To help people during this insane year, this fall I developed a session called Tech Tools for Serious Self Care. I’m not one for touchy-feely apps, so I focused on techniques with solid science behind them.

When I researched the reasons to practice gratitude, it was enough to convince me that I needed to take my own advice. This article cites 50 studies about the benefits, including increasing happiness, likeability, health, professional advancement, positivity and more. I’m in!

Here are three simple tools you can use to practice gratitude:

Gratitude – Journal App, Daily Zen & Affirmations

I love the name of this website: Gratefulness.me. It’s a simple app with a robust free version that prompts you to keep your gratefulness and positive affirmations top of mind.

365 Gratitude

Are you someone who likes to win? 365 Gratitude is for you. This app keeps you connected with rewards and badges. Like many others, the system prompts you daily for a 5-minute exercise. You get a 7-day trial, then it’s about $35 a year. One bonus is that you can also keep your journal online so you can do your gratefulness work at your desk.

Bliss

Bliss is another gratitude app, and it also has a handy Google Chrome plugin. I don’t really like the interface as much, but it’s helpful to have the online access and prompts. Plus, it’s 100% free. We like free.