As students, our mental health is something we all need to keep a close eye on. For me personally, it can get difficult to balance both my educational priorities and mental well-being. While scrolling on TikTok one day, I saw someone mention an app called “Finch,” which was designed to help maintain both the users’ mental well-being and productivity. I’ve tried many different types of apps and websites designed to help with productivity and wellness separately, but never together. I thought that giving it a shot wouldn’t hurt as one thing I actively strive for is a better work-life balance.
Finch advertises itself as a self-care app where you start taking care of a bird from when it first hatches–all while simultaneously taking care of yourself. You are essentially given the responsibility of caring for a baby bird, and you must complete goals to do so. There are pre-set tasks geared toward achieving a healthier lifestyle and a stronger mental mindset, but you can also write in your own goals. Every day, as you complete these different tasks, you “energize” the bird, and it goes on an adventure. After six hours, the bird will come back with a tale from its journey, and you can make decisions as its caretaker to shape its personality. The more tasks or activities you complete, the faster the bird comes back. The motivation to complete goals comes from the rewards of raising your bird, providing it with fun accessories, and the desire to have it come home quicker.
Personally, I use Finch as a planner for both my work and personal life. It is not always practical for me to keep around a physical planner, so with the app, I’m able to easily keep track of any last minute reminders or goals I have. What I truly love about this app is its simplicity. There is absolutely no pressure to open the app, and with preset tasks, such as, “just get through the day” and “take a deep breath,” it is easy to rely on when I feel overwhelmed. There are also breathing exercises and “rant zones” where you can take a moment to brain dump freely. In this way, the app can also serve as a digital journal. Lately, one of the first things I do when I wake up is go on the app, write down the things I need to get done for the day – both school and study break related – and then watch as my bird starts its adventure. I’m someone who is not always on my phone, so missing a day or two on the app doesn’t affect how it works or my progress, which allows me to feel no stress to check in daily.
The app also keeps track of trends in your motivation, mood and satisfaction with the day. It counts the number of goals you complete, feelings you’ve expressed and reflections. It is nice to look back and see the different tasks you accomplished and how you were doing mentally throughout the week.
I truly recommend this app to everyone. It is not only good for students who have endless deadlines to keep track of, but also for anyone in need of an easy way to check in with themselves. I have found a certain balance with how I like to use the app, but the best part about it is that you can tailor it to your needs. There is no harm in trying it out, so especially during mental health awareness month, we can all strive to take care of ourselves.