5 Best Apps For Twenty Somethings

You know when you find something that is just so good you want to tell everybody you know about it?

Those things that have such a big impact on your life that you don’t even know how other people function without them?

Well, that’s what this post is.

These are the apps that gave me that ‘where have you been all my life?’ feeling. They make me happier, more productive, more organised. They teach me. They entertain me.

These are the apps I just can’t live without, and maybe you won’t be able to either.

1. Headspace

This app is absolutely perfect for you if you’ve ever thought about giving meditation a try but put it off because you think it means you have to stop thinking about things (and you think way too much for that to happen).

Headspace totally debunks the whole ‘meditation means you have to stop thinking’ thing and is by far the most approachable meditation app I’ve ever tried.

Using Headspace has been so incredibly amazing while I’ve been doing exams – it helps me to take a step back and really puts things back into perspective. I’ve worked it into my (now pretty elaborate) morning routine and am so obsessed.

The guided meditations on the app also have the loveliest narration voice I’ve ever heard (the narrator has the same accent as Wren from Pretty Little Liars). Heaven.

You can find Headspace here for iPhone and here for Android.

2. Sleep Cycle

I am in LOVE with this app after finally realising just how valuable (and totally underrated) a good night’s sleep is.

This app tracks the quality of your sleep (according to your movement throughout the night) and has all sorts of other things you can track too, like heart rate and what mood you woke up in (it doesn’t tell you that though, you have to put that in yourself haha).

Maybe I’m just a little nerdy, but I love tracking things.

Figuring out  the things that make me sleep better, like regular exercise, yoga and not going on my computer right before bed (oops), gives me this strange feeling of happiness and calm. I love knowing this stuff.

This app is definitely worth the $1.99 and then some. (And wow I write a lot of things in brackets).

You can find Sleep Cycle here for iPhone and here for Android.

3. Audible

How could I write a post about apps and not mention Audible.

If this isn’t your first time on Smart Twenties you probably already know that I am completely OBSESSED with audiobooks.

This is by no means a fling – I probably listen to an audiobook every single week. I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (so good!) and I’m currently listening to Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton (so in love!).

You do have to pay for the audiobooks but you can have multiple people listening to the same audiobook at once (through the same account) so if you have a friend or 5 who would be interested in listening to the same audiobooks you can share an account and divvy up the costs.

I consider listening to audiobooks to be a way I invest in myself and my success (btw I’ve written a post on the 10 ways I invest in myself – read it here).

Either way, it’s so so worth it. And you do get a free book when you sign up! (If you’re in Australia like me make sure you sign up for the Australian one, not the US one).

You can find Audible here for iPhone and here for Android.

4. Podcasts

I use the podcast app all the time. When I’m not listening to an audiobook I’m listening to a podcast.

This isn’t the first time I’m mentioning my love for podcasts but I had to mention it because I use it sooo much.

I kind of go through different phases of what I listen to but it’s always variations on a theme – entrepreneurship, psychology or (ideally) both. I love hearing people’s stories about what got them to where they are today and I love learning about why we do the things we do.

These are the things I can’t shut up about and I LOVE that I get to listen to things like this wherever I go.

Right now I’m listening to Unmistakable Creative (probably my favourite) and The Tim Ferriss show (LOVE this episode here).

Actually when I think about it they’re kind of almost identical podcasts just with slightly different guests (Unmistakable Creative has less ‘conventional’ guests but they’re always people who are so interesting).

I am seriously obsessed with podcasts. Did I say that already? Definitely something worth checking out and all podcasts are free (I’m pretty sure) so if you don’t want to spend money on audiobooks you need podcasts.

Some others that are also worth checking out are School of Greatness and Inspiring Innovation. If you listen to podcasts and have any recommendations I would absolutely LOVE to hear them – please let me know!

I use the Apple app that comes on the iPhone and I’m not sure which podcast app is best for Android users.

5. Evernote

Evernote is my money app.

Before you say anything, I know there are lots of apps designed solely for the purpose of keeping track of what you spend each month. They have pretty pie charts and colourful graphs that will illustrate exactly how much I spent on shampoo last April. But for some reason, I don’t like it. Too many inputs and too many options makes it become another chore.

I’ve found that whenever I’ve used these apps it has never ever lasted more than a week. So, instead of continuously trying to recommit to something that isn’t a good fit for me I made my own system. And that system is super simple.

I have a note, in Evernote, where I write exactly what I spend. Just the date (next to a cute emoji haha) and then what I spent. $2.55 – parking. $26.60 – groceries. $12.95 – Book Depository.

That’s it. That’s all I do and then I just tally it up at the end of the month. It’s what works for me.

I also keep track of all my blog posts, drafts and any ideas that pop into my head.

The app on my phone automatically syncs with my computer so whenever it comes to writing a post I have everything at my fingertips. Plus it’s definitely really nice to know that it is all backed up, just incase I lose my phone again.

And the best thing is, I know I’m not even scratching the surface with Evernote yet!

You can find Evernote here for iPhone and here for Android.

The app I wish I had

I don’t want to put a dampener on things, but there’s an app that I really want but don’t have.

I’m absolutely in love with F.lux.

It’s just an app that makes the colour of your computer screen adapt to the time of day. When it’s daytime it’s the normal bright blue. When it’s nighttime it goes to a warm, red colour that helps you sleep better. And it’s free.

So I really want this on my iPhone but apparently it doesn’t exist yet and the only way to get it on your phone is to jailbreak it (which I’m not really keen on doing). I’ve seen online that you can buy some kind of daggy looking sunglasses that will cancel out the blue light and I wouldn’t say I’m at that level yet, but I am getting a little desperate.

If you know of any app that will do this on your phone please let me know! I do dim the screen of my phone but it’s just not the same!

My 10 must-have tools and resources 

In this blog post I shared the 5 apps that I LOVE, but there’s a lot of other tools and resources I use to make the most of my twenties!

So I’ve put together a free 10-page guide for you on my 10 favourite tools (the ones I personally use every single day) for personal development, sticking to habits and figuring out what the hell to do with my life.

It took me a long time to put this guide together for you because there was so much I wanted to say about these 10 tools and resources!

If you’re serious about making the most of your twenties, make sure to click the button below to download your free copy of the guide:

What do you think?

So there you have it – the 5 apps I can’t live without.

Do you use any of these apps? What apps do you use everyday? Any recommendations?

Just leave a comment below and let me know what you think – I’d love to hear from you!

Sam xx

P.S. Dream Habit: A 28-Day Habit Bootcamp For Perfectionists launches on Monday, 12 September 2016! Don’t miss your opportunity to invest in this life-changing course for the Special Pre-Sale Price, available for a limited time only!

Click the button below to find out more:

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