#but i can guarantee that going to your local safe clean lgbtq+ safe spaces will get you at least one friend you actually like.

[i-support-the-death-penalty]

i am like a big lion king of then jingle.

[jigneshthanki-blog]

Aspects to Consider When Developing a Mental Health App

When it comes to modern healthcare, few fields are more in-depth, complex, and largely unexplored than that of mental health. Not only are new strides being made in the field, almost on a daily basis, but the field itself is an extremely sensitive subject that requires a tentative and unique approach. The subject is complicated further when attempting to develop mental health apps, as many more issues arise with this process than with any other health app development.

We at Let’s Nurture – Top Android application development company, believe that a mental health mobile application, or mHealth app, must be able to aid and motivate its users with every aspect, right down to its very design, as any problems may cause users to feel isolated or that the app is unhelpful or untrustworthy.

It’s estimated that over 1.1 billion people worldwide had a mental or substance use disorder in 2016. The largest number of people had an anxiety disorder, estimated at around 4% of the population– reports Our World in Data.

Therefore, there are some questions you’ll need to seriously consider in order to have a hope of success in catering to a wide range of comforts and preferences for the development of a mobile application.

1) Who is Your Target Audience?

The first question any healthcare app developer should ask themselves is “who am I making this app for?” as this will determine many of the aspects your app contains. Behavioral and emotional disorders are a worldwide phenomenon, and the disorders themselves can range from anxiety and depression to addiction recovery. In addition to this, you may choose to cater to the younger generations, the older, males, females, the LGBTQ community or a combination of any of the aforementioned. Furthermore, you should determine where your target audience is, as this will also greatly affect your app’s success.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), at least 40 million individuals in the USA aged 18 or older are afflicted with an array of anxiety disorders. According to the UK company, onefourzero, mHealth apps have risen in popular demand by over 500% in just the past four years. Finally, even individuals with a clean bill of mental health are benefiting from mHealth apps and improving their everyday lives. Needless to say, there is no shortage of popularity when it comes to mHealth apps with a wide range of demographics to choose from.

Let’s Nurture also offers guided meditation app development services for startups and businesses related to the health and wellness industry.

Read more: Cost to develop a guided meditation app like Calm for Sleep & Stress Reduction

2) What Will Your App Do to help the targeted audience?

There are a variety of mHealth apps with different purposes and functionalities, and you’ll have to decide what category yours will fit into before you can begin developing it.

There are three major categories to consider: Mental disorder apps, Mental self-improvement apps, and General mental health apps.

A) Mental Disorder Apps:

These apps are tailor-made to help with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. The hallmark of these apps is their connectivity services, connecting people to medical professionals, therapists, as well as individuals and groups suffering from the same conditions to build a sense of community. Although these apps are not recommended to be fully relied upon, they are an effective tool when used in conjunction with traditional therapy, as they provide a constant inlet of support where therapy only lasts for as long as the session does.

B) Mental Self-Improvement Apps:

The absence of a mental disorder doesn’t mean an individual is without issue, and mental self-improvement apps aim to address these issues. What makes these apps unique is that they can be divided further into three more sub-categories: Self-awareness apps, apps for addiction recovery, and stress & anxiety apps. As the titles imply, self-improvement apps cater to individuals who would display a clean bill of mental health but are still experiencing debilitating mental issues.

C) General mental Health Apps:

These are the apps that are built to cater to as many people as possible, usually by connecting them with professionals, whether they have a mental disorder or not. This can take the form of scheduling appointments with local doctors, or simply setting up time to talk to a licensed therapist via text, voice, or video conference.

3) How Will Your Mental Health App Be Effective?

So far, you’ve selected an audience, and you’ve decided what you want to do for them, however, now you have to figure out how you’re going to accomplish that feat. Luckily, there is a multitude of tools and techniques you can use such as forums, games, customization, mood training, acceptance-commitment therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition to this, there are multiple ways to implement these practices to make your app as effective as possible.

A) Make it Social

Often, a person suffering from a mental disorder, or even just from everyday stress, can feel alone and isolated, so connecting them with other people can be highly beneficial as long as space is safe and as confidential as possible. The ability to share thoughts and emotions helps people connect with friends, family and even support groups to help build a sense of community in order to abolish the feeling of isolation. The added advantage of support groups is that everyone in the group is experiencing a similar problem, so everyone has a more in-depth understanding than a bystander ever could. You can make your app more social by adding in forums, support groups, instant messaging, and voice & video calls.

B) Make it Memorable

The thought of constant notifications can often seem like an annoying, even stressful feature, but in the right dosage, reminders can encourage the continued use of your app, as well as good habits such as self-reflection, relaxation, and regular exercise. Sometimes users busy themselves so much, that a simple reminder to relax can improve their entire day. Additionally, encouraging regular self-reflection is an ample method of combating mental and mood disorders alike.

C) Make it Professional

Sometimes, simple tools simply aren’t enough and its time for a professional to step in. As such, it’s important to have a method of contacting a professional whenever the need arises, meaning 24/7 available service. Utilizing additional services should also be considered, such as pre-screening surveys and journals to match a patient with the therapist best suited for the job.

D) Make it Private

Finally, and most importantly, any data in your app should be locked down tightly in order to protect its users, as one of the top concerns in regards to mHealth apps is that of security. Inputting regulations for therapists, encrypting data, and adding secure access via usernames, passwords, etc., will help put your users at ease and prevent any future problems.

