A way to make healthy routines actually stick

You're well aware of all the reasons it's hard to stick with healthy habits. Even when you really do want to have success with them.

Keeping up with even small efforts can feel impossible when the life tasks & overwhelm & worry noise take up so much space.

And annoyingly… the times when it’s hardest to prioritize caring for yourself is exactly when you need to be doing it the most.

So... maybe this playful little app can help you like it's helping me.

Making your goals & self-care lighthearted

For me, the Finch app has made goals & healthy efforts feel lighter and more sustainable.  It's just playful enough to keep me sticking with it while also taking some of the pressure off.

I’ve been using the app daily for about 10 months. And I’m sharing about it here because I think you might find Finch helpful for nudging yourself into some healthy routines that feel doable and even (gasp) motivating.

Note: this is not a paid recommendation and I have no relationship with the makers of Finch. Also I have only used the free version of the app, which has been ample for me.

How the Finch App Works

When you open Finch for the first time, you’re greeted by your own tiny cartoon baby bird. You choose a name and customize your baby bird.

And from that point on, your job is simple: take care of yourself, and your Finch bird grows and thrives.

How do you take care of your bird?

1. You set personal goals and check them off (like getting outside, stretching, journaling, checking in with friends). Choose from the app's suggested goals or create your own. Sky's the limit.

2. Each time you follow through on a goal, you earn points and rewards. Those rewards unlock new goodies for your bird: travel adventures, outfits to dress it up, and furniture to decorate its home.

It may sound a little silly, but that’s part of why it works.

Making progress on your goals & habits & self-care gets dressed up in a way that feels entertaining. And the gamification rewards makes it easier to stick with.

Finch app basic layout

Mood Check-Ins

Each morning you open the app, Finch asks “How are you feeling?”

You have a scale of 5 different face emojis to choose from. Super simple.

As a therapist, I love this part. It encourages you to take a quick but intentional pause to notice what’s going on inside you, and name it.

That simple process of peeking under the hood increases your self-awareness… which is the first step towards managing your stress or anxiety more effectively.

And over time, the app keeps a record of your moods in case you want to spot patterns and notice what’s helping (or what isn’t).

Activities

Once you’ve logged your feeling, it leads to your Finch page and you’ll see your bird.

From there, click on the 3 lines in the upper left-hand corner ☰.  That opens up your main page, which has a bunch of buttons & settings & history.

Up top, you’ll see the Activities button.

Clicking there reveals 8 categories: Goal ideas, Reflections, Breathe, Soundscapes, Movements, Timers, Acts of Kindness and First Aid Kit.

Each of these 8 buttons opens up to offer you related ideas, challenges, guides or prompts.

3 of my favorite "Activity" tools 

1 - Goal Ideas

Choose from a long list of personal goals & habits or create your own.

The app offers suggestions if you’re not sure where to start, from simple goals (“take a walk” “drink water” “stretch”) to more challenging or in-depth goals (“start a journal” “surprise a friend with a small gesture" or “stop using phone 1 hour before bed”).

Each goal you complete earns rewards, reinforcing your healthy actions and growing your Finch bird.

You can set new goals each day or stick to the same ones for as long as you like. You choose your own settings for each goal.

One of my friends uses the goals section to create a daily “To do” list for herself. She sets 3 task goals each morning and then checks them off at night.

It makes a big difference for follow-through since there’s an incentive for sticking to the plan.

2 - Reflections

This section has some lovely journaling prompts (therapist approved!).

You’re offered reflection questions in a bunch of different categories, like for the morning or evening or for a deeper dive or to bring calm.

You can also jot down free-form notes if you prefer. It’s an easy way to process your thoughts without the pressure of a more structured daily journaling practice.

3 - The First Aid Kit

This is one of my favorite sections as a therapist. When our emotions feel really intense, we easily forget the tools & strategies that help calm us.

This section lists out some powerful regulation techniques you can use when you’re feeling upset. You get guided through the techniques step by step.

It’s essentially a coping skills toolkit in your pocket with activities that also earn you rewards for your bird!

Other mindfulness & calming tools

In that "Activities" section, Finch also includes:

• Breathe - be guided through various breathing exercises for calm, sleep, energy, etc.

