone.

I just discovered the Yoga Wake Up app a few weeks ago and have started to slowly implement it into my life. I want to get better at not rushing through life so I’m hoping this helps. You can set the app so instead of an alarm, you get woken up with a gentle yoga flow that you can do while still under your covers. How awesome does that sound?

I get a lot of questions on where we get our groceries delivered from and the answer is Instacart! I’m not sure if Instacart is in every city, but I’m sure there’s some sort of equivalent like Fresh Direct, Amazon Fresh or something like that. The difference with Instacart is that they use personal shoppers that go into the store near you and pick out your groceries. If I had a car and grocery shopping wasn’t a nightmare, I probably wouldn’t use this app. But in Manhattan where I have to carry our groceries home and fight crowds on the weekends, ordering groceries through this app for $15/month (the delivery fee) is totally worth the stress relief!

Audible is one of my favorite apps! I always want to be the person who likes to read a real book, but I always find it difficult to sit down and read (stillness, also something I need to work on..) so audiobooks work great for me. I listen to them while I bike to work, clean and while I’m walking or running and I find that I can “read” so much more this way. I know there are cheaper options out there (one reader suggested audio books from the local library so that’s an option too!) but the convenience of this app is worth the $14.99 a month for me. Plus I somehow always have credits in my account – I think they refill them monthly – so I’ve never actually purchased a book. I’m currently working my way through Deep Work and the Gifts of Imperfection.

Headspace is an app I discovered last year when I was really struggling with sleep anxiety and insomnia. I lived in a really small apartment with a shoe box of a bedroom (it literally fit my full size bed and a tiny dresser) so I ended up doing a lot more than just sleep in my bedroom. I talked on the phone in my bed, did school work in my bed, browsed the internet, blogged etc etc and so my room became an everything space instead of a sleep space. I started doing the insomnia meditations to help me sleep and calm my mind. Since then, I’ve developed some better sleep habits that have completely transformed my sleep (moving out of that closet of a bedroom helped…) but I still use the meditations especially for anxiety, change, and stress. And I love how now they have these mini meditations you can use any time of day. Cheers for self care!

What apps do you love or have found most helpful? Share in the comments!


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Filed Under: Eating Disorders, Favorite Things, Self Care, Stress

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    September 27, 2017 at 7:28 am

    My top five apps are: YNAB (budgeting–amazing!); Kindara (FAM–and I have the BBT thermometer that automatically syncs with the app over Bluetooth, which is fab); Shipt (similar to Instacart); Overcast (the best podcast player); and Scripture Typer (for scripture memory).

    Reply
  2. Laura B Carr says

    September 27, 2017 at 8:40 am

    I just downloaded a period tracker and I’m excited about it! One app I couldn’t live without is Google keep. I use it for grocery lists and just random to dos. I recommend it for everyone!

    Reply
  3. Carrie this fit chick says

    September 27, 2017 at 9:38 am

    I used to use instacart in college! It was super handy for sure. I also love Evernote. My boyfriend just started using Trello and highly recommends that one too!

    Reply
  4. Katie says

    September 27, 2017 at 10:08 am

    Great round up! I also track my cycle because it’s so helpful to have an idea where I’m at in my cycle and if anything becomes irregular!

    Reply
  5. Amber @ Bloom Nutrition Therapy says

    September 27, 2017 at 11:27 am

    I am SO JEALOUS of doorstep grocery delivery!!! I live in rural Kentucky and we still don’t have it yet, although I don’t get it because it would be super helpful for so many people around here! I have been taking advantage of Kroger’s Clicklist. It is in the next town over (about 45 min.), but it’s totally worth it to me to order my groceries online, drive the 45 min. to and from to pick up groceries. It would take me just as long in the store, and like this I get to spend that time listening to a podcast and enjoying an iced coffee drink or something instead of roaming around the aisles at the store and having to make 158 decisions about which yogurt to buy because there’s suddenly so many options!

    Reply
  6. Bethany @LuluRuns says

    September 27, 2017 at 11:46 am

    I have been looking for a good period tracker! Thank you for the suggestion! I love my Spotify app, constant worship music without too many ads is my jam.

    Reply
  7. Megan @ A Continual Feast says

    September 27, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    I think my most used app is Every Dollar- is that sad? I don’t have any health related ones other than Headspace which I loooove! Also like the She Reads Truth app!

    Reply
  8. Mary says

    September 27, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    I just started using Flo to track basically every detail of what’s happening with my reproductive system, and I love it! I used the Clue app for years, but I liked the Flo interface so much better that I switched. Other than that I don’t use many apps…the ClassPass app and my gym’s app to book workout classes, and that’s pretty much it.

