The other week I was having a really hard time. I was as low as I’d ever been and was struggling to get back to my system for breaking the cycle of negative spiraling. This usually leads to a lot of desperate googling trying to find something to help. This time, it led me to the app store.
Pacifica is a self-help app, that is “Based on cognitive behavioral therapy combined with relaxation and wellness techniques, we believe in holistic daily tools aimed at breaking the anxiety cycle.”
So I love apps and finding new little routines that are easy to incorporate into my day, that don’t require a lot of effort that my depression/anxiety brain just can’t handle. This app is exactly that!
The Mood Tracker
This is the part I found the most useful. I would set a time two or three times per day to take a moment, try to get out of my head and analyze how I felt, and intentionally try to think about why I felt that way. This truly helped me to see where my low points in the day were, which helped me try to have something prepared to get me through those moments easier.
Goals
The goals section of the app also was a huge help. Gamification only gets you so far, but when starting a new habit or experimenting with routines, this can be a huge help! Completing goals helps you level up in the app, giving you a small incentive to go outside or meditate to check those goal boxes.
Thought Trap
Since I am not a paid Pacifica user, I only have access to the “thought trap” section of the Thoughts area in the app. However, I feel that even this small part is hugely helpful! It basically asks you to write out whatever negative thought pattern is going through your head, and then helps you highlight the areas of negativity and try to change it to a more positive thought. This intentional cycle analysis and improvement can help break you out of a current cycle, and also leave little markers in your mind when that cycle comes around again.
Meditation
There are some preloaded meditations available in the app, which for the first couple weeks I would do when I got home from work, one of my daily low points. Meditating can make a huge difference in mindset, and in this case it can be one of your daily goals! This is another area that is limited unless you are a paid member, but I still found a lot of value in it with the free ones.
As far as free solutions go, I think this app is a great way to get started down a path to a more mindful, healthy life! Give it a try, let me know what you think!