Wellness
Add These 7 Self-Care Apps to Your 2020 Wellness Routine
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While our busy schedules don’t always allow for that daily yoga class we really need, we can’t forget to make our wellness a priority. Turns out, there’s an app for pretty much everything these days – meditation, mindfulness, and self-care, oh my.
Whether it’s looking up healthy dinner recipes or streaming the perfect playlist for your morning run, our phones play a big part in our daily wellness. Here are some of our favorite apps to help you stay on track and lead a happier, healthier life.
FOR A PICK-ME-UP
Looking for some extra inspiration? Shine is the self-care app for you. With daily motivational texts that hype up your morning and a vast selection of self-improvement audio, it can help you to de-stress, lower anxiety, and feel good overall. (I have the app and these texts put a smile on my face before my dreaded daily commute). The app even has the Shine Challenge, a seven-day audio series that gets you deeper into a selected self-care topic. While the Daily Shine texts are free, a subscription to Mindful Moments costs $9.99/month.
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FOR A PICK-ME-UP
Looking for some extra inspiration? Shine is the self-care app for you. With daily motivational texts that hype up your morning and a vast selection of self-improvement audio, it can help you to de-stress, lower anxiety, and feel good overall. (I have the app and these texts put a smile on my face before my dreaded daily commute). The app even has the Shine Challenge, a seven-day audio series that gets you deeper into a selected self-care topic. While the Daily Shine texts are free, a subscription to Mindful Moments costs $9.99/month.
FOR YOUR SAVASANA
It can be challenging to find time for ourselves on a busy schedule, but our MINDBODY app makes it easy to book what you love. Whether you’re in your neighborhood or traveling for work, book a fitness class or treat yourself to a manicure or massage in seconds. You deserve it, and now it’s simple to explore your self-care.
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FOR YOUR SAVASANA
It can be challenging to find time for ourselves on a busy schedule, but our MINDBODY app makes it easy to book what you love. Whether you’re in your neighborhood or traveling for work, book a fitness class or treat yourself to a manicure or massage in seconds. You deserve it, and now it’s simple to explore your self-care.
FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH
If you’re looking to heal your heart, Mend is an app that makes sure all those newly-single souls aren’t alone. With a self-care program, the app gives you day-by-day guidance while providing progress tracking, in-app journaling, and audio trainings from mental health and wellness experts. It may not be your favorite pint of Halo Top, but Mend gives you the emotional support you need to move on, mentally.
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FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH
If you’re looking to heal your heart, Mend is an app that makes sure all those newly-single souls aren’t alone. With a self-care program, the app gives you day-by-day guidance while providing progress tracking, in-app journaling, and audio trainings from mental health and wellness experts. It may not be your favorite pint of Halo Top, but Mend gives you the emotional support you need to move on, mentally.
FOR YOUR DAILY ZEN
Meditation and mindfulness made simple, Headspace is all about taking ten minutes out of your day to tune in and clear your mind. You can listen to general guided meditations or follow along to more specific ones dealing with topics like sleep or relationships. The app itself is free, but if you want more than a quick calm session, you can subscribe for $12.99/month. I mean, if it’s good enough for Emma Watson, it’s good enough for us.
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FOR YOUR DAILY ZEN
Meditation and mindfulness made simple, Headspace is all about taking ten minutes out of your day to tune in and clear your mind. You can listen to general guided meditations or follow along to more specific ones dealing with topics like sleep or relationships. The app itself is free, but if you want more than a quick calm session, you can subscribe for $12.99/month. I mean, if it’s good enough for Emma Watson, it’s good enough for us.
FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
While most people can benefit from therapy, it’s not always accessible to everyone. For those who need a more affordable option, Talkspace is a text-based therapy app for your phone, tablet, or computer. First, it matches you with a licensed therapist, then lets you send them messages – text, voice, photo, or video– at any time throughout the day or night. Unlimited chat therapy starts at $32/week.
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FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
While most people can benefit from therapy, it’s not always accessible to everyone. For those who need a more affordable option, Talkspace is a text-based therapy app for your phone, tablet, or computer. First, it matches you with a licensed therapist, then lets you send them messages – text, voice, photo, or video– at any time throughout the day or night. Unlimited chat therapy starts at $32/week.
FOR YOUR MEAL PREP
Made for on-the-go eaters, Mealime serves up quick, healthy meals, all under 30 minutes. It builds grocery lists from your recipe selections, which helps you to keep track of your shopping list and make sure no ingredient is left behind. Bonus: you can also add your own personal preferences like if you don’t eat meat, or you really hate mushrooms.
