Holidays are hard for so many people. They're full of strange family commitments, awkward job parties, and social expectations (and lots of odd food options). For me, I often get so caught up in them that I lose focus and often emotionally burnout quickly. And emotional burnout leads to body burnout, injury, and poor sleep.
To help combat the burnout, I've put together a list of my top ten apps and websites. I hope these help you this hectic season. Click on the links after each title to learn more.
For Sleep
Relax Melodies (Android and iPhone)
Relax Melodies is designed to help you, along with their community of 35 million other users, say goodbye to insomnia and get a full night of sleep. Select some relaxing sounds, add a dash of nature, combine with a melody, and hey presto: your sleep-inducing melody is complete. A choice of mindfulness meditations can be laid over the top of the mix to lure you soundly to sleep.
Noisli (Android and iPhone)
Noisli exudes relaxation through the use of ambient sounds and colors that trigger inner peace. Noisli helps to cut out distracting background noises to achieve improved concentration and productivity while working, or to create a chilled audio environment for yoga, meditation, and sleep.
The built-in timer can be used as a countdown for taking a power nap or while falling asleep. Aside from using the app to stop insomnia in its tracks, Noisli helps you to reduce stress, relax while reading, and alleviate headaches and migraines, and, for parents, it may help your baby to sleep better. the massive number of deciduous trees in our region, late fall can be one of the most labor-intensive months.
For Venting Stress
The Thoughts Room (Website)
Mind cluttered? Brain too full? Type it out. Release everything that is overwhelming you and watch it disappear forever into The Thoughts Room.
Blah Therapy (Website) Vent to a random stranger, or let a random stranger vent to you. Either way, it's just nice to have someone to talk to.
For Quiet
Do Nothing (Website)
Still your mind and your hands by forcing yourself to do nothing for two minutes. It's much harder than it sounds, but you'll feel so good afterwards.
Calm (Website) This site leads you through a guided meditation session in increments up to 20 minutes. There are a number of options that allow you to fully customize your experience.
For Artistic Meditation
Weave Silk (Website)
Drag your mouse around the screen to create a lovely and calming display in a series of soothing colors. Meditative, relaxing, and pleasing to look at.
Neonflames (Website) Use a vibrant array of colors to create your very own nebula right in your browser. Mysterious, subtle, and unquestionably stunning, this artistic exercise will surely put your mind at ease.The longer you hold your mouse down, the richer the colors get.
For Adorable Animals
Cuteness Overload (Website)
Daily dose of adorable animals. We offer an overwhelming amount of cuteness to fill your daily visual allowance. Drink it in, People!
The Daily Aww (Website) A regular dose of super cute animal photos and videos. You shouldn't have to go looking for cute photos to make your day better.