Spent $80 on a 'smile therapy' app that just made me feel worse

I saw an ad for this app that promised to boost your mood with daily exercises. After a week of fake-cheerful prompts, I realized I was just paying to feel guilty for not being happier. Has anyone found a better way to actually deal with the heavy stuff you're carrying around?

4 comments

4 Comments

milesk272mo ago

That's a rough way to spend eighty bucks. When I felt that way, I started writing one honest sentence in a notebook each morning, just naming the feeling without trying to fix it. It doesn't make the heavy stuff go away, but it stops adding that extra layer of guilt on top.

susanb341mo ago

Oh man, that notebook idea is so good. I did something like that last year... just writing "I feel tired of everything today" or whatever it was. It sounds silly but it really did take the pressure off, like I wasn't fighting myself about feeling bad anymore.

miller.rowan2mo ago

Therapy apps can't replace real therapy.

matthewdixon2mo ago

Agree, but they can be a decent first step for people who are scared to try the real thing.