Written by Sophie Kwok, Founder & CEO, Love Intently
Technology has a bad wrap when it comes to love and relationships. The more we connect with one another online, the harder it has become to connect face-to- face. We tend to lean towards the digital world over the physical world. That’s a problem. Harvard’s study showcased that loneliness was more lethal to our personal health than smoking or obesity.
Technology does not have to affect our lives in a negative way. I believe the next wave of apps and services will focus on not just connecting us with a greater quantity of people, but fostering higher quality relationships in real life.
There are hundreds of apps out there that help us start relationships, but very few that empower us to stay in one. The healthiest people have healthy relationships, so how do we continue to make relationships a priority as an essential part of our lives?
Here are a few of my favorite apps and services that encourage stronger relationships!
Our phones can suck you in and keep you there. It’s easy to be unaware of how much we’re using our phones, which is where Moment comes in! Moment brings awareness to how we are using our phones and bring us back to the things that matter most. It automatically tracks you and your family’s daily iPhone or iPad usage. You can set daily goals, and it’ll kindly nudge you if you are going over the goal. Additionally, it tells you where you spend most of your time.
Love Intently’s mission is to empower relationships to thrive. They get to know you and your partner’s Love Personality and send you personalized Love Tips to empower your relationship to thrive. Love Intently reminds us to do the small things and care about your romantic partner in an intentional and meaningful way. Although, Love Intently is an app on your phone, to remind you to put it down and care for the people around you. They take research backed frameworks and make it personalized and implementable day to day. Great relationships don’t happen by accident, we create them intentionally.
With hectic schedules and long to-do lists, managing the day-to-day for your family can feel like a full-time job. Whether you’re making dinner plans, coordinating carpools, or just ensuring everyone arrived home safely, Life360 gives clear communication and peace of mind right at your fingertips.
Headspace enables you to clear your mind and be present. After a stressful day at work, this is a great way to transition into your home leaving the stress of work, at work. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and increase focus in our daily lives. The happier and more present we are in our daily lives the better our relationships will be.
The DO Stuff app helps you find the best of concerts, festivals and other live events around you. It’s great for the weekend or really any night of the week when you’re searching for a fun night out on the town. They support 20 major cities and are quickly expanding!
Couple is an app that allows you and your partner to share photos, stickers, a calendar, a timeline, etc. Perfect for long distance couples because it gives them a special place to share their daily life until they see each other again. The couple’s timeline feature also allows couples to store memories between them. It’s like having a digital scrapbook in your pocket at all times!
Shine Text is daily messages you receive Monday through Friday featuring quotes, research-backed articles, actions you can take, and more to help you start your morning off right. Ninety-three percent of people who have used Shine Text say that they are more confident and have seen an improvement in their daily happiness. Additionally, people with high self-esteem are more likely to be in healthy relationships. They are more likely to assume the best in their partner and the people in their life, in turn reducing the likelihood of relationship conflict.
If you’re going to use social media, be intentional about who you follow and the type of content you absorb. Following others who have strong and healthy relationships will likely empower you to foster a healthier relationship in your own life while following people who discourage or promote negativity will leave you feeling crummy and negative yourself.
Furthermore, to continue your journey in establishing healthy relationships, RelationshipsFirst offers tools and workshops to encourage Safe Conversations.
Here are a few social accounts I recommend for remarkable insights into healthier relationships, positivity, and love!
Re: social accounts listed above:
Did you mean to list “Jay Shetty” rather than “Jay Setty?”
If so please correct as I would like to forward this page to my clients in relationships. Thanks.
Barbara Hunt, MS, LPC, LMFT
Hi Barbara, we’ve corrected. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.