As we move forward into 2022, many of us are still reeling from the stress of 2020. Two years and several dumpster fires later, managing mental wellness is more challenging than ever.
Prolonged stress can wreak havoc on our overall health. So, if you want to make it to 2030 in one piece, it’s crucial to learn how to manage stress and anxious thoughts.
Of course, that’s wildly easier said than done. But you don’t have to do it alone.
It’s 2022, people! There’s an app for everything, including your mental well-being.
Noom Mood: The Life Hack You’ve Been Waiting For
Noom Mood is the second consumer program from Noom, the digital health platform behind Noom Weight, a user-friendly weight management program. While Noom Weight helps manage physical health, Noom Mood focuses on mental wellness.
Both programs were developed by Saeju Jeong and Artem Petakov, with the original Noom Weight program first launching in 2008. The founders “were dissatisfied with how the American healthcare system focused on sick care instead of health care.”
Moreover, Noom’s founders wanted to make healthcare accessible. Where you live, which providers are covered by your insurance, and other variables can making accessing timely healthcare a challenge. With Noom Mood, as long as you have a smartphone, you have control over your own health right at your fingertips.
Noom’s mission is to “help people everywhere live healthier lives through behavior change.” The platform “provides the insight, education, and skill development to help you understand the ‘why’ behind your behaviors.”
Participating in the Noom Mood program is as easy as downloading an app to your phone. Users receive a daily lesson, but don’t be fooled by the academic terminology.
Noom Mood’s bite-sized courses take around 10 minutes to complete. This makes it easy to incorporate into the busiest of schedules. You’re constantly on your phone as it is. Why not make it work for you?
How, Exactly, Does It Work?
Your Noom Mood journey starts with a questionnaire that helps better understand your needs. The survey helps you to identify the root causes of stress and any existing coping strategies you use.
Next, the program compiles this data into an easy-to-read graph. The graph shows how positive and negative mood moments can increase and decrease, respectively, while on the program.
Once you’ve committed to your Noom Mood program, you get to set the pace. You can burn through your curriculum as slowly or quickly as your schedule allows. Because of its user-friendly digital platform, you can participate anytime, anywhere.
The curriculum includes the daily, 10-minute lesson. Noom Mood also encourages daily mood logging, from X to Y, to better track your mental progress. Additionally, the program offers a variety of mindfulness techniques and skills and one-on-one coaching.
Noom Mood’s program is “rooted in psychological principles,” their website states. “Through behavior change, the program will empower you to take control and build resilience. So, you can worry less, sleep better, and ultimately, feel happier.”
Sounds pretty good, right? If your stress and anxious thoughts have turned you into a cynic like me, your next question might be: what’s the catch?
The Cost Of A Clear Conscious
Ironically, some mental health programs can add more stress with sky-high membership fees. That isn’t the case with Noom Mood.
The program offers a 14-day trial for new users. After two weeks, the program costs $149 for a four-month plan. This shakes out to around $8.69 a week, which is a small price to pay for the benefits it offers.
Chronic stress can lead to a slew of head-to-toe health issues. The mental impacts–anxiety, depression, brain fog–are the most obvious. But chronic stress can also lead to GI, cardiovascular, and muscular complications.
The money saved in medical bills makes $8.69 a week look like pocket change. But if you need even more real-life context, think of all the other things you might spend $10 on in any given week.
With Noom Mood, you spend just as much money (if not less) but with infinitely more benefits. That’s what we call a win-win-win.
Turn Your 2020s Into The Best Decade Yet
Noom Mood is rooted firmly in science. The Noom Mood team includes experts in the psychology, integrative medicine, neuroscience, and statistical fields. Their research is evidence-based, peer-reviewed, and comprehensive.
Despite its clear mental wellness benefits, it’s important to note that Noom Mood is not a replacement therapy. Though not everyone will need to pair Noom Mood with another solution, it can be considered a therapy supplement. When used in conjunction with other mental wellness practices, the results can be life-changing.
Sure, Noom Mood doesn’t make stress magically disappear. Unfortunately, this program doesn’t include picking the kids up from school or fixing that leaky gutter you’ve been ignoring. Instead, Noom Mood teaches us how to deal with stress–not avoid it.
Since 2020, life has been throwing steady curveballs our way. None of us know what the rest of the 2020s has in store for us. But if the last two years have been any indication, stressful and anxious thoughts are here to stay.
Dumpster fires aside, the 2020s could still be your best decade yet. All it takes is some time, a bit of practice, and the help of Noom Mood.