Apps I Use to Minimize my Anxiety (Second Letter to my 40-Year Old Self)
Dear Future Self,
How are you? Today, I decided to write letters to you. I am 32 years old now. I cannot imagine how I would look 8 years from now, but I hope you get to see and read these letters when you reach 40.
Coming from a major surgery was overwhelming. In fact, no matter how hard I try to organize everything, I will still end up overwhelmed. I am a purist Virgo. Both my Sun Sign and my Rising sign are Virgo, and Virgos are well known for their perfectionist, obsessive tendencies. Prior to my surgery, I did try my best to to take care of most of the things from finances to work delegations, from buying food for my cats and asking people to babysit them while I am gone. I did try to iron things out.
After surgery, my physical limitations allowed me to stay in bed and directionless, which was forgivable and understandable. But it was a bit icky to stay in bed most of the time while the world is moving forward. Was I hard on myself? Yes. It felt like a month passed by that my accomplishments were sleeping on my side and removing a shirt without asking for any help. To make the long story short, I lost a month of my life and reintegrating myself back to what I called a normal life was tough.
Next week, I will be back to work. My request for a gradual reintegration was approved, meaning I get to work at home for a couple of weeks before going back to my usual office setup.
To minimize a few of my anxiety, I used some applications on my phone and laptop. You may consider using these apps to organize your day-to-day life.
- Notion. I have tried a lot of note-taking apps but I keep coming back to Notion because it is simple and it is easy to use. Plus, it is free. You are just limited to 5mb uploads, but it serves me really well. If the file is larger than 5mb, I upload it via Google Drive and I just bookmark the file via Notion. Aside from an easy access to my databases, I use Notion as my journal. I write here almost everything. I set a few minutes everyday to write on this journal. I created a template that you can use.
2. The good old Google Calendar. Again, I tried a lot of Calendar apps, but nothing beats Google Calendar as it is linked via my main Gmail Account. I like the interface and I get notifications and reminders about my schedule. If you wish to minimize some apps and decide not to use Google Calendar, there’s a Notion Calendar Template you can use. But a calendar is really handy.
3. Todoist. This one is a to-do list application. It is very easy to use and it is Free. I really love the interface. It is clean, plus the iPhone widget is really helpful.
4. Stepcoin. The only thing I hate about this app was the fact that I just learned about it last week. I love walking. Walking can reduce anxiety, according to a plethora of research. When the year started, I challenged myself to walk 10,000 steps a day. I use my Mi-Band and my phone to track my steps. I can feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I reach my target. Stepcoin rewards you 1 stepcoin for every 1,000 steps you take. There is a marketplace where you can buy physical and digital stuff using your stepcoins. If you are feeling generous, you can also donate to organizations and foundations using stepcoins. Example, a 6-month Netflix subscription costs 300 stepcoins — that’s 300,000 steps. If you are consistent with 10,000 steps every month, you get free 6 months Netflix. Next month, Stepcoin will be introducing their Cryptocurrency, and I am excited.
Click here to download Stepcoins.
5. “Social Media” accounts. 2 weeks ago, I deactivated my Social Media accounts. First, I did it because I spend so much time on Social Media (Facebook and Instragram). Second, I find social media really toxic now. I downloaded 3 alternative applications where I can spend my time wisely.
First is the Medium app. I get a lot of ideas here than mindlessly scrolling on Facebook. I get a lot of inspiration by just reading articles and stories from people. The interface is also good in the eyes. I am really into aesthetics and interfaces. You can also write your own stories and articles via Medium.
Second is Ello. I use Ello whenever I am on SocMed break. It’s an app I tried to use a few years back. I use it as an alternative to Instagram. Most of the Ello members are artists, graphic artists, photographers, filmmakers and activists. It is a quiet social media but scrolling can give you inspiration or a pitch for a project that you may want to start in the future.
Third is EyeEm. This is a site where photographers can post their work and they can get paid. I just started to use this app and I am still navigating a few settings and features.
You may feel a bit lonely in these apps but meeting a couple of like-minded people here will open more opportunities for you, than mindlessly scrolling on Facebook. It’s going to be a sweet, quiet life.
Those are the apps I use to decrease my anxiety. If you can suggest other apps that you think are useful, comment down below.
Things I consumed this week
- How I Met Your Father (HIMYF) — Spoilers ahead. If you grew up watching Hilary Duff on Lizzie McGuire and Raise Your Voice and spent your early adult years watching Ted Mosby rants about his love life on How I Met Your Mother, HIMYF is a good watch. Season 1 just finished last month but I am hoping for a 2nd Season. The gang is more diverse compared to the “prequel”. It is more progressive. Robin was there. We have the same apartments. We have a new bar but MacLarens Pub will have a cameo.
2. Ali Abdaal Youtube Videos- If you are a productivity freak, Ali Abdaal is a go-to Youtuber. Watch his videos and you will do your best to be productive like him. Here’s one of his videos I watched this week:
This week…
That’s it for my letter this week. Always remember that life is short, be detached.