Why We are Ideal Technical Partners for Mental Health App Development?

We at Let’s Nurture offers end-to-end solutions in the health and wellness industry. Our approach towards health and wellness app development and mHealthcare solutions is to enhance the lives of the global community and overcome the similar issues being faced as of today.

Our Value Propositions:

We have a decade of expertise in developing healthcare and wellness apps.

We quote a very realistic and affordable development fee.

Because of our internal quality processes, we guarantee app approval on iOS and Android.

Flexible engagement models to hire dedicated web-mobile development teams with no hidden costs.

Fastest turnaround time for tech support.

We offer app developers, UI/UX designers, product managers, and business analysts – all in one team.

We help you out from ideation to wire-framing, to adding strategic features, to iterations and finally to launch.

If you have a brilliant idea to develop a user-friendly Android/ iOS health app with attractive UI, we would love to shake hands with you for a good cause! Talk to our industry experts now.

[homestylesdecor]

The Ultimate Guide To Vintage Shopping In Chicago

When it comes to vintage shopping in Chicago, you can shop til you drop, take a disco nap, rally and shop some more. It's also safe to say I shop for vintage…a lot, and therefore I receive quite a few emails that go something like this: “Hey Kyla, I'm visiting Chicago, and I was hoping you'd share some of you favorite places to shop vintage.” Of course I oblige. Shopping for vintage is my jam.

Now, before you bombard my inbox asking to be sent the coveted, super secret list, keep on reading this post, then promptly bookmark, save  to Pinterest, and engrain it in your brain because today I'm sharing the mother of all lists…House Of Hipsters ultimate guide to vintage shopping in Chicago and surrounding suburbs!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP…

Some people like to keep their vintage sources on the DL, but e-ghads! What fun is that? As my ride or die gal Marianne says, “there will always be more vintage”. I guess that is what makes her such a great thrifting buddy. Back in 2014, (lawdy how has it been that long ago?), I wrote a post about vintage shopping in Chicago, but after looking back on it, realized just how out of date the information was.

Let's get started with my favorite vintage shops in Chicago and then we can move our way out to the burbs. Yup, told ya this is the mutha load, trash to treasure list. Buckle down the chin strap and hold on. Here we go!

BROWNSTONE 5234 N Clark St, Chicago Blink and you'll miss it. Brownstone is located in Andersonville, right next to Tilly's…one of my favorite places to shop for vintage jewelry (more on Tilly's below). This place is a pickers dream and and OCD clean freak's nightmare. Piles of vintage precariously stacked on top of piles of antique furniture. If you have time to wander and don't mind a dig, you'll surely find a few treasures.

One thing to beware of, every time I go in, I don't get all the feels. What does that mean? No one is super friendly, but walking in knowing that, you might be pleasantly surprised if you actually receive a hello LOL. So why do I shop here when I don't feel all that welcomed? The prices keep me coming back for more.

BROWN ELEPHANT RESALE SHOP 5404 N Clark St, Chicago Although I don't shop here as much as I'd like, every time I stop in there's something different. You walk in through a large hallway and round the corner to vintage heaven. You'll find some Mid-Century Modern furniture, killer vintage clothing (look closely and you'll find some high end designer pieces), home decor, and art. What's even more amazing is that all the proceeds benefit the LGBTQ health and fund care for the uninsured at Howard Brown Health in Chicago. FYI, if you're looking to donate gently used items, this is a great place to do so.

BEEHIVE CHICAGO 2501 W Chicago Ave, Chicago A great little gem of a shop with treasures galore! This space is a shared showroom and workspace for many local Chicago vintage dealers. With home decor a plenty, you won't leave empty handed, and I guarantee you'll be back for more. You'll also find some great vintage fashion and jewelry. Last time I visited, I was greeted by a pair of stunning Maitland Smith tessellated stone side tables and MCM loungers.

DIAL M FOR MODERN 1136 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago If you love Mid-Century Modern decor, this Chicago vintage shop is for you! Find classic Milo Baughman chairs mixed in with quirky and fun 70s funk. Tim (the owner – and also one of the nicest people on the planet) just moved the shop to a new space…which I have yet to see…but I've heard it's killer cool. He has a great eye for incredible furniture and if you live near by and ask pretty please, Tim will usually help get that chair delivered to your home. One thing to beware of though, if something catches your eye, jump on it. Superb quality and fair prices has furniture flying out the door.

LAZY DOG ANTIQUE STORE 1903 W Belmont Ave, Chicago This vintage shop has been on my hot list for a few months. New to me, I stumbled upon Lazy Dog via Instagram and have yet to shop this place in person, but because I've purchased from here online, I still  wanted to include it. Loads of drool worthy MCM furniture, killer barware and home decor…plus vintage jewelry. If you get there before me, please report back and tell me what you think.

THE SAVOY FLEA 2621 W Grand Ave, Chicago Like I said above, Marianne (the owner of The Savoy Flea) is my ride or die BVB – Best Vintage Buddy. Her shop is open by appointment only, but don't be intimidated by that. When I first visited this studio, I thought “open by appointment only” meant this shop will be way too damn expensive. Quite the contrary. Marianne is out and about scouring the universe for new vintage treasure for the studio. And if you've

When arriving, be on the look out for a plain white warehouse with zero signage. Told ya it was a hidden treasure. Park in the driveway and if the main door is locked, text, call, or ring the doorbell. After making your way passed pallets of movie props, you'll see a set of double doors. Prepare yourself for an eclectic mix of Parisