Whether you call it meditation, ‘me’ time, or just taking a minute to breathe, one of the top New Year resolutions is to practice better personal health care. Taking care of yourself first will give you the energy to better take care of others, boost positive feelings, and give you the peace of mind to get through every day.
If you’ve found it difficult to carve out a minute for yourself or you don’t know where to start, here are a few pieces of tech to help you practice better health care this new year.
Mix soothing sounds and aromatherapy
It took me a long time to really get into aromatherapy, but once I did I completely understood why so many people swear by essential oils. Inhaling a burst of orange essential oil can boost your mood and wake you up in the morning, while lavender really can help you sleep better.
I realized how effective aromatherapy was when I reviewed the HoMedics Aroma Diffuser Alarm clock. This diffuser plugs into the wall and has a water reservoir you place your favourite essential oil in. The water will change colours while it’s emitting the mist, and you can also choose different white noise tracks on the clock.
It’s great that the HoMedics diffuser is also an alarm clock with USB plug ins, but the bubbling sound of water and the changing colours are what you’ll love the most. Just turning it on at bedtime will instantly relax you and get your ready for much-needed sleep.
Use your activity tracker to take a moment to relax
Activity trackers are all about tracking activity, so why would you want to use one to relax? Taking a minute to control your breathing and actively de-stress can help you get through an intense day, and taking time for a 5 or 10 minute mediation every day has the power to improve your mood and your overall health.
When I tested the Fitbit Charge 3 I was surprised to see a ‘Relax’ program built in to the fitness watch. Just tap the screen and the Fitbit will walk you through slow breathing excersie. It provides a firework graphic to help you focus, and you can use it for as long as you like.
I found watching the screen really helpful to keep me focused, and that 5 minutes of breathing helped me when I was having a stressful day.
Ask your Google assistant for help relaxing
You know your voice assistant can help you schedule your calendar, play music, and control your smart home, but did you know it can help you relax too?
Google Home can connect you with apps like ‘Calm.’ Once you’ve downloaded the Calm app, you can ask Google to talk to Calm and your assistant will offer you anxiety reducing meditation or Sleep stories.
You can also just say, “Good night Google” and your assistant will tell you the weather for the next day, ask you what time you want to set your alarm, and play a number of different soothing sounds.
It’s the perfect way to end a stressful day, and a great reminder to take a minute to relax, think about yourself, and re-charge. I’ve been using Goodnight Google for several weeks and I can’t imagine sleeping without the sounds of waves crashing on the shore.
Just like exercise and eating right, finding the time for personal health care is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. These three pieces of tech have a lot of different uses, but the help they give you to focus on yourself is invaluable.
Take a look at everything Best Buy has for health and wellness, and make better personal health care one of your resolutions for the new year.
