Alan's journey to mental fitness
Following on from our post in June 2024 about Men’s Mental Health Awareness, one of our panelists was happy to share how he took his own mental health struggles and turned them into an app to help everyone improve their mental fitness.
Alan is presenting at the next UXCHC Meetup if you'd like to hear more about his story in person.
In a world where mental health challenges are becoming increasingly common, finding effective solutions that resonate with individuals on a personal level can be a daunting task.
This is where mental fitness app EverYellow comes in, offering a unique approach to mental well-being. EverYellow is the brainchild of Alan Cox, and was born out of a deeply personal mental health journey and a desire to create something that truly makes a difference.
Alan’s Inspiration
In the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes and the traumatic experiences that followed, Alan had a significant mental breakdown. This thrust him into a challenging time and a recovery process.
Alan was given a plethora of resources, including various mental health apps. But these apps failed to have an impact on him, leading him to initially believe that the problem lay within himself rather than the apps.
The Realisation
As Alan delved deeper into his recovery, he realised that existing mental health apps were not addressing his needs effectively. His realisation sparked the idea of creating a mental fitness app that would resonate with users and provide genuine support. The concept of EverYellow was born from his own need. However, it is designed to cater to the vast majority of people who, while not necessarily mentally unwell, are far from thriving.
The Concept of Mental Fitness
Alan likens mental fitness to physical fitness. Just as you need health knowledge and skills to run a 5K, mental fitness requires a baseline of mental well-being, mental literacy, and the development of mental skills.
These skills allow people to cope with life’s challenges and respond in healthier ways. For instance, learning not to take offence when none was intended, or how to let go of anxiety. The app covers a myriad of skills people can develop for better mental health.
Mental fitness uses a process called mental conditioning. Throughout our lives, we are mentally conditioned by various experiences. For those of us with chronic illness or disabilities our experiences can be quite overwhelming. This often leads to a mental system cluttered with negative data such as self-doubt and fear of failure.
EverYellow uses mental conditioning to recondition the mind positively. The app delivers personalised narrations set against soothing music and sounds, tailored to the user's unique needs. The app can be used practically anytime and anywhere, allowing users to incorporate mental fitness into their daily routines.
Conclusion
Alan’s passion for mental fitness and his commitment to helping others shines through in every aspect of the app. His own experiences shaped EverYellow into a tool that is not only effective but also deeply empathetic to the struggles of its users. Alan's journey from personal struggle to creating EverYellow is a testament to the power of resilience and innovation in making a positive impact on the lives of others.
If you want help to make your mobile apps more accessible, or would like to join or use our panel, please contact us. We are always happy to help.