Mindful Moments: Digital Wellness Tools

This is a surprisingly cool and well-designed self-care game that guides you through a series of questions that will help you practice evidence-based self-care techniques/ behaviours – step by step.

It’s especially useful for people who struggle with self-care, executive dysfunction (e.g., those with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD}), and/or reading internal signals (e.g., those with Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD]). It’s designed to take as much of the weight off you as possible, so each decision is very easy and doesn’t require much judgement.

Take your time. Set aside some time--maybe an hour total--to allow yourself to work through each step. Don’t rush or skip ahead; just follow the directions. Self-care is important, and you deserve to devote some time to it.

You can even go through this routine as soon as you wake up, as a preventative measure.

There’s a unique quality to being prompted by a ‘digital being’ to engage in a specific set of self-care activities, as opposed to receiving orders from a known individual. The former approach feels less intrusive and frustrating, increasing the likelihood of being motivated to attempt the suggested activities, even if they initially seem unhelpful or ineffective.

The quiet place is a space online for people who need a moment of peace. You may need to get away from the constant doom-scrolling or stop yourself from procrastinating via TikTok. Regardless, go here to calm and settle your mind so that your next decision or move can be a better and more thoughtful one. 02

Like the quiet place project, this ‘do nothing for 2 minutes’ website says it all in the title. It too can help you to settle down and break maladaptive and automated behavioural cycles that may be stopping you from doing what you want and/or need to be doing (e.g., studying)!

- Both sites are mere online platforms where you can type your thoughts and send them into ‘space’ or the ‘void.’ This technique offers somewhat of a ‘release’ and can help you to get something off your chest if you have nobody to talk to, do not yet feel like speaking, or perhaps don’t have the energy to speak. Such platforms may also help you to identify and learn about what it is you are thinking – particularly useful for those who block their thoughts or struggle to get in touch with their inner voice and critic.

By Rhianna Lovegrove

As a practicing provisional psychologist, I firmly believe in the benefits of psychotherapy for anyone seeking emotional support and personal growth. I also, however, understand that there are times where people simply need some time and space to chill out, unwind, focus or just BE on their own.

Thanks to today’s digital age, technology can offer some helpful resources to assist with achieving this. As such, I have compiled a short list of a few simple (and freely accessible) websites that might come in handy (or fun!) for some of you.

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- These websites let you create your own ‘White Noise’ and ‘White Rain,’ respectively. They enable the use of a sound engine to generate a continuous range of frequencies of your choice, that are evenly distributed across the entire hearing spectrum. Good vibrations guaranteed.

Xhlr provides a versatile breathing tool that can be used for various purposes, such as yoga, meditation, or simple breathing exercises. With this tool, you can customize both the design and the rate of your inhalation and exhalation. This flexibility allows you to tailor your breathing exercises to your specific needs and preferences.

Sometimes a little creativity is just what you need. The first website allows you to click and drag to draw freehand on Silk’s blank page, filling it with beautiful and colourful patterns. It’s a little bit like an online Spirograph toy and is super relaxing to play with!

The second site is similar, but the medium is sand. Good for the anxious among us.

QuietKit provides guided meditations that are especially suitable for people who are just beginning in their meditation journey. These meditations are designed to be beginner-friendly and last between 2 and 10 minutes, making it easy to fit mindfulness into even the busiest of schedules.

Also, art therapy online for free; score!

I hope these come in handy or are simply a bit of fun for you to have a mindful moment today.