    Reply
  9. Emily Vardy says

    September 28, 2017 at 6:16 am

    I used Headspace for a while, and I really like it! On my own I don’t think I’d be able to “meditate” but just forcing myself to sit and listen to the app for ten minutes in the morning makes me SO MUCH CALMER. I’ve got the app left on my phone for those anxiety-filled days where I need something(/anything) to try and relax a little

    Reply
  10. Liliana Salinas says

    September 28, 2017 at 10:44 am

    A few weeks ago I started having trouble with anxiety and insomia my self. One of my co-workers told me about Insight Timer meditation app. Highly recommended! I’ve been using it every single morning and it has helped ease my anxiety. For my running I use MapMyRun app, great app to track and organize my running.

    I moved to Houston TX about 6 months ago right in the center of the city, where many call it “The Galleria” . I moved from a small town to one of busiest cities out there. Food here is amazing except for the Mexican food, its not as great as my mommas food back home, lol. I had been craving pizza for quite a while, so Alex (fiancé ) and I drove to downtown to Frank’s Pizza. Frank;s Pizza is a small whole in the wall with the best pizza I’ve ever tried. If you’re ever in the Houston area Frank Pizzas is a MUST!!!

    Reply
  11. purble place says

    February 17, 2025 at 6:55 am

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    Reply
  12. Hailey Nelson says

    April 28, 2025 at 4:09 am

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

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A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years o A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years of getting to spend so much time with my kids: aka another way I’m discovering some pockets of peace so my heart & mind & soul don’t crumble under the reality of dependent & emotionally dysregulated tiny humans.  About once a week we go somewhere for baked goods. We drive or walk, buy something buttery & then find a beautiful, relatively quiet outdoor spot where the boys can romp and I can sit and think my thoughts while I watch them play. This past week we were found ourselves at the Wool Factory where the boys threw rocks & whatever else off the bridge while I ate 90% of this almond 🥐 from @coucourachou that will blow your mind. Boys ate the other 10% bc they were busy playing and didn’t ask for more quickly enough 😜  I’m finding *for me* playgrounds have a time & place but they aren’t where I enjoy motherhood & my two toddlers the most. Baked goods & a pretty outdoor spot without high drops my 15 month old could launch himself off of…I’m here for it.
I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the boys to hike out at one of our favorite spots last week and when I ripped it open I was regretting my choice to share them with my kids. @baresnacks randomly sent me a box of snacks and I usually eat free food we receive or give it to a friend/neighbor and move on. But I felt it my duty to tell you about these bc they are THAT GOOD. I’m not getting paid and this isn’t sponsored - I was just shocked at how tasty these were and felt you needed to know. We ate them with some buttery roasted nuts and the combo was 👌🏻 but they are good just on their own.  The boys climbed rocks and swam in the reservoir - leave it to my almost 3 year old to want to strip down naked and fully submerge himself in chilly water on a sixty degree morning. “Mama can I get super nakey?” Sure baby. Sure. This is your childhood.
It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of extended alone time away from the babies to just be. And that isn’t something that’s best for me, it’s an area I gotta grow in. So this afternoon when Nick pushed me out the door and was like - get out of here plzzzz - I walked to my favorite cafe and ordered a thick pastrami sandwich and sat there for a good LONG while before taking a long, peaceful walk in the rain to wrap up the afternoon. Note to self: stop being such a control freak and go be by yourself sometimes.
a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face from @mariebettecafe this morning when she came to get her toddler who played with us all morning and it is v good. even better when paired with an iced latte 😍
#AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing a #AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing about how taking @alignprobiotic regularly has improved my digestive regularity.  And I’m still taking them! I’ve permanently added Align 24/7 Digestive Support* into the roundup of supplements I take before bed (prenatal, vitamin D, choline & DHA - all which help keep me healthy while breastfeeding) so I can keep seeing the benefits.  Just because you see benefits, doesn’t mean you should stop taking your probiotic. Keep taking Align daily (under the supervision and recommendation of your health care provider of course) to keep seeing the benefits!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of my favorite parts of Align probiotics is that they don’t need refrigeration AND they come in a convenient little blister pack that has the days labeled. It’s the little things people! #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoo I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoon (91 and muggy in MAY 🤯) when a toddler nap was refused and a baby nap was cut wildly short ....so my tired mom brain pulled out two plastic storage bins, filled them up with soap & hose water and striped ‘em down naked in the yard. Two hours later, it was almost time for an early dinner and I had magically been able to sit for most of that time and we already had baths checked off the list. 👍🏻 I’m archiving this idea for my future self, hope it helps another tired mama out.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!

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