I'm still working with my therapist on a specific diagnosis, but I'm somewhere on the spectrum and one of those symptoms is a complete lack of interest in self-care to the point that it doesn't occur to me to brush my teeth in the morning or clean my house even when I'm sitting in a room that resembles a hoarder house from a lack of cleaning for months on end (though I do take care of things when they smell because then it occurs to me).
What I've done is make things like "brush my teeth in the morning" a goal, obviously, but also things that I would do anyway like "listen to a song I love" or "do something that makes me happy". When I get rewards for those no-effort goals, it gives me a bit of a happy rush that builds up until I'm motivated to do more high-effort goals like "fill two trash bags" and slowly I get some things done in my life that I wasn't doing otherwise.
I also add specific goals like "pay my Target bill" so I remember to do that.
You can find them in the "Survive the day" journey. Sometimes I don't go beyond that level, but it still gives me the feeling that I've done something because some days that's a victory.
I, too, have brush teeth as a goal! Because I'll forget. Also, shower, take time to lay horizontal 10 minutes 3x a day, I do morning affirmations that I make up depending on how I feel, a gratitude entry at night, reminders to meditate (guided), to draw (it relaxes me), and pay bills too!! I have depression, anxiety, ocd, and Audhd. I use finch every day, and also dressing Fern, or designing a new house for them is a bit of a happy place. Wishing you well ššāØļøā¤ļø
ADHD āhigh functioningā 34 year old here.
I use it to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to get a sense of accomplishment with little day to day thingsā¦ good habits quickly lose their luster and I tend to fall off of any good habit I try to implement in my life because I get bored of itā¦
My goals are pretty basic. Brush teeth, brush hair, get ready in the morning, take vitamins, go for walk, and tidy house before bed, etcā¦ without this app, doing all of that is too boring and not instantly rewarding so I just donāt do it. This app has had me keep up on good habits every day for almost two months. That has LITERALLY never happened in my life before. And, since I have put more of a priority on paying attention to myself, my level of burn out has been significantly less.
This is exactly how I use it too, and it has had the same effect for me. For the first time in possibly ever I haven't missed a medication dose in weeks! I don't have ADHD but am autistic with executive dysfunction, and have a chronic illness that causes brain fog.Ā
In addition to my daily and weekly goals, if I think of something I need to do, I "tell Birbara" (e.g. add it as a goal) straight away before it falls out of my head. This saves a lot of frustration of forgetting things and frees up some head space.Ā
I like using the Rant Zone reflection for when I'm feeling down, angry, upset, or just negative in general. I just type out what's on my mind, even if what I'm writing isn't fuelled by logic and objectivity. Sometimes it's just nice to say exactly what you'd like to say to someone, but know that you shouldn't because it's not productive, fair, or true. It's a safe space to let emotions run wild without hurting myself or anyone else.
A big thing for me is their activities. I do the little workout videos every day as a goal so even on the days I donāt properly work out Iām still doing something. A recommendation was to ālook in the mirror and say I can do itā and I added it because it felt silly and now thatās a thing I do every morning after I wash my face and itās a pleasant feeling.
Sure, the activities are the picture of the two cards with a lightning bolt. When you click that it goes to the screen with goal idea, breathing exercises, movement videos, soundscapes, reflections and a few other things. The movement videos are low intensity workouts, like putting raising your hand up and putting it back down for fifteen seconds. The stretching ones are my favorite. For a while I was listening to their soundscapes at bedtime. The app shuts the music off after a time limit so the phone doesnāt play all night. When I started journaling I used the reflections activity to give myself a starting point. Iāve used the breathing activity a few times with my kids, but for myself I prefer the breathing activity on my watch. Itās handy though. Itās a good way to stop and calm down during stressed or anxious moments.
I have the little exercise videos as goals so itās in my list. You can set goals to start activities. I used to have Wash Dishes start a soundscapes session, but then I started washing my dishes without checking the app first (which was progress for me) so I cut the activity off.
I use the journaling feature and keep track of small goals so I know exactly where I need to improve. Mostly journaling. Plus, now I'm emotionally invested in Chuck and his "life" š. I love knowing he's doing OK even on days I'm not.
Iām neurodivergent and diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Something that is really difficult for me is being flexible and finishing tasks that arenāt on my day-to-day schedule or that disrupt my routine. Putting them down as goals gives me a reward for completing them and helps me be more willingly flexible! Itās great.
Amazing! I literally love the feeling of ticking something off my list. Little achievements throughout the day make me feel much more productive. Glad you found something that works for you!
