MELISSA FUCHS
Staff Writer
There are just a few weeks left in this semester and the panic has set in for many, including myself. This is especially a stressful time for graduating seniors looking on the horizon at the future.
Regardless of the time of year it is always a good idea to check in on yourself. As we rapidly near the finish line for this semester, checking in on yourself is even more important with all the academic pressures of final projects and exams.
This week’s app review allows you to do just that with Pacifica, an app available both on iOS devices and Androids. While the app is free, some of the features prompt you to upgrade for either a $8.99 monthly option, $4.99 yearly option, or the rather pricey one-time payment of $199.99 for the lifetime option.
The app offers a rather diverse selection of features. Pacifica packs a health section to track sleep, exercise and time spent outside. It also includes a “hope board” where users can provide themselves with reminders of their hopes for the future, a goals section for smaller daily benchmarks, a variety of meditations for users to explore and a section to take a glimpse at “thought traps” while providing a way to refrain from them.
Out of all the features, I would say that the ability to track emotions and the meditations were some of my favorites.
I personally have had trouble focusing and clearing my thoughts in the past when trying to meditate. With the options Pacifica provides (especially with the peaceful soundscapes selection) I found I was able to navigate the meditation much easier and found it to be a rather enjoyable way to clear my head.
The most notable is the mood feature which can be set up to give notification check-ins, then you can share how you feel on a scale of great, very good, good, okay, not good, bad and awful. The check-in also allows you to input more specific emotions you may be feeling from quite an extensive list.
Another aspect that Pacifica provides — which is a really nice provision — is the option to connect users to a therapist if an app perhaps doesn’t work for you. The app also allows for therapists to incorporate the app as a way to both assign homework and review any progress made.
The app provides emergency resources too, should users be in crisis and need to talk with someone.
Pacifica and its features are a well-rounded solution that covers all the bases in order to overcome the stress from any final projects and exams.
Good luck with your semester, and don’t forget to take some time for self-care with Pacifica: a perfect app solution for your end-of-semester woes as it provides numerous tools to utilize in combating anxiety and stress.