Introduction
What we have here is a very original self-improvement app for iPhone and iPad that has been developed by game designers and created with guidance from doctors, psychologists, scientists, and medical researchers to help you utilize tried and tested methods of making positive changes in your life.
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I can’t help but feel that this motivation app might be better off in the Lifestyle category of the App Store, but nonetheless I am very impressed by what the developer has managed to achieve here; there has clearly been a lot of thought put into creating an app for motivation that actually works for users.
Join nearly a million people who have played in this self-improvement app so far to build resilience, achieve goals, and tackle challenges including anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, concussion recovery and more. This motivational app is available for free to anyone around the world.
Don't Just Become Better...
SuperBetter has been designed to help you take on challenges on your life by completing various customizable Quests within the app.
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This app feels very much like a game, which makes sense given that it was developed by game designers, but they’ve done a great job of providing a utility that, interestingly enough, I would class as being somewhere between a game and a productivity resource.
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There are game-like elements such as power-ups that you can use to boost your health and mood, and Bad Guys that you can identify to figure out exactly who is holding you back from achieving your goals. This is all, of course, so that you can become not just better but SuperBetter!
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It’s also worth noting that SuperBetter has been designed in collaboration with PhDs and MDs at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and Ohio State University Medical Research Center, so it’s clear that a lot of research and expertise has gone into its inception.
In a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating smartphone apps for depression, this app for motivation had the greatest effect among 22 apps for reducing symptoms of depression. In a similar meta-analysis, the motivational app had the greatest effect among 9 apps for reducing symptoms of anxiety.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Take on real-life challenges with customized Quests
- Use power-ups to boost your health and mood
- Identify Bad Guys that may be holding you back from achieving your goals
- Join forces with your friends and create Allies online
- Get advice from over 25 expert-created Power Packs
- Learn the cutting-edge science behind making changes that work
- Made in collaboration with PhDs and MDs at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and Ohio State University Medical Research Center
Cons
- Despite the fact that the developer promised an updated for April 2014, there has been one minor complaint from a user on the iTunes description page, which reads as follows: “It appears as though the developers have abandoned this app. It is so confusing to use and hasn't been updated in more than a year despite all the comments and suggestions for improvement. The superbetter website itself has even been hacked.”
Final Words
SuperBetter is a great idea for an iPhone and iPad app that I’m very tempted to continue using, but just be aware that ongoing support might not be available.