As you may know I've completed my undergrad in psychology and counseling last year. This year I decided to continue with my masters in applied psychology. Needless to say, psychology and mental health has been and currently is the center of my life. I've used a few apps related to mental health, mindfulness, meditation such as Headspace among others in the past. Most of those apps worked just fine until I had to pay and subscribe for better packages. Pacifica appeared on my app store just in time. While it too requires a paid subscription for certain packages, it offers a lot more than any other app did, for free. Besides it is very easy to use. It's been over a week since I've begun to use it and I am loving it thus far.

Once you sign-up via e-mail you are requested to opt for a nickname to be used which is great as it retains anonymity of its members. It directs you then towards an assessment of mood which you can rate and take action accordingly. In rating your mood, you can add your feelings which is a great way to analyze the emotions that you're experiencing at any given moment. It is common to get flustered when it feels like there are just way too many emotions going through your mind. It's something anyone, including myself can relate to. So labeling them offers clarity as to what those specific feelings are.

This app relies on the theoretical basis of Cognitive Behaviour Theory (CBT) which describes how thoughts and emotions have an effect on behaviour. Therefore in order to change the behaviours, the thoughts and emotions need to be addressed. While meditation and mindfulness exercises are a great way to keep the somatic and emotive aspects in perspective, the thoughts are addressed through a thought record. What's great about the app, is that it guides you through your thought record from the basic steps of identifying the thoughts to identifying the thought traps (cognitive distortions according to CBT) to then reframing those cognitions. Say for example, I had the thought that "I am an utter failure", I can identify the traps of overgeneralization, selective abstraction of the negatives, and dichotomous thinking referred to as 'all or nothing'. Then, I can proceed with reframing the thought,for example, alternatively choosing to believe that 'one weakness does not mean that I am a failure as a person'. See? Just like that it creates a major difference in the line of thinking and you begin to feel better too as a result.

Another aspect of the app is that it monitors the user's health, in terms of the amount of sleep, exercise, water consumed, and etc.You can even create your own daily habits. Being a person who often 'forgets' to exercise and drink water and then being lethargic and dehydrated as consequences, this app is a great way to hold myself accountable. It also allows you to create your own goals and challenges. For example, for someone who is anxious in social situations (me), the app suggests speaking up in class or starting a conversation with someone. It probably sounds like simple tasks to some, but many of you may recognize similar irrational fears and anxieties. You can view your progress every day and get an overall progress report every week. Trust me, it's addictive to see yourself doing so well, taking care of yourself, and striving to be a better human every day.

The best part is that there is a community that supports you. You get to share quotes, goals, activities that have helped you relax, be more mindful, feel less anxious, sad, etc., with people who are going through very similar issues. So it lets you know that you're not alone in this world which is a great, reassuring feeling. To conclude, in the words of Dumbledore "Help is always given to those who ask for it", in Pacifica.

If you've used Pacifica or any other wellness app, please leave a comment down below if you' like to share your experience. 

Thank you so much for reading,

Much love,