Digital Therapy: The Future of Free Health Care | Wellness Doesn't Have To Be Expensive!
Updated: Oct 22, 2021
Finding a compatible therapist in the midst of burn out and anxiety can be difficult. This is especially true if you've fallen victim to hustle culture.
If this sounds familiar, we need to talk.
Are you putting in more than 8 hours a day at your 9-5, including your down time at home?
Do you dread the end of Sunday because you know Monday's right around the corner?
Do you have a pit in your stomach when you walk into social gatherings?
Are you everything to everyone and resent not being made a priority to others?
Are you still angry about stuff that happened years ago, things you should've gotten over?
Are you paralyzed with fear whenever you have to do something others SWEAR you're good at, but you don't see it in yourself?
These are just the TIP of the ice berg when it comes to warning signs of poor mental wellness, but let's focus on starting digital therapy when you've noticed the warning signs.
Not every one can afford or access the things which promote mental wellness.
That's where digital therapy comes in.
WHAT IS DIGITAL THERAPY AND IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?
All you need is your phone!
Apps like YouTube, your phone's voice recorder and your virtual notepad all act as digital therapy when used intentionally.
NO ONE should ever have to feel alone in their journey, even if the people around them label them as crazy or emotional. Using your phone, laptop or tablet is the first step, and this is how:
This is a private alternative to journaling.
Journaling is an effective way to work through your thoughts, but it's not for everyone (trust issues, carpe tunnel, ADHD, etc.).
Using your phone's voice recorder is a useful way to talk out loud just as you would to a friend or a therapist.
The beauty of using your phone is that your thoughts are completely secure. So those worries about privacy quickly dissipate because everything is passcode protected. It also makes it more meaningful if you play back your one-on-one sessions with yourself later in the future so you can approach your situation with fresh perspective.
Sometimes we just need to get it out. And that's what our voice recorders afford us - a discreet, secure and accessible form of therapy that helps us get stuff of our chests!
Even if you hate the sound of your voice (which apparently the majority of us do) you don't HAVE to replay your audio (though I highly recommend this). You can simply jot down the realizations you came to while venting either in a journal or, you guessed it, memos or notes on your phone!
Find a quiet, private place, then HIT RECORD!
We know that music is therapeutic. But audio therapy or sound therapy extends beyond music.
Therapy can include all sorts of ambient sounds to soothe and relieve anxiety. From the sound of trickling water and tides on the beach, to sustained bell notes or singing bowls, there are a variety of sounds to calm racing thoughts.
That's why sound baths have become so popular. They help alleviate anxiety and some of its symptoms: like tightness in the chest and racing thoughts. Instrumentals and rhythmic sounds HELP To keep me calm. Here are some of my favorites and where to find them:
YOUTUBE
Tibetan Singing bowls
Makambo - Geoffrey Oryema
The beach (waves)
Rain
24-hour live meditation music (youtube)
Audio Bibles
OTHER
Audible
Podcasts
FINALLY...
In conjunction with therapy, these are some ways I incorporate digital therapy to help me deal with burn out. Pass the word along! Teach others about the free and affordable tools that every one can use to better their mental and emotional health!