The coronavirus pandemic has irreversibly flipped our ways of life. If you’re reading this, you probably have lived most of the past three weeks confined at your home or isolated. Wherever you are, the comfort of your home is a must-have feeling. Even though technology might play you down with panic information and fake news, it can light a lamp at the end of the tunnel. The New Times has curated five apps – free and available on app stores – and activities to keep you on track in these trying times when wellness is key to survival. 1. Daily Workouts This is a gym-free workout app that suits everyone - ladies getting in shape, men no longer digging that “dad-bod”, as well as kids. Daily workouts plans consider your schedule and tailor exercises from 5 to 30 minute workouts to 30 minutes. The app has both targeted and full body workouts, on-screen instructions and timer. The routine’s simple interface, complete with video and timer, allows you to easily follow along and understand each exercise. This is a great app, especially because it’s ads-free and you don’t need the internet to do most workouts (with the jammed network during this period.) 2. Reflect (journaling) During confinement is when our minds are both creative and fragile. Reflect is a journaling app that puts you in control of your mind and makes you your own mental health coach. Firstly, the app helps you do daily reflection by answering 3 prompts every day to stay on track. Secondly, you are able to track your mood and become conscious of your emotions. Thinking about how you are feeling is critical to making better decisions. Finally, you can assess your progress with a long term reflection on self-growth journey. Reflect also helps record your wildest dreams and craziest thoughts that are likely to storm your mind in these times. 3. Tasty (recipe) Now is when you ultimately need to stay healthy. And hence, it’s high time to sneak away from junk food and do healthy meals, or better, try new, exotic cooking. As one of the world’s largest food video and recipe networks, Tasty covers a multicultural array of over 3000 recipes that fit specific needs. The app enables a step-by-step instruction mode, a mobile cookbook page, and a search tool that allows you to filter by ingredients, dietary needs, cuisine or social occasion. 4. Wattpad (Books and entertainment) Wattpad is arguably the world’s most-loved social storytelling platform, connecting a global community of 80 million readers and writers of original stories in over 50 languages. Whatever you’re into reading or writing – from romance and fantasy to fanfiction – it’s all on Wattpad, whether you’re looking for cyberpunk fairy tales, or new technothrillers to devour. The app lets a reader comment directly in stories, or read together, or create reading lists so your friends always know what you’re reading. You can also save your favourite stories to keep them with you wherever you go and easily pick up where you left off. 5. Google Classroom (learning) This is a learning app, both for home schooling and online studying. With simply a Google account, schools or teachers can create virtual classes for any subject, post study material and assignments. Then a student is provided with an entry link to join classes, get post and deadline notifications and download content for offline use. Parents or teachers can create quizzes with Google Forms which also enables automatic correction and feedback.
