Despite being, as Andy Williams might put it, “the most wonderful time of the year,” millions of people experience holiday-caused sadness, depression, and anxiety. These kinds of winter break blues are often caused by factors that include overeating, financial stress, over-commercialization, and loneliness.
If you’re worried about the winter break blues, it’s helpful to check out a few resources on post-holiday depression. However, if you’ve experienced this type of stress and anxiety before and know that you just have to “get through it,” try downloading apps that’ll distract or occupy your mind over the winter break holidays.
Apps that’ll help prevent winter break blues
1. Bubble Wrap Popping
This one almost feels like a no-brainer for those affected by stress and anxiety around the holidays. While popping actual bubble wrap might make you feel better, there’s an app that’ll help curb the anxiety without the plastic waste. Bubble Wrap Popping does exactly what it sounds like it does. You pop virtual bubble wrap, relieve your stress, reduce anxiety, and then go about your normal day.
2. Headspace
Guided meditation and mindfulness are two helpful tools to have in your kit this winter break. And, Headspace makes it easy to learn about and access mindfulness tools. What’s perfect is that they offer a free 10-day Basics pack that’s ideal for staying calm and recharging mentally and emotionally over winter break. The beginner’s course guides you through the essentials of meditation and mindfulness while setting you up for future success in terms of emotional management.
3. Party Qs
Upset about not being able to spend winter break with friends or family? Zoom can help create a virtual holiday event, but if you’ve run out of ideas for ways to connect virtually, try Party Qs. It’s a multi-player game that’s designed to dish out conversation starters for friends, couples, and even casual party guests. After all, what better way to get rid of some post-holiday blues than by confessing your deepest, darkest secrets and hearing others do the same? Bonus app: if you love Party Qs, you can also try Questions in a Box.
4. Duolingo
Finding yourself bored and blah during that week-long stretch between Christmas and New Years? We’ve all been there, and when the days begin to blur together, it’s best to snap yourself out of the haze with some productivity. Learning a new language during winter break can take your mind off the doom and gloom of the current season as well as help you activate areas of your brain that’ll help increase your sense of purpose and satisfaction.
5. Scrabble
If your winter break blues are largely driven by loneliness and you’re feeling down about the fact that you can’t connect with family or friends this year, try downloading an app that’ll help you feel connected to others. Word games like Scrabble and Words with Friends are great options for those who love a bit of a mental challenge and prefer playing with real people instead of a computer. And, studies actually show that playing word games decreases stress and can increase levels of happiness.
6. SuperBetter
There’s more to SuperBetter than meets the eye. This app is powered by a “framework that activates the psychological strengths of gameplay to build resilience and success in real life.” It’s a fun life skills app that allows you to build resilience that’ll serve you during winter break and beyond. By going on the quests and adventures that the game prompts you to engage in, you’ll stay strong, motivated, and optimistic even in the face of change and difficult challenges.
7. Evernote
What better time to get your life together or start that new business than during winter break? You’re off work, you’re cozy in your PJs, and you’ve got time and space to project and plan for the year ahead. Fight off those winter blues by making it a point to spend the time getting organized with Evernote. It’s a planner app and notes organizer that’ll allow you to organize ideas in one place. Sketch digital sketches of your dream storefront or store and share PDFs; it’s the app that’ll help you carry in that “new year, new me” energy.
8. Burner
While the Burner phone app isn’t a game that’ll distract you from your holiday blues, it’s a messaging and organization app that’ll allow you to take control of your life. If the source of your stress this year was due to blurred lines between your work and personal lives or a lack of privacy and control, the Burner app can help you set that straight for 2021. Get different numbers for different areas of your colorful life, organize your inboxes, and set firm work-life boundaries.
Stay safe and anonymous when you give out your number and roll into 2021 feeling happing, confident, and organized. Get started with your second phone number today.
