Over the last few years, Pavlok has helped thousands of people all around the world break bad habits and implement powerful changes to live healthier and more productive lives.
It’s no secret we are by nature creatures of habit, so learning how to leverage the power of habits, is one of the best investments you can make.
Getting “good” at habits is a skill that literally anyone can learn, and it can make all the difference between where you are now and where you want to go.
At it’s core, Pavlok is a behavioral change company. So we thought, we’d share a few of our favorite apps and resources to help you be more healthy, happy, and productive. Here are some of our best suggestions…
One of the biggest struggles many members of the Pavlok community face, is how to eat healthy and exercise on a consistent basis.
Our founder Maneesh even went as far as to shock himself if he didn’t go to the gym, (not to mention getting slapped every time he opened a Facebook tab.)
We get it.
It’s easy to give in to the temptation of having your favorite burger or indulging in a second piece of pie. It’s easy to skip the gym in favor of watching the latest Netflix show. (Orange is the new black anyone?)
But the truth is, to get the results you want, tracking your behavior is one of the best ways to almost all but guarantee success.
As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed, and MyFitnessPal helps you do just that.
Each day simply log the foods you eat and what you do at the gym and the app will magically hold you accountable regardless of your goals.
It has a bunch of crazy awesome features to help you see how many calories you’re consuming ( and burning) and which exercises are really moving the needle towards your fitness goals.
After just a few weeks of using the app, you’ll notice it’s much more difficult to justify that candy bar or skipping the gym.
Trust us, you’ll want to give this a try if you aren’t doing so already.
2. Calm / HeadSpace (IOS & Android)
In an age of endless distraction, it’s insanely hard to stay focused. And it’s even easier to beat yourself up after checking your email inbox for the 27th time.
Heck, I stopped to check Twitter 7 times while writing this article.
Text messages, Twitter notifications, Facebook and the like are all fighting for our attention 24/7.
Fortunately, thanks to technology there’s a way to fight back.
And that starts with meditation.
There are dozens upon dozens of studies suggesting that meditation can not only help you focus, but also increase your happiness and overall satisfaction with life as well.
What’s not to like?
But as anyone who has ever tried to meditate for an extended period of time knows… it can be difficult.
Which is where both Calm and Headspace come in.
Calm and Headspace are two of the most popular meditation apps around and they both come with some incredible guided meditations to help you keep your meditation game strong.
Each app has a variety of programs to help you, based on your current goals and needs. Maybe you need help focusing, or maybe you want to find a little more inner peace. Or perhaps you just need help getting to sleep.
If guided meditation isn’t your thing, both Calm and Headspace offer some timed meditations both with music or timed silence.
If you’ve struggled to get your meditation habit going, these two apps just might be for you.
3. Way of Life Habit Tracker (IOS) & Coach.me (IOS and Android)
When it comes to building great habits (or killing bad ones), tracking your progress is one of the best things you can do.
There’s something inherently motivating about seeing that you’ve gone 7 days without sugar, or an entire month without lighting up a cigarette.
It’s also incredibly powerful to see that you’ve gone to the gym three days a week for the last year.
The comedian Jerry Seinfeld once attributed his ability to write his jokes to a simple whiteboard and a red marker. Each day he would task himself to write one joke, and at the end he would draw a giant red x on each day.
After a few days, he was motivated to never break the chain.
Insert habit trackers.
Habit trackers are an easy way to use technology to keep track of your habits and see where things need a little more work.
Our two favorite habit trackers are Way of Life and Coach.me (formerly lift)
Each are beautifully designed and super simple to use. But depending on your preferences you might lean towards one over the other.
Both Way of Life Habit Tracker and Coach.me are free to use but do have some premium options if you’re looking to upgrade your habit game.
Coach.Me also places a emphasis on coaching to help you reach your habit goals.
4.Self Control (IOS Only) & Freedom (IOS and Windows)
Even with good habits and doing our best to avoid distractions, sometimes we need to just get things done.
But thanks to that impulsive desire to open up a new tab or check our phones, we’re often stopped in our tracks.
The solution? Have technology give you hand.
Thanks to apps like Freedom and Self Control — you can blacklist certain sites for a specific period of time. Once blacklisted, no matter how much you try, you can’t get access to your favorite sites.
Even if you restart your computer or phone, you’re still out of luck.
While this may sound extreme, we can’t count how many times it’s helped us stay on track.
Twitter. Reddit. Instagram. Anything that distracts you, you can block.
Perfect for when you need to do get that report to your boss or publish that article for your blog.
We love technology.
5. Brain.FM (IOS and Web)
Ever listen to one of Drake’s song on repeat and get lost in a certain flow?
You can thank science and our bad jokes.
As with meditation, more and more research has shown that certain music or sounds can actually help you become more productive.
Whether that be listening to a specific song on repeat, or getting lost in a track scientifically engineered to get you into a productive state of mind.