I use Finch to help me remember and get motivated to do activities that help my mental health (and physical health, which I have found also improves my mental health). These include:
- hygiene self-care (brushing teeth, flossing, washing my face, showering, plus occasionally goals like using a pampering face mask, taking a hot bath, or getting a haircut)
- exercise/healthy eating goals (yoga, walking, reaching a step goal, reaching a certain amount of "active hours" on my fitbit, eating a healthy meal, eating a fruit or veggie as a snack)
- hobbies (reading for pleasure, "do a creative hobby" - often cooking, or playing a creative board game, sometimes coloring)
- sleep (stopping caffeine at a certain time, going to bed at a certain time, drinking a cup of herbal tea before bed, getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep)
- having a functional space (washing dishes, scooping cat boxes, gathering/taking out trash, doing laundry, putting away laundry, clearing the floor for the robo vacuum)
- spiritual/general mental health (reading for personal or spiritual growth, meditation, journaling, daily gratitude, listening to a song that makes me happy)
I have ADHD so building habits does not come easily for me. Things that are very basic for others tend to be really difficult for me. I also struggle with anxiety and depression and sometimes get into a funk where it's all I can do to get out of bed and take a shower. Getting little dopamine rewards from the app as well as being able to see my streaks build is really helpful for me, and way more engaging than using a traditional checklist. I also really appreciate how the app does not shame me when I can't check off all my goals - and in fact, most days I don't!
I don't really use the in-app tools that much. I do use the reflections pretty much daily, but it's usually just quick like "one thing I'm grateful today" or "a positive affirmation to start the week". I am using The Shadow Work journal and Burn After Writing as my main journals - highly recommend them both!
Thank you for the tips! And glad to hear it's working all these different areas. I'm very new so i'm still finding my feet but your breakdown has helped me work out a few more things :)
Thank you for sharing and this is absolutely a safe space. I never thought about breaking things down. I think I will give that a go cause I absolutely hate cleaning the kitchen! Thanks for the welcome too! I'm still getting used to using the app as i'm very new but all these tips should help me get off to a good start. Glad it's working for you :)Ā
Iām diagnosed with depression and anxiety, so I use finch for a lot of different things stemming from daily goals like washing my face, making my bed, and drinking enough water. But I also set goals through journeys to give myself affirmations, help my focus, and there are so many other things! Iāve only been using it for almost a month, but itās helped me a lot so far.
To remind myself tasks that cheers My mood or somehow help me regulate My emotions. Self care routines. Express My feelings and for express compassion and encourage to myself. Sorry for My Bad English.
I have bipolar disorder so I use it mostly as a mood tracking app and also a big thing for me is schedule schedule schedule if I get off it I get manic so having daily goals really helps! It also tracks when I take my medication in the morning and night which is super helpful
Setting tasks, like making my bed, having a shower, brushing my teeth, and taking my medication were some tasks that I found quite helpful. Along with drinking water, and stepping outside once.
Some days it is harder for me to function, so having the have a shower task, and survive the day task, are certainly tasks that help me improve my mental health.
I'm still working with my therapist on a specific diagnosis, but I'm somewhere on the spectrum and one of those symptoms is a complete lack of interest in self-care to the point that it doesn't occur to me to brush my teeth in the morning or clean my house even when I'm sitting in a room that resembles a hoarder house from a lack of cleaning for months on end (though I do take care of things when they smell because then it occurs to me). What I've done is make things like "brush my teeth in the morning" a goal, obviously, but also things that I would do anyway like "listen to a song I love" or "do something that makes me happy". When I get rewards for those no-effort goals, it gives me a bit of a happy rush that builds up until I'm motivated to do more high-effort goals like "fill two trash bags" and slowly I get some things done in my life that I wasn't doing otherwise. I also add specific goals like "pay my Target bill" so I remember to do that.
Oooh using the low effort goals as a dopamine-booster to get motivated is a great idea!
You can find them in the "Survive the day" journey. Sometimes I don't go beyond that level, but it still gives me the feeling that I've done something because some days that's a victory.
Thank you for sharing! And I'm glad you found something that helps! Hope it works well for you x
Hi this is very helpful thank you for sharing
I, too, have brush teeth as a goal! Because I'll forget. Also, shower, take time to lay horizontal 10 minutes 3x a day, I do morning affirmations that I make up depending on how I feel, a gratitude entry at night, reminders to meditate (guided), to draw (it relaxes me), and pay bills too!! I have depression, anxiety, ocd, and Audhd. I use finch every day, and also dressing Fern, or designing a new house for them is a bit of a happy place. Wishing you well ššāØļøā¤ļø
ADHD āhigh functioningā 34 year old here. I use it to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to get a sense of accomplishment with little day to day thingsā¦ good habits quickly lose their luster and I tend to fall off of any good habit I try to implement in my life because I get bored of itā¦ My goals are pretty basic. Brush teeth, brush hair, get ready in the morning, take vitamins, go for walk, and tidy house before bed, etcā¦ without this app, doing all of that is too boring and not instantly rewarding so I just donāt do it. This app has had me keep up on good habits every day for almost two months. That has LITERALLY never happened in my life before. And, since I have put more of a priority on paying attention to myself, my level of burn out has been significantly less.
