How Can Technology and Web Applications Assist Recovery?
Have you ever considered how technology and web applications could help you during your recovery journey? Web applications get a bad reputation for being an addictive waste of time. However, not all technology use is harmful. Technology can help you track your goals and habits, connect you to recovery communities, manage your mood, and guide relaxation.
Using Web Applications to Track Personal Goals
Setting personal and recovery goals is important for continued growth post-treatment. Creating a schedule, setting goals, and changing habits all sound good on paper, but executing them can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are web applications that can make it easier for you to organize your goals, track your habits, and schedule your time.
ClickUp Goals
This is a web application used to maximize productivity and workflow. You can use it to set up goals and targets for them, which breaks your goals down into smaller digestible tasks. One reviewer called ClickUp Goals the “Swiss Army Knife of project management tools” for its flexibility and customizable options.
ATracker
This web application allows you to track how long it takes you to do a task. Understanding how long tasks take to complete can help you create a practical schedule. With ATracker, you can create tasks, check off “to-do items” and utilize color coding to organize your tasks.
Way of Life: Habit Tracker
Way of Life makes it easier to track habits. If you are unsure of what habits you’d like to track, Way of Life provides suggestions that you might find relatable. You can add notes to your tracked habits to help you understand what tools and techniques help and hinder the intended habit you want to create.
Web Applications for Relaxation
Relaxation is another important element of recovery that is easier said than done. However, it becomes easier to relax when you are in a calm, comfortable environment. Certain web applications can help you create a relaxing environment through meditation and calming imagery, which can serve as a reminder to stay mindful and present.
Viridi
This web application invites nature into your home for times when you can’t go outside to experience the real thing. With Viridi, you can pick a pot, a type of plant, and a name for your plant. Then you watch the plant grow in nearly real-time. You can check on your plant as frequently or infrequently as you want. The app encourages you to take a moment of quiet to listen to peaceful music as you look after your plant.
Headspace
Headspace focuses on mindfulness, meditation, and sleep management. The downside to this app is that there is no free version. However, you can start with a seven-day free trial. Headspace may be most known for its mindful meditation exercises, but it also provides other types of mindful exercises such as mindful walks, eye-opening exercises, and soundscapes. According to the New York Post, studies have been published noting the positive effects of Headspace on stress reduction, focus, compassion, anger reduction, resilience, burnout reduction, positivity, and more.
Breathe2Relax
Breathe2Relax helps you focus on diaphragmatic breathing, a type of breathwork used in both mindfulness and meditation. The app provides breathing exercises and diaphragmatic breathing topics. It also has information on how stress can impact different parts of your body. Breathwork is an important part of relaxation that can allow you to let go of physical and mental stress.
Web Applications for Recovery
Many web applications are designed with recovery in mind. Recovery apps make it easier to track your sobriety, habits, and behavioral patterns. Some recovery apps will offer forums that connect you with other users. This can help you expand your support system by interacting with people who share similar experiences.
I Am Sober
I Am Sober can track habits, tell your story, pledge your sobriety, and connect you with a community that is empathetic to your struggles. You can use I Am Sober to help you track behavioral patterns that might contribute to your substance use disorder (SUD). I Am Sober is welcoming to people with diverse addictions and encourages empathy and understanding to all.
Nomo
This web application was created by someone who knows the difficulties of staying motivated in recovery. The app uses clocks to track bad habits. You can have multiple clocks to track the expense, calories, and time consumption of your bad habits. If you want, you can share your clocks with friends, family, and loved ones to provide a sense of accountability. Nomo is intended to be simple and easy to use. However, the app does offer more advanced features for people who want them, such as private messaging, journaling, and milestone rewards.
SoberTool
SoberTool tracks sobriety and provides forums to connect with others struggling with substance use. The app has tips for coping with craving triggers, notifies you with daily inspirational messages, tracks your sobriety, and provides homework to practice coping skills. Most importantly, SoberTool is there for you when you experience urges to relapse. The app provides a search engine to help you explore articles that will help you find content relevant to your particular emotional crisis.
Technology and web applications can be helpful in recovery, allowing you to keep track of your goals, practice relaxation, and connect to recovery communities. Restoration Recovery Center understands the importance of technology in your daily life. At our treatment center, you will have access to your phone for three hours out of the day. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, nonjudgmental space for you to connect with peers and yourself. You are a complex human being who deserves a safe space to discover all of your complexities. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, please reach out to Restoration Recovery at (888) 290-0925 for help.
