Every Anxious Person Needs to Download This Stress-Relieving App
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As a person who frets over every little thing, is quiet in unfamiliar social situations, sweats when speaking in meetings (funny but true), and stays in a lot (read: 24/7) — I knew that a swift download of the wellness app Pacifica was a good idea when I first heard about it. Pacifica claims to have daily tools for stress and anxiety that are based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness, from a center in California that works to help patients create goals, practice skills, and enhance life. Sounds decent, right? One week on the app proved to be even better.
Over the last several days, I breathed deeply, set objectives (and met them), recorded my thoughts, tracked my sleeping and mood habits, and entered a supportive community. Plus, I received notifications that would ask, "How are you feeling?" — which, though automatic, still made me feel nice. The only real downside was the limited features in the "Relax" section of the app. Deep breathing exercises came free, but unlocking visualization, soundscapes, and muscle relaxation would require a subscription that costs roughly $3 a month. Still, it's a small price to pay when it comes to virtual therapy that actually does make a difference. Below, I've listed the varying aspects of Pacifica, along with how they worked and in what ways they affected my anxiety.
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Mood Tracker
Every day, I chose what mood I was in on a scale from "Awful" to "Great," and then stated why. Keeping my moods in check and reflecting on them made for better awareness of my emotions.
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The progress of my moods over the week. No crazy dips, but it's certainly telling.
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Meditations
I breathed deeply to the sounds of a thunderstorm a number of times over the seven days, under the direction of the app. While I don't personally love deep breathing, I did get a little something out of it.
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Communities
I was able to select from a long list of supportive communities, and I had the power to join whenever I wanted. I posted in "Quotes," "Relax," and "Books," with my status update in "Quotes" receiving the highest number of hearts (think Instagram). Everybody loves a good quote!
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Thanks for the killer quote, Zen Shin Talks.
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Thinking Trap
Within Pacifica, there's the option of keeping a brief record of the feelings experienced during some intense moment of the day, called a "Thinking Trap." After writing my entries, it would encourage me to highlight any negative words, and then pick what type of negative thought it was (some examples including "labeling and judging," "emotional reasoning," and "overgeneralization"). Pacifica would then prompt me to change the words into positive ones. Pretty neat technique!
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Goals
I selected a new goal to complete every couple of days. After choosing one, Pacifica would ask how difficult I anticipated it to be on a scale of 1 - 10. After meeting the goal, it would ask if the task actually was as hard as I thought. I found myself actually enjoying tackling these simple challenges — and feeling ready to take on new ones.
Verdict: Pacifica is, without a doubt, worth the shot for any anxious person. It may not eradicate ALL of your stress, but it certainly loosens you up — especially if you stick with it and add it to your daily routine (I recommend spending at least 10 minutes on the app a day). With this one, persistence is key.