How Make the Most of the Rest of 2020

The year of 2020 is coming to an end, and it feels like campus life hasn’t really started because of COVID-19. Even if the things that were promised and planned at the beginning of the year have been canceled, there are many people that are trying to improve their lifestyles and adapt to the COVID-19 situation. According to a RnSearch poll conducted nationwide in the first week of September, 74.4% of respondents aged 18 and older said, they had experienced COVID-19 blues (depressed mood because of COVID-19). Luckily there are applications and challenges that help people form good habits to overcome psychological anxiety and isolation.

▲ How to use the 'Challengers' app introduced by developers in the App Store

▲ ‘Challengers’ app logo

1. Challengers – Buy Strong Will with Money

‘Challengers’ is an app that’s different from other applications in that users can prevent their will from weakening over time by paying to participate. More than 300 challenges are currently under way for the purpose of managing work, habits, and goals, and people with the same goal can motivate each other through SNS meetings. Participation fees will be returned if the achievement rate reaches 100% through steady certification during the challenge period and additional prize money will be paid. Those who achieve less than 85% will be refunded only as much as their achievement rate, and the rest of the money is divided into additional prize money to those who achieved 100% of their goal.

Choi Yu-ri, majoring in the Department of Culture Technology, said, "I started using the Challengers app in September to stick to a plan that I was having a hard time committing to. The first goal was to see the sky every day and read books. I completed two habits goals in a month by constantly checking the app, and now it has become an app that feels necessary to use when planning. For those who have a hard time of committing to a long-term goal, I would recommend using the app to motivate yourself and to take on new challenges."

Lee Hyun-jung, majoring in the Department of Public Administration, said, "By using this app, I have stuck to my goal of drinking two liters of water per day, and as a result, my skin is cleaner and my body feels lighter than before. I want to keep up this habit and to take on the challenge of writing in my diary every day.

▲ How to use the 'Milligram' app introduced by developers in the App Store

▲ How to use the ‘Gandan’ app introduced by developers in the App Store.

▲ ‘Milligram’ app logo

▲ ‘Gandan’ app logo

2. Milligram, Gandan - intermittent fasting diet

‘Milligram’ and ‘Gandan’ help users to develop healthy lifestyle habits through diet, exercise, and keeping track of physical changes. Through Milligram, users can keep track of monthly meal patterns by taking pictures at every meal, score the meal, and check the recorded amount and time of meals on a calendar. 'Gandan' is an application that can record and manage intermittent fasting. Extreme intermittent fasting is not good for the body, but it is a method that many people try because it has a great effect on weight control as well as eating habits if used properly.

Lee Jae-min, majoring in the Department of Computer Engineering, said, "By using Gandan, I woke up at 6 a.m. and started working out, and I went on an intermittent fast for a month. It wasn't easy at first, but as time passed, I was able to manage it better, and my days were productive. A strong will is important, but I felt that building good habits is the most important thing, and any goal can be successful if I didn't give up and make it a habit."

These habit-forming apps help users visualize how well users keep up their habits. Users can see at a glance how well they are planning, and they can see the positive effects of using these apps. Apps like these can help people to put aside their COVID-19 frustrations, and set new goals to create good habits and positive lifestyle changes by the end of 2020.

A task or situation that tests someone's abilities.

By Kim Seong-Ju, cub-reporter  nicole0215@naver.com

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