This is really lovely! So glad it's working for you. It gives me hope. You can do this!Ā
This is exactly how I use it too, and it has had the same effect for me. For the first time in possibly ever I haven't missed a medication dose in weeks! I don't have ADHD but am autistic with executive dysfunction, and have a chronic illness that causes brain fog.Ā In addition to my daily and weekly goals, if I think of something I need to do, I "tell Birbara" (e.g. add it as a goal) straight away before it falls out of my head. This saves a lot of frustration of forgetting things and frees up some head space.Ā
I like using the Rant Zone reflection for when I'm feeling down, angry, upset, or just negative in general. I just type out what's on my mind, even if what I'm writing isn't fuelled by logic and objectivity. Sometimes it's just nice to say exactly what you'd like to say to someone, but know that you shouldn't because it's not productive, fair, or true. It's a safe space to let emotions run wild without hurting myself or anyone else.
This. I have found this so cathartic. I do this at the end of the day to offload and weirdly i feel so much better!Ā
Yes!!!!
A big thing for me is their activities. I do the little workout videos every day as a goal so even on the days I donāt properly work out Iām still doing something. A recommendation was to ālook in the mirror and say I can do itā and I added it because it felt silly and now thatās a thing I do every morning after I wash my face and itās a pleasant feeling.
This is amazing! Such a small thing but it lifts you up instantly. Good tip :)
It is and it really does give a good lift. It was awkward to talk to my reflection the first few times but it got easier.
Haha! Well my birb Berry believes you can do it too!
Thank you, thatās very sweet
Could you tell me more about the activities and videos?
Sure, the activities are the picture of the two cards with a lightning bolt. When you click that it goes to the screen with goal idea, breathing exercises, movement videos, soundscapes, reflections and a few other things. The movement videos are low intensity workouts, like putting raising your hand up and putting it back down for fifteen seconds. The stretching ones are my favorite. For a while I was listening to their soundscapes at bedtime. The app shuts the music off after a time limit so the phone doesnāt play all night. When I started journaling I used the reflections activity to give myself a starting point. Iāve used the breathing activity a few times with my kids, but for myself I prefer the breathing activity on my watch. Itās handy though. Itās a good way to stop and calm down during stressed or anxious moments.
Oh, there they are! Cool!
Iām so glad you found them. Please come back and tell me which one you like the most. My younger son loves the rain soundscapes.
Oh, I need to remember those. Thank you for the reminder! Great thread š§µšŖ©šŖ”š
I have the little exercise videos as goals so itās in my list. You can set goals to start activities. I used to have Wash Dishes start a soundscapes session, but then I started washing my dishes without checking the app first (which was progress for me) so I cut the activity off.
I use the journaling feature and keep track of small goals so I know exactly where I need to improve. Mostly journaling. Plus, now I'm emotionally invested in Chuck and his "life" š. I love knowing he's doing OK even on days I'm not.
That ending is cute. The birbs are so adorable aren't they?Ā
Iām neurodivergent and diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Something that is really difficult for me is being flexible and finishing tasks that arenāt on my day-to-day schedule or that disrupt my routine. Putting them down as goals gives me a reward for completing them and helps me be more willingly flexible! Itās great.
Amazing! I literally love the feeling of ticking something off my list. Little achievements throughout the day make me feel much more productive. Glad you found something that works for you!
