Earning Apple Watch awards is part of what makes the wearable such a fun way to track your health. This Thursday, and this Thursday only, you have a chance to earn a limited edition badge.
You can earn the Apple Watch digital badge on October 10 in honor of World Mental Health Day. To qualify, record at least ten mindful minutes using any app that contributes data to the Apple Health app on iPhone. You can easily collect the data using an Apple Watch, including the new Apple Watch Series 10.
World Mental Health Day, which helps raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide, was first celebrated in 1992. It’s organized by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). This year’s theme is “It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace.”
In recent years, Apple has added several mental-health-related tools to iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. For example, Apple’s State of Mind feature allows users to log their momentary emotions and daily moods. Research shows that reflecting on one’s mental status helps build emotional awareness and resilience. Additionally, the Apple Watch can track a user’s exposure to light, which studies have shown can reduce anxiety and stress and increase positive feelings.
Apple has also introduced a native Journal app on iPhone that lets users capture critical moments of their day. Journaling is another tool that has been shown to improve well-being. Finally, Apple’s Focus tool is available to help reduce distractions and allow users to disconnect while concentrating on one specific task, such as work, sleep, or exercise.
In addition to Apple’s native Mindfulness app, numerous third-party apps can integrate with the Apple Health app to track data. These apps can assist you in monitoring your meditation and mindfulness practices, setting goals, and gaining insights into your progress.
Some popular apps include meditation apps like Headspace and Calm, fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, and sleep-related apps like Sleep Cycle.