How you structure your workflow can make an incredible difference in the amount of high quality work you’re able to get done.
Brain.FM has helped thousands of people in their everyday lives buckle down and get to work.
Open Brain.FM and set it for 30,60, or 90 minutes and watch your todo list be reduced to zero thanks to their science backed productivity playlist.
The best part about Brain.FM is that your coworkers won’t have to hear you hum the latest Taylor Swift hit.
6. Cold Shower Therapy (Android & IOS)
If you’ve spent any time reading personal development or productivity blogs over the last few years, chances are you’ve heard of the “magical powers” of taking a cold shower.
While the research is still being fleshed out, many entrepreneurs and successful business people swear by the power of starting your day with a cold shower.
CST, helps you track your cold shower journey, giving you a 5 minute countdown timer while while also letting you blast some of your favorite tunes.
Simply start the timer and stay in the shower until the buzzer goes off. It even keeps track of all your statistics so you can tell your friends you’ve taken a cold shower 67 days in a row.
While not for everyone, if you fancy the secret powers of cold showers, you’ll want to download CST.
7. Flux (Windows & IOS)
One of the worst parts of spending the bulk of your day on your computer is it puts an incredible amount of strain on your eyes — which can lead to headaches or the start of a killer migraine.
Unfortunately, for many, you can’t just stop using the computer during the day, otherwise you might find yourself looking for a new job.
Which is why Flux is such a game changer.
This free app makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.
While it might take a little getting used to, use Flux for a while and it will be the first app you install the next time you get a new computer.
Flux not only helps reduce the strain on your eyes, it also helps you sleep better after a late night of work.
Just make sure to disable it if you’re line of work is in design.
8. SleepCycle (IOS and Android)
One of our favorite apps on the list, this app helps track the quality of your sleep using the technology of your smartphone.
It uses your phone’s sensors and microphone to determine how deep a sleep you get throughout the night. It also has a built in alarm function that wakes you up at the most optimal time in the morning within a 15-30 minute range.
So you wake up feeling refreshed.
As with MyFitnessPal, the power of SleepCycle is in the data you track.
Have 12 cups of coffee? Fight with your significant other? Leave a note on the app, and see first hand how various activities affect your sleep.
It even comes preloaded with some soothing sounds and music to help you wind down your day. No more. counting sheep.
Great News: The brand new Pavlok app, also allows you track your sleep!
9. 7 Minute Workout (IOS and Android)
Going to the gym on regular basis is tough, especially if you live in NYC or Boston where a monthly membership can cost more than your rent.
Fortunately, you don’t need a gym membership to get the benefits of a high quality workout.
The 7 minute workout, has been scientifically proven (according to the new York times) to get you the perfect amount of exercise needed to stay both healthy and fit.
Just throw on your gym clothes, open the app, and start working up that sweat.
Best yet, these exercises can be done entirely in the comfort of your home, no equipment needed.
Rumor has it, CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey swears by the simplicity and power of the 7 minute workout.
We’re sold.
P.S There’s a ton of 7 minute workout apps out there, all of which are roughly the same. Google is your friend.
10. WriteRoom (IOS) / WriteMonkey (Windows)
Writing the perfect email or blog post is hard enough on it’s own, but when faced with the temptation to check Facebook or go through your email, it’s even harder.
Fortunately, thanks to the fantastic distraction free writing apps like WriteRoom and WriteMonkey you can keep those distractions to a minimum and focus on putting words on the page.
Both these apps have some super simple designs allowing you to focus on what matters — your writing.
These apps by themselves are game changers, but when combined with apps like Freedom, you can literally write a book or two in just a few days.
It’s perfect for when you need to really bunker down and share your thoughts and ideas with the world.
You can choose between a variety of different colors for your background, and you can choose whichever font you fancy.
We just suggest you avoid using Webdings for anything important.
11. Pavlok
We couldn’t end the list without giving ourselves a little shoutout.
If you’re really looking to take your habits to the next level, our wearable Pavlok will give you just the support you need.
Zap yourself to help…
- Quit smoking
- Prevent sugar cravings
- Stop biting your nails
- Reduce distractions..
Or even get yourself out of bed in the morning.
The opportunities are quite literally endless.
We’ve also just released a completely new Pavlok app that will help you take your habits to the next level. (IOS & Google Play)
Regardless of what you’re trying to improve or quit Pavlok can help you get there.
Building habits is a long term journey, and of course you won’t get everything right off the bat.
But if you put in a strategic effort and use some of the apps above, we can almost guarantee better health and more productivity.
What’s there to lose?
Give a few of these apps a try, and let us know some of your favorite apps in the comments below!
Happy habit building,
-Bud Hennekes
Content Wrangler
P.S Have you tried the new Pavlok app? It’s our best version yet. Give it a try on IOS and Google Play