• Soundscapes - tons of soothing sounds and background noises like rain or forest or animals

• Movements - ideas and methods for simple stretches & exercises to make physical action feel doable

• Timers - choose from various lengths to carve out time for focus or meditation

I find it convenient to have quick access to all these tools in one single place, rather than using multiple apps. Especially when it’s already challenging to remember ways to bring in some calm whenever things are stressful.

Self-care Areas

Back to your main page where you found the "Activities" button, you’ll also see a “My Self-Care Areas” button.

Finch has 9 default Self-care Areas:

-> Calm, Nutrition, Self-kindness, Sleep, Gratitude, Hygiene, Connection, Movement, and Productivity

When it comes to your overall sense of well-being... these areas cover some important basics!

The idea is that you can select one or more "care areas" that you’d like to focus on in your life at the moment.

And when you choose to put intentional focus on one area, you get extra rewards in the app for completing those tasks.

Self-care Area: Connection

For example, if you decide you want to improve your sense of “Connection” in your life, clicking that button will reveal various ideas for creating or maintaining a sense of connection.

Choose a few ideas and add them to your personal goals list. And then you earn points for working on those goals!

Using Finch when you’re overwhelmed

If you just want to use the app at random for managing stress & emotions, open the “Activities section” and choose a tool that fits your needs in the moment.

They help and you get rewards for doing them!

• When your mind is racing: hit the Breathe button and choose from a list of breathing techniques. The app walks you right through them, with visuals to pace your inhales.

• When you feel low energy: Open up the Movements section for some stretching ideas or yoga moves, or low-effort exercise options.

• When you’re feeling upset: use the Reflections button to find the right journal activity for the moment. Need a “Rant Zone”? or maybe a “Gratitude Jar”? Lots to choose from, depending on what your mood calls for.

• When you’re overwhelmed: Open the First Aid Kit and let it guide you through a grounding exercise like the “Body Scan Butterfly” or the “5 to 1 Technique.”

• When you feel disconnected: tap the Acts of Kindness button and let the Community or Values tab offer you a way to feel less alone.

• When self-care feels impossible:  Just open the app and pet your bird by rubbing your finger on the screen. Little hearts appear as a reminder that you’re offering yourself some care and compassion. 💕

Recommendations to get started

If you’re curious to give Finch a try, I suggest keeping it simple at first.

Start small and choose just 1 to 3 daily goals. Things that are so doable it almost feels too easy.

For example:

• Drink one glass of water

• Do a one-minute stretch

• Write one sentence in the journal section

By starting small, you’ll see how the app responds and get to feel the reward of progress without adding pressure.

Over time, you can add more goals or explore other features (there are lots more I’m not getting into here).

WARNING: I have seen several folks overwhelm themselves by selecting too many goals and choosing too many habits to work on at once.

And when they inevitably don’t get them all done, the feeling of dejection leads to quitting the app entirely.

If you really want to improve your habits and self-care efforts, start small and set yourself up for something sustainable.

Connect with friends

If you want, you can share your “friend code” with people you know. Their bird will appear in your “tree,” and you can send encouraging vibes and digital gifts back and forth.

There are no messages or interactions beyond that. It’s a simple way to feel connected without the pressure of direct communication.

Why the app helps

I don’t usually play online games, and I’m a phone app minimalist. But Finch easily became part of my routine because it's fast, enjoyable, and a gamified way to see actual results in my real life.

Even on long or hard days, I look forward to opening the app, checking in with my mood and ticking off the various efforts I made that day.

It makes personal goals feel more like a fun interactive log and less like another task on my to-do list (and I get rewarded!).

I also lowkey like seeing where my bird has traveled or if perhaps there’s a new hat in the store I want to get her.  🎩

Your healthy habits are easier to sustain when they're not complicated. And the Finch app gives you a fun & gentle way to make your goals and care routines feel more achievable.

So... if you’ve struggled to establish or keep up with your healthy routines, it could be worth a look.

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If high anxiety or intense emotions make it hard to achieve your goals and take good care of yourself, my live and on-demand courses can help you get the tools you're missing.