Can An iPhone App Really Help You Get Through A Breakup?
By Rosie Munger, BounceBack.com Editorial Staff
These days you rarely go anywhere without your cell phone, a.k.a. your own personal entertainment and well-being center. You've got your email, your Blog Feed Reader and your favorite photography app to keep you occupied, but have you thought of the many ways your phone might help you move past your heartbreak?
Here are six ways your smart phone can help you stop thinking about your ex and bounce back faster:
1. Affirm
Louise L. Hay, international best-selling self-help author, offers a variety of beautifully done apps focused on positive affirmations for everything from Self-Esteem to Forgiveness. Each message in the "I Can Do It 2011 Calendar" is an ideal way to start the day - try saving the day's affirmation as your wallpaper to keep the positive thought in your mind. Choose an Affirmation app that best applies to the feelings or issue you want to work on most to help you recover from your relationship breakup. When you're ready to open your heart again, there is even an app focused on Affirmations for Love that will get you in the frame of mind for meeting someone new.
Related: Will I Ever Find Love Again? 5 Reasons Why You Will
Related: 10 Reasons NOT to Live in the Past
2. Give Thanks
Heed Oprah's wisdom: Bounce back more quickly by focusing on all you are thankful for on daily basis. Try Gratitude Journal or Daily Thanks to record your blessings, big and small. By taking the time to write down our positive feelings about a close friend or a beautiful butterfly, we maintain those good feelings longer and our sense of well-being increases. Be sure to include things you love about yourself, other people and the world in general. Feeling a bit down? Take a glance through your journal for a boost.
Related: Getting Your Self-Esteem Back After 5 Heartbreaking Dilemmas
Related: Working Through Feelings of Failure
3. Read!
We now have the ability to hold our own library in the palms of our hands! Download a book to your Kindle, iBooks or NOOK app to read whenever you are feeling a bit bummed out. Whether it's a self-help title focused on building self-esteem, Tina Fey's hilarious work, or a biography about someone who inspires you, select something that you know will pump you up and make you feel good. Whenever you feel like you can't stop thinking about your ex, open your book and read for a little while. Distraction is good during this emotional post-breakup period!
Related: Eat. Pray. Love. Forgive.
4. Move
You know it's true: being active and getting some exercise will help you feel your best. Even if you cannot afford a gym, you can probably afford a few apps to create a well-balanced regimen. Learn a Sun Salutation sequence using Pocket Yoga or Authentic Yoga. If you have always wanted to run, build up to going 30 minutes straight using the popular C25K. Is strength training more your thing? For a fully-loaded app, try Fitness Builder; for a fun and more social experience give FitFu a whirl. There are many Lite versions of the more expensive fitness apps so that you can give a workout or two a try to see how you like it before making a big commitment.
Related: Bounce Back... With a New Body!
5. Play
Many people swear by Angry Birds, others can't live without MLB.com at Bat. Whether you prefer playing a game, learning the guitar (Beginner Guitar Songs, Guitar Toolkit) or looking at adorable puppies (The Daily Puppy) keep some FUN apps on your phone. To be truthful, you can only spend so much time working yourself, reading or running; sometimes, you just have to zone out and focus on something you enjoy. Pick an app related to a hobby you have. When you feel like texting your ex, open the app and start to play!
Related: 10 Ways to Bring Instant Happiness Back Into Your Life
6. Relax
Let's be honest: it's really difficult to shut off your brain and not think about all that's going on for ten seconds, let alone ten minutes! However, meditation can have a wonderful effect on your body and soul, even if you start with five minutes a day or as needed. Relax & Rest or Simply Being by Meditation Oasis are both easy, guided meditations that help a new meditator learn the ropes. Being in your body and focusing on your breath can have an amazingly calming effect. Try one of these apps when you are stressed, anxious or feeling down.
Related: 10 Smart Ways to Channel Stress
If you have a Droid or another kind of smart phone, browse the app store for similar programs. Don't have a fancy phone at all? That's ok - think about the bigger picture and apply each app group to your life in general. Use paper for your gratitude journal, spend some time at a library, walk around the park - you get the picture! More than anything else, these apps are a daily reminder to us to focus our time on activities that improve our quality of life.
Rosie Munger can be found in California using many of the apps mentioned in this article. She loves to hike up a mountain and find a comfortable spot to meditate on an appropriate affirmation.
BounceBack.com helps people find happiness after heartbreak. Like us on Facebook.
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