Five apps to get through lockdown

Whether you’ve been in quarantine due to exposure to coronavirus or are doing your part to self-isolate, you’ll likely find yourself bored after day two or three. And, you’re not the only one.

Check out our picks for five of the best apps to download during self-isolation or quarantine.

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1. Headspace (Practice of mindfulness)

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Physical health is getting all the attention right now as it rightfully should, but that's coming at the expense of another massive part of our wellbeing, our mental health. Mindfulness apps like Headspace will lead you through guided meditations and help you practice gratitude, helping you get through the day with a healthier mindset. Headspace is offering a free trial for their annual subscription for 2 weeks. Change or cancel anytime during your trial to not be charged.

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2. Peak Brain app (Workouts for the brain)

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Peak is our favourite brain-training app available, with a curated collection of mini-games covering subjects including memory, language, mental agility and… what was it again? Oh yeah: attention.

The free app has plenty to do and personalise your daily “workouts”. There are more than 30 games to play in total, with enough variety to stop your daily session from becoming a chore.

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3. Houseparty App (Socialising)

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While Zoom has emerged as the video conferencing system du jour for the 9-5 crowd, Houseparty has claimed the happy hour – the time when people want to ‘do’ something social, and not just vent about their coronavirus boredom. Up to eight people can enter a video chat at one time, and when the “door” to a party is left unlocked, friends of friends can walk in and join the conversation. 

4. Centr (Fitness app)

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Centr is the fitness app founded by actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and gives people access to his health and fitness team that got him into shape for his various acting roles. In addition to that there are training experts, nutritional advice, chefs, meditation teachers and sleep visualizations. Centr is being offered for free for the next 6 weeks. We highly recommend trying it out.

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5. Duolingo (Language app)

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Lockdown is probably the perfect time to learn a new language or brush up on that French you learnt at school that is now a distant memory. Duolingo offers a skill tree of lessons that use listening exercises, flashcards, and multiple choice questions to drill you on new words, phrases, and sentences. We can’t promise you’ll become fluent, but you’ll be in a better place than when you started!