When it comes to making changes in our lives, apps can be a convenient tool to keep us on track toward our goals—whether that’s increasing happiness, building or breaking a habit, organizing our tasks, prioritizing our time, optimizing our workouts, and so on. The good news? There are great apps out there that can get you where you want to go way more easily. The not-so-good news? You have to dig through hundreds of options to find them. But that’s all about to change because we did the work for you.
Below you’ll find lists of the best apps for making positive changes in your life. We stand behind the apps in these lists because we use a lot of them ourselves. And because many of them are based in research, which is probably a more legitimate reason to trust them. (We’re not offended.) Get the app that helps you hit your most pressing goals and see how easy it is to make progress—all from the device in your pocket.
75 Great Apps For A Better Life
Here are 75 great apps for making positive change.
9 Productivity apps to take on your to-do list…or make one
Productivity is one of those things that evades a lot of us, even those of us who know the science behind it. Because merely knowing what to do doesn’t necessarily tell us how to do it. That’s where these 11 great apps for productivity come in. With the right choice, you’ll find your focus, cut distractions, get organized, and simply do more of the work that matters—to your company and to you as a human.
13 Apps for mastering time-management
Time-management is life-changing if you can nail down the strategy that works best for you. But finding that strategy takes a lot of the time you’re trying to save. Luckily, we broke down the best time-management apps into categories, so you can find the app that fits with your time issue, whether it’s scheduling, managing projects, or improving your focus. With more time on your hands, you can dig into things that matter most to you and work on making your dreams a reality.
7 Apps for making the most of your workout
Speaking of managing time, squeezing in some exercise can be challenging given the hectic pace of modern life. But science has a great solution for the time-limited among us— high-intensity interval training. You’re getting a full-length workout in 20 minutes or less. What’s not to love? Well, finding the right protocol and workout for you, especially when you’re trying to make the most of the time you have. These 7 HIIT apps take away all of the guesswork and let you get down to business and then back to it. No sweat. Okay or a lot of it.
11 Apps to boost happiness
Because we love behavioral science around here (and really, who doesn’t?), we’re a big proponent of the power of tracking. Simply tracking your habits gives you information you didn’t have before—and that gives you the power to change. Conveniently, you can apply the art of tracking to your happiness too. These 11 great apps for keeping track of your moods give you more insight into the how, what, and when of your happiness. Then, use that knowledge to create more of what makes you happy.
11 Meditation apps for being present
Ah yes, meditation. It’s trending all over the wellness space, which inevitably means it’s found its way to the tech world. While the benefits of meditation can be exaggerated in mainstream media, we’d be lying if we said they were non-existent. There are real, research-backed benefits of meditation, namely stress-reduction, anxiety and depression management, and more. But this life-changing habit can be hard to stick to. The 11 meditation apps in this article cover the basics and then some. So you can free-breathe or follow structure, do it for hours or minutes, or just have an emergency back-up meditation on hand for those rough moments. We all have ‘em, and luckily, now we all have access to simple exercises that make them more manageable.
24 Apps for building and breaking habits
You didn’t think we’d leave out habit-changing apps, did you? Our dedication to habit-forming and breaking is well-documented, so now it’s time to document your own. Habits that is. Lifehack breaks down 24 great apps that make changing a habit a piece of cake. Even if the habit you want to change is how frequently you eat that cake. (Just to be clear—we’re not cake-shaming. We love cake.) Pick one that fits your needs and personality and start making those changes happen.
Bonus: In-depth app reviews
Want to know how real people actually use—and potentially benefit from—these apps? You’re in luck because we did too. We asked two of our writers to try an app for a few weeks and then report back on their thoughts, behaviors, and overall opinion of the tool in question. Their honest reviews might answer some serious questions on how these apps work. At the very least, they’re relatable. Like the time the writer meditated after a night of a few too many tequilas.
+ Get the review on the meditation app Calm
+ Get the review on the productivity app To-Do
Apps = tools
Truthfully, even great apps are just tools to help you make change. The actual making change part is up to you, so make a commitment to bettering your life. And then use one of these tools to follow it through. You might just find that the big changes are easier than you thought—or maybe you’ll just find the perfect meditation for too much tequila. We’re behind you either way.
Your turn: What great apps do you use when you want to make a big change? Share in the comments.
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