I got a new app out on iPhone. Google is busy dragging their feet.
So around Q1 2024, I found that a Shaman breathing exercise had been the most effective exercise for lowering stress levels. I call it Shaman because of where it was inspired from. I usually did it about 45 minutes to 60 minutes consistently at first, it took time and patience to be able to do it for 60 minutes in one sitting. I always found my heart rate going down and heart rate variability going back up overall.
Recently started doing it again because of this chronic infection that badly screwed my sleep schedule this time with the pain it caused. Got antibiotics which I took 4 times a day and helped immensely. Will be getting surgery to remove the tissue soon. I needed away to consistently, without my brain doing the counting to, do the shaman exercise so first day I started working on the app is when I got it working. That snowballed into getting it to work the way I wanted to.
I don't exactly remember how it popped into my head to add short stories, but I had a thought along the lines of needing guidance to get through post-op in case there was pain, so something calming. That's why "Be Calm" is the first section. The stories snowballed into other aspects of life because there are a variety of situations people are in and a short story relating to them could really help their mental state. Words could resonate and then guide them back to a sense of center a sense of needing to trudge through. Reminding themselves not to get perturbed. It started to remind me about things I knew and wish I knew as a teen. Hearing and seeing what others are going through really got to me like sh*t, there are tons and tons of situations and no apps out there that actually try to give people the words they want to hear and need to hear. Like the medical system that continuously failed at understanding me and what I was going through just wanting to slap labels on something on unknown cause. This is why there are 100+ stories on the app and there are more coming because the longer you live the more you go through.
Breathing exercises work, but not alone. Stories that help change your mindset make the stress reduction process work even better I think. Now imagine stories being narrated to you in your own voice. That was the real kicker for me to get to 100 stories and in the first person. Like, holy sh*t! I can hear myself saying these words, wtf! It's my preferred voice setting now. With iPhone, anyone can use personal voice to narrate a story that resonates with them. I wouldn't be surprised at anyone who tears up with this feature. It can be extremely personal.
"Unlearn Stress" is available on the App Store today on iPhone and iPad. Google, Android, whenever. The Press Release will be out regardless of where Android version is.
With regard to Apple and Google though, to be honest both were dragging their feet considering when I first submitted it, but Apple got to the finish line. Sure I was making changes in the mean time, I haven't been with Google, so it has been the worst at it.
- Google reviewer, an idiot really, apparently didn't understand what background music meant.. what do you call music that plays in the background from another app? I never claimed my app played music or controlled it. There's a setting that describes the functionality, the screenshot in their store shows it. Nothing is hidden.
- Apple reviewer hallucinated a subscription feature and said I needed to add a description for it, I was like are these guys trying to nudge me to add subscriptions? It ain't happening. $4.99 lifetime unlock is good enough.
Weird times with reviewers.
I should add music, but that would be called Ambient Music not background music. Music helps guide and distract the mind so you can focus.