Sure, you make New Year’s resolutions every year, and oftentimes they just don’t stick. But with sophisticated apps and inspiring podcasts to help you along, 2021 could be the year you attain your New Year’s wellness goals. Here are some of our favorites to get you started.
Apps
Headspace A few minutes of meditation can make all the difference in your day. From handling everyday stresses to helping you sleep better, this app has a variety of guided meditations to send you off to a much calmer place. Designed for people with no meditation experience, Headspace can help you be more present, or at least learn to listen to the news without freaking out. Headspace.com
Nike Run Club Running is a solitary activity, but sometimes it’s nice to have a companion. This app is that and more. It offers guided runs, custom playlists and even in-run cheers and encouragement from elite athletes. But the best motivator of all is the ability to track your progress, from your first mile to your 500th. Nike.com/nrc-app
Clue Tracking your menstrual cycle can offer a lot of insight into your month, and this app makes it easy not just to keep track of your period, but everything that happens in between, including gauging energy levels, mood, food cravings and other physical symptoms. It also has an extensive encyclopedia of women’s health information, which is helpful at any age. Helloclue.com
Foodility The mind is a funny thing. We tend to forget things we want to forget, like those chocolate chip cookies we accidentally ate for breakfast. This is where the Foodility app comes in. It’s a no-pressure food diary that lets you keep track of your meals. There are no calorie counts here, just a visual (or a written) record. Use that information however you choose. Foodility.io
Podcasts
Happier with Gretchen Rubin If anyone should know more about the topic, it’s Rubin, who gained fame by authoring the 2009 book The Happiness Project. In this podcast, she riffs with her sister, Elizabeth Craft, as they dole out little nuggets of wisdom on how not to sweat the small stuff, and also how to clear the clutter, both literal and metaphysical, from your life. There are more than 300 episodes available, so dive in.
Food Psych Make a break from yo-yo dieting and learn all about intuitive eating. Dietitian Christy Harrison interviews guests, including health professionals and anti-diet activists, to talk about topics like weight stigma and eating disorders, challenging the insidiousness of diet culture that propagates restrictive behaviors under the guise of wellness and fitness. Harrison is leading the shift toward body-image healing and size inclusivity, one episode at a time.
That’s So Maven Davida Kugelmass, of The Healthy Maven blog, launched this podcast to help listeners tackle life’s greatest challenges and lead a more balanced and intentional lifestyle. She interviews wellness experts and covers topics from CBD and plant-based medicine to what happens during menopause. There’s so much to sink your teeth into here, no matter what stage of life you’re in.
Kalyani Yoga Meditations for Sleep and Healing Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, is a technique to control your body’s relaxation response in which you enter a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. This is usually induced through a guided meditation and results in a deep, restful sleep. This podcast offers a series of meditations to help get you there. With a little practice, you’ll soon be having the best sleep of your life.
Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us Dr. Brené Brown is the voice you want in your head as you navigate life’s more turbulent waters. Her work studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy has produced five No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. In this podcast, Brown interviews powerhouses like Joe Biden and Dolly Parton. There’s no shortage of inspiration here to start the year.
