[App Friday] How this app helps you 'just be'

When search giant Google announced Google Play's Best of 2021 app awards for the year, one of the categories that saw extreme growth was health and well-being, including mental health. Apps like Jumping Minds, Evolve, SARVA, and Evergreen Club, got due recognition for driving innovations to help people better manage mental health and wellbeing.

An app that won the user’s choice award is Being, as it goes beyond meditation and focuses more on ‘how to be’ in any situation. With COVID-19 having a grave impact on mental health, and it being a much talked about topic in the current scenario, we picked this app to see how it helps, and if this should be yet another self-help app on your device.

Let’s get started

With Being, you can start using the app by signing in with your Google account. Before completing the signup process, the app offers a disclaimer that it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis, but more of a helping hand for everyday mental health struggles, habit, and music. 

The app has a very calming UI and it automatically assigns you a mental health friend to help you with your journey when you sign up. There is also an auto-music feature, and the zen like music when you switch on the app instantly calms any frigid nerves. Next, it asks you to enter your name, and to protect your privacy, it also lets you choose an alias. 

Being works on a freemium basis, but at the moment, all its features seem to be free till March 2022.

The journey

In the app, your ‘buddy’ asks you what you need help with, like finding focus and purpose at work, anxiety, sleep, getting better at relationships and others. You can choose either or all.  

Next, it asks you where you stand at the moment, like, do you meditate daily, or do you intend to or not. It also asks you if you have taken therapy before or if you are considering it. Once the app asks how you are feeling, it takes you on a chat-like interface which makes you feel like you are talking to someone, and based on the topic you need help on, it gives you a set of mini-therapies.

Mini-therapies and music

Just to cite an example, there is therapy on the topic “I can’t move on from my ex’. The session starts with an audio clip that shares a personal experience in the form of an anecdote, which feels like talking to someone who has been in a similar situation. Followed by self-help tools like breathing exercises and wisdom quotes. Although short, these quick fixes may just as helpful for someone feeling overwhelmed at that moment. 

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The one area we did feel there was room for improvement was the audio clip, which could sound more human. This therapy session was offered based on the situation we punched in the app, which app makers call ‘design code’. A user can create a different ‘design code’ for as many different life situations as they like.

The best feature we liked in the app is the music. It lets you play a set of music that can help you feel better and also includes an animation that can work as a mini-therapy in itself. 

The verdict

Being is a simple tool for you to determine ‘how to be’ - in any situation. In a few easy steps, the app will help you create a ‘design code’ to tackle anything life throws at you. The app makers claim that regular use of Being can transform fluster to focus, anxiety to action, craving to control, stress to success and procrastination to productivity. 

If you are struggling and would really benefit from some support, and you still haven’t found an app that can help you, we recommend you try Being. The app is rated 4.4 by its users on the Google Play Store for its holistic approach to helping people deal better in any given situation. Being stands out for its approach to tackling a situation - that goes beyond just feeling better. However, as the app also reiterates, please speak to someone, or seek professional help if necessary.