Finch app

The Finch app is essentially a phone game where you can look after a virtual pet (a finch, shockingly). The difference is that the whole game has been designed to encourage self-care. You are presented with suggestions for short tasks such as journaling briefly about a topic (e.g. ‘What was a time a friend made you smile?’), or doing a simple breathing exercise. Your bird then gains energy to go out on an expedition for a few hours, learning something new each time. You can also build up in-game funds so that you can buy your bird any number of cool outfits, which is surprisingly motivating. It asks you to rate your mood, your motivation levels, and your satisfaction with your day, and so you get little graphs of how you’ve been feeling at the end of the week. All in all, it’s a really cute and low-pressure way to get a few prompts about looking after yourself, which I find very helpful.