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FOR YOUR MEAL PREP
Made for on-the-go eaters, Mealime serves up quick, healthy meals, all under 30 minutes. It builds grocery lists from your recipe selections, which helps you to keep track of your shopping list and make sure no ingredient is left behind. Bonus: you can also add your own personal preferences like if you don’t eat meat, or you really hate mushrooms.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE
After a long day at work, that 5pm traffic is exhausting. Distract your mind—and learn something new—with SCRIBD. Search through hundreds of audiobooks, snapshots (handy little summaries of books and audiobooks before you listen), magazines, and even sheet music, if you’re feelin’ musical. If you need some inspiration on which books to tune into, here’s our November picks!
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FOR YOUR COMMUTE
After a long day at work, that 5pm traffic is exhausting. Distract your mind—and learn something new—with SCRIBD. Search through hundreds of audiobooks, snapshots (handy little summaries of books and audiobooks before you listen), magazines, and even sheet music, if you’re feelin’ musical. If you need some inspiration on which books to tune into, here’s our November picks!
Beauty
Black-owned Beauty and Wellness Businesses to Know
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February is Black History Month—a celebration of the achievements and contributions of African Americans in society. As the beauty and wellness industry becomes a more welcoming and inclusive space for all, we are taking this opportunity to continue to shine a light on the gap of inclusivity and diversity in our industry, and take action to promote, empower, and honor the Black community that shapes and grows wellness.
While the beauty industry is making improvements—it's important to showcase and support Black businesses and the creatives in this space every day. To honor them, we're shouting out some of our favorite Black-owned beauty and wellness businesses to support.
1. Beauty Bin
Beauty Bin is a full-service day spa and dry bar located in Asheville, NC. With a focus on inclusivity for people of all backgrounds, genders, and races, their MO is to match the outer beauty of every client to their inner beauty. From eyelash extensions and hydrafacials to waxing and massage, Beauty Bin is a one-stop-shop for all the spa services.
2. KIKA Stretch Studio
The KIKA Method® is a gentle assisted stretching process that loosens up tight muscles freeing your body from pain and stress. By practicing this method, clients can experience decreased muscle tension, increased energy, enhanced flexibility, a substantial reduction in stress, improved posture and relaxation, and increased mental clarity. While its headquarters is located in Las Vegas, NV, they have multiple locations sprinkled throughout the US, including Atlanta, New York City, and Dallas—just to name a few.
3. Kimberly Coleman Salon
At Kimberly Coleman Salon, their philosophy begins with promoting healthy tresses, elegant sets, unique accouterments, perfect pampering of hands and feet, and precision cuts. Known for working with models and celebrities, they fully appreciate and celebrate the diversity of their clientele which also includes super moms and warrior dads.
4. Pressed Roots
Pressed Roots was developed with the simple concept in mind—that everyone deserves access to easy, and quality hair care. What started as a single pop-up shop in Boston, grew to a multi-city pop-up tour, and is now slated to be the largest national hair salon franchise specializing in the care and styling of highly textured hair, they launched their first flagship location in Dallas, TX.
5. SW3AT
Jersey City resident, Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez started SW3AT. The company began as a fitness apparel line in 2015 but evolved into a sanctuary catered to health and wellness now known as SW3AT Sauna Studio—the first infrared sauna studio in Jersey City. The healing power of infrared heat therapy is a phenomenal option for holistic health proven to strengthen the immune system and provide relief from joint stiffness and muscle pain. It is also supportive of any fitness program as it aids in weight loss (you can torch up to 900 calories in a 45-minute session) while also detoxifying your body from some of the most harmful toxins.
6. The TEN Nail Bar
Kelli Coleman and Anika Jackson opened The TEN Nail Bar in Detroit to address a void in their city. They saw a need for a quality, modern nail bar that could also serve as a fun social space for Detroit’s residents and professionals. They designed the TEN to provide their clients with a #Perfect10 experience—where you can relax, enjoy music, a drink, your friends, a clean and precise manicure, and a much-needed break from all your hectic days.
7. Bettye O Day Spa
Located in the beautiful downtown Hyde Park Chicago area, Bettye O Day Spa specializes in first-class treatments. They aim to nurture and relax each of their clients with individualized and innovative therapeutic techniques. From body wraps and massages to facials and hydrotherapy, this day spa promises to be a safe place for healing to occur.
Looking for more businesses to support? ClassPass has also created a list of Black-owned business to check out all year-round. While both of these lists are a great start to get you familiar with many of the Black-owned businesses either in your neighborhood or around the globe, we have only scratched the surface. We'd love to keep these lists growing.If you have any businesses you'd like to see on this list, click here to submit a Black-owned business we should be highlighting as well!
