Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#191

Post by Andrex » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 1:52 AM UTC

NalNezumi wrote: post #68

Not apps but things that have helped me: * remove All notifications from non-message & Calendar apps. * condition everyone around you that you might not reply messages in time. (crucial to make above work) and ofc you have to follow that too. * (if you have the financial means) get another device without ANY distraction what so ever, ideally disconnected from the internet (except maybe syncing files) For me it is a e…

> * (if you have the financial means) get another device without ANY distraction what so ever, ideally disconnected from the internet (except maybe syncing files) For me it is a e-ink (android) tablet.

+1

After years of advocating for the laptop form factor ("use a dock at home! take it anywhere! the perfect nexus of power and portability!"), I've resolved to a setup that ditches the laptop for a stationary desktop. Easier to go to bed and get out of it the next morning, I figure.

I've definitely become an advocate for e-ink. Between Kindle for reading, reMarkable 2 for freehand, and the Freewrite Traveler for writing, I definitely see the value in near-bespoke devices.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#192

Post by cykros » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 2:06 AM UTC

Google Podcasts (or really, any podcast app, as long as it has access to what you want). Learning stuff while being able to get OFF the couch is huge for health, mental and otherwise. I just got back from a 4 mile walk during which I got my updates on the economy and a history lesson on the Jomun period in prehistoric Japan.

Audible, for largely the same reason.

As for stuff you need to look at, I find puzzle games of various sorts to be handy. I'm partial to various tsumego apps (Tsumego Pro being the one I've used longest), either standalone or built in problem sets with full Go clients for playing online. In many cases games in this vein can be had without the ads, streak mechanics, or other such cruft we've come to expect from mobile games, and they're generally good for mental elasticity and problem solving abilities in an abstract manner.

And then there's neat stuff for identifying or otherwise providing information in the world around you. Plantnet is decent for identifying random plants I come across while out walking (and listening to podcasts). Alltrails has been great for locating more wilderness than I thought existed so close to the city. And Yahoo Finance tends to be my go to for idle thoughts that come into my head about investing ideas, with very quick access to a watchlist, stats, and financial information on the go, so I'm never stuck losing those thoughts as they randomly come to me.

The list goes on, but that's a decent start.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#193

Post by SamuelAdams » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 2:09 AM UTC

TimTheTinker wrote: post #189

SamuelAdams wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also use grayscale. I use an iPhone so go to settings > accessibility > Accessibility shortcut and tap the color filters option. Now triple clicking the side button will toggle greyscale. Disable it when you want to look at photos, enable greyscale for all other applications.

Interesting, what benefit do you get from using grayscale?

Notification badges (the red number) seem less urgent when viewing the Home Screen. Content in apps (octal, Apollo) seems less engaging. I spend less time on my phone when it’s all shades of grey.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#194

Post by cykros » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 2:12 AM UTC

rchaud wrote: post #98

Delete every recreational app on your phone. Also delete anything that gamifies passive consumption, e.g. Duolingo. Put some ebooks on your phone and read those. Stop mentally associating the phone with the infinite novelty generated by algorithmic social and YouTube feeds. Do not open your web browser unless you have a specific search query in mind. Disable all notifications except for the calendar and clock. Treat…

Ebooks are great, but I find I read a LOT more with a cheap e-ink ebook reader than I ever did on the phone. I've got the Nia by Rakuten Kobo at this point, which retails for $100; the Nook Simpletouch was great too until my wife disappeared it. Where the phone is great is with audio forms of consumption (which allows you to keep it in your pocket while you continue to take in whatever you choose to consume). Granted, if you decide to listen to drivel, that's what you'll get, but the amount of educational audio out there between podcasts and audiobooks is staggering at this point.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#195

Post by formerkrogemp » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 3:02 AM UTC

We listen to podcasts. Ologies is fun to listen to.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#196

Post by tchock23 » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 4:23 AM UTC

fassssst wrote: post #133

Koala Sampler. It’s incredibly fun and you’re actually creating things instead of just consuming. No music background required.

Thanks for this recommendation. Picked it up and indeed it’s a lot of fun.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#197

Post by MaxDPS » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 5:37 AM UTC

johnernaut wrote: post #120

I found an app called Meomind ( https://meomind.com/ ) recently that has helped me a lot. It has a collection of real recorded therapy sessions from individuals that they've decided to share (with personal details scrubbed I assume) that you can listen to at your leisure. They're categorized as well, so if you're looking for understanding why you have a lack of interest in things, are having relationship issues, etc.…

This is really amazing. Thank you!

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#198

Post by johnamata » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 6:19 AM UTC

It used to be social media apps for me like facebook and twitter, but now I find others like YouTube and Reddit as equally or even more toxic. Especially reddit, their discussion sections get toxic quick after a few seconds of scrolling. YouTube hiding the number of dislikes also makes it hard to filter videos, as well as youtube likes to recommend world news even for new google accounts, and with such news the recommendations quickly gets political.

Surprisingly, I find tiktok a breath of fresh air. Its algorithm is good as well as it's also designed in a way that you dont need to look at the discussion/comments section, which I find is the biggest time waster. In comparison, other social media apps and even the youtube app will give you a glimpse of the comments section for each post.

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#199

Post by april_22 » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 6:36 AM UTC

medo-bear wrote: post #140

NalNezumi wrote: post #68

Not apps but things that have helped me: * remove All notifications from non-message & Calendar apps. * condition everyone around you that you might not reply messages in time. (crucial to make above work) and ofc you have to follow that too. * (if you have the financial means) get another device without ANY distraction what so ever, ideally disconnected from the internet (except maybe syncing files) For me it is a e…

> condition everyone around you that you might not reply messages in time i would add turning off read-receipts if possible in your message apps, as well as online notifications, and last seen

Turning off read receipts has been such a game changer. It is way more relaxed knowing you can also answer a message way later

Re: Ask HN: What are some mentally healthy apps to have?

#200

Post by april_22 » Fri, Jun 10, 2022, 6:37 AM UTC

Andrex wrote: post #191

NalNezumi wrote: post #68

Not apps but things that have helped me: * remove All notifications from non-message & Calendar apps. * condition everyone around you that you might not reply messages in time. (crucial to make above work) and ofc you have to follow that too. * (if you have the financial means) get another device without ANY distraction what so ever, ideally disconnected from the internet (except maybe syncing files) For me it is a e…

> * (if you have the financial means) get another device without ANY distraction what so ever, ideally disconnected from the internet (except maybe syncing files) For me it is a e-ink (android) tablet. +1 After years of advocating for the laptop form factor ("use a dock at home! take it anywhere! the perfect nexus of power and portability!"), I've resolved to a setup that ditches the laptop for a stationary desktop.…

Can You recommend the remarkable 2? Been thinking of getting one, the price is pretty hefty thouz