NEWSLETTER
I would like to be able to say that I am the type of person who has tried and true routines to take me through all the things that should be done in one day, but reality is far from that. Like someone with superpose chronic diseases who try to juggle with full -time work and a life out of that, just get out of bed often feels like an important feat. I am caught in the pull of the war between perpetual exhaustion and the lack of motivation, and if I can cross anything Outside my outstanding tasks are generally a bet.
However, a few months ago, a friend recommended me to try the Finch Application to help me establish a soft structure and get a little more than I want every day. I had already been seeing ads for this “self -care” pet on instagram, and this was the little impulse I needed to try it. Now here we are, about four months later, and I am still using it consistently as if it were my own adorable life coach.
Finch is a habits tracker, a motivation application and a virtual pet, all in one. It gives you a bird (ok “BIRB“) Put on an egg and take care of as it grows and learns about the world. But it is not the type of pet that should worry about staying alive, unlike my many needy Tamagotchis.
Taking care of your bird consists of dressing it with beautiful outfits, caressing it, changing the decoration of your home and sending it to small adventures. In turn, your bird will be recorded throughout the day, offering words of encouragement and reminders to complete your goals and celebrate your victories when things are done. I use the free version of the application, which I have found that it is more than enough for my needs, but there is also a subscription -based version that unlocks more elements, a complete library of guided exercises and more.
If I looked at my objective list, at first it might seem extremely discouraging; There are more than 20 tasks there on a given day. But these vary in importance and range from the minimum things I need to do to start my day, such as getting out of bed, brushing my teeth and taking my morning medications, to those who require more commitment, such as exercising or washing clothes. Finch does not adopt the guilt approach for the monitoring of objectives, so he will not be scolded or ashamed if everything does not end in his list. There are really no consequences. It is more about highlighting what did Achieve instead of focusing on what he did not do and forming healthy habits in the process.
Rainbow Stones were granted to complete each of its objectives, and can be used as a currency in the various stores to buy clothes, furniture and new colors for your bird. Over time, you can collect and raise cute “micropets” as colleagues for your bird too (such as Petpets in Neopets).
Sometimes it is more useful to see the general panorama, and can group tasks such as “trips” to have a better idea of their general progress in certain areas. The trips are coded by colors and come with staggered rewards, which will gain as levels when reaching certain milestones with the related objectives. You may not be able to verify my “exercise goal for more than 30 minutes” every day in a week, but the three days I exercised will tell my trip to move, healthy. There, I can also see how many times I have completed the relevant objectives since I started tracking them.
Only opening the application every day also comes with some rewards. I like to maintain a streak, and recently I got the longest so far: 32 days! While I was a little discouraged when I finally ruined him by forgetting to register a very busy day, I was still impressed more how many days in a row I had committed to appear for me. It only made me want to do better. It will also be equipped with thematic articles and rainbow stones as part of seasonal events and to address daily missions, such as writing a reflection or sending good vibrations to a friend.
The latter in particular is a large part of what makes Finch so special. There is a strong type of energy “we are in this together” for the whole matter, and that is backed by characteristics that allow it to support and actively receive support from other Finch users. You can add friends in the application using a code, and your birds can visit the houses of others, bringing with it a small message or gift for the other user. My friend and I go from side to side by randomly sending hugs, breath and other small positivity things on the list of options. Some users even exchange their codes with others online to make their support circles larger.
And you can give away the pay version of the application, Finch Plus, to users who cannot pay it, if you want to go one step further to make kindness for a stranger. The application provides constant reminders someone He is supporting you, be it a small bird acting as its personal cheerleader or another real Finch user.
There are a lot of incorporated tools to help promote self -care, such as guided breathing exercises, movement routines and indications for written reflections. The application will ask you about your mood several times a day, and when you indicate that things are not doing so well, you will present a small “first aid kit” that offers some optional activities to help you work through your feelings or handle your anxiety at the time (this is also accessible in the menu at all times). It is also linked to a website with a line line for confidential emotional support.
I have tried some self -care and productivity applications over the years, but Finch is the first with which I have really stayed for a prolonged period of time. I like how you can adapt to your specific needs, with pre -established and personalized objectives, and the virtual element of low -risk PET makes it a pleasure to use. I love my Little Birb, Ripper Jr. and all the small micropets that we have been accumulating together (even the drops, for all of you enemies). Maybe I will never be a person who wakes up with dawn and achieves five things before 10 am, but Lil Ripper Jr. we are still doing things.
This article originally appeared in Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/this-self-care-virtual-pet-is-helping-me-get-my-act