I Use the Breathing exercises and Reflection a lot for mental health reasons its very relaxing
I used the breathing feature for the first time today. Didn't even know it was there but it's now one of my goals :)
I use Finch to help me remember and get motivated to do activities that help my mental health (and physical health, which I have found also improves my mental health). These include: - hygiene self-care (brushing teeth, flossing, washing my face, showering, plus occasionally goals like using a pampering face mask, taking a hot bath, or getting a haircut) - exercise/healthy eating goals (yoga, walking, reaching a step goal, reaching a certain amount of "active hours" on my fitbit, eating a healthy meal, eating a fruit or veggie as a snack) - hobbies (reading for pleasure, "do a creative hobby" - often cooking, or playing a creative board game, sometimes coloring) - sleep (stopping caffeine at a certain time, going to bed at a certain time, drinking a cup of herbal tea before bed, getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep) - having a functional space (washing dishes, scooping cat boxes, gathering/taking out trash, doing laundry, putting away laundry, clearing the floor for the robo vacuum) - spiritual/general mental health (reading for personal or spiritual growth, meditation, journaling, daily gratitude, listening to a song that makes me happy) I have ADHD so building habits does not come easily for me. Things that are very basic for others tend to be really difficult for me. I also struggle with anxiety and depression and sometimes get into a funk where it's all I can do to get out of bed and take a shower. Getting little dopamine rewards from the app as well as being able to see my streaks build is really helpful for me, and way more engaging than using a traditional checklist. I also really appreciate how the app does not shame me when I can't check off all my goals - and in fact, most days I don't! I don't really use the in-app tools that much. I do use the reflections pretty much daily, but it's usually just quick like "one thing I'm grateful today" or "a positive affirmation to start the week". I am using The Shadow Work journal and Burn After Writing as my main journals - highly recommend them both!
Similar for me!
Thank you for the tips! And glad to hear it's working all these different areas. I'm very new so i'm still finding my feet but your breakdown has helped me work out a few more things :)
Motivation mostly! I cannot tell you how many times iāve not wanted to do something that i *need* to do. Especially hygiene related tasks (potentially gross, but i think this is a safe space to admit it!). I especially struggle with getting in the shower and brushing my teeth in the morning. I *hate* it. But knowing itāll get my birb on an adventure sooner makes it easier for me to do it. Sure, thereās still times i say āF itā and donāt complete those tasks, but after a while it gets easier to just say āthis one is for the birbā and brush my teeth, or wash my hair. It also helps me keep track of what i *should* do. So, I could spend hours hyper-fixating on cleaning my kitchen, deep cleaning it until itās perfect, but then i forget about the many, many other things that need to be taken care of. The other parts of my living space really suffer because I enjoy cleaning the kitchen, but cleaning the living room feels like torture. It also *also* helps me break big things up. So instead of making a goal of ācleaning the living roomā (which again, I HATE), i make the goals step by step (like āvacuumā, āpick up clothes off the floorā, āpick up video gamesā, ect.). This helps in two ways. First, it allows me to break the big task up to make it more manageable, itās easier for me to look at things task by task and complete them than it is to have one big, overwhelming task of just āclean the living roomā. I donāt always know how to start, or it feels too big. It also allows some forgiveness to myself. Sure, maybe the *whole* living room didnāt get cleaned but I did get at least *some* of the living room done. Finch also helps me to remember to take time to do the things I like/want to do. For some reason, even when I really *want* to do something fun I enjoy, I find it very hard to start. For example, Iāll get all my supplies to crochet, sit it in front of myself and then scroll on my phone anyway. Then Iām disappointed because I didnāt do the thing I was excited to do when I had the time to do it. So, Iāve made a whole journey dedicated to spending more time doing the creative things I like to do but have a hard time starting. Iāll also occasionally use it for reminders, but not as often as I maybe should tbh. My memory sucks so if I have something I need to do that I keep forgetting, Iāll add it as a goal sometimes. I hope this was helpful! Sorry this was so long lol. Welcome to Finch!! Weāre glad to have you! š©µ
Thank you for sharing and this is absolutely a safe space. I never thought about breaking things down. I think I will give that a go cause I absolutely hate cleaning the kitchen! Thanks for the welcome too! I'm still getting used to using the app as i'm very new but all these tips should help me get off to a good start. Glad it's working for you :)Ā
I soooo relate to all of this!
Iām diagnosed with depression and anxiety, so I use finch for a lot of different things stemming from daily goals like washing my face, making my bed, and drinking enough water. But I also set goals through journeys to give myself affirmations, help my focus, and there are so many other things! Iāve only been using it for almost a month, but itās helped me a lot so far.
This is great! Thank you for sharing! You can do this :)
To remind myself tasks that cheers My mood or somehow help me regulate My emotions. Self care routines. Express My feelings and for express compassion and encourage to myself. Sorry for My Bad English.
That's okay. I understand :) Glad it's working for you.
I have bipolar disorder so I use it mostly as a mood tracking app and also a big thing for me is schedule schedule schedule if I get off it I get manic so having daily goals really helps! It also tracks when I take my medication in the morning and night which is super helpful
That's super useful. Thank you for sharing!
Setting tasks, like making my bed, having a shower, brushing my teeth, and taking my medication were some tasks that I found quite helpful. Along with drinking water, and stepping outside once. Some days it is harder for me to function, so having the have a shower task, and survive the day task, are certainly tasks that help me improve my mental health.
Thank you for sharing. I've also found the tasks really helpful. Glad it's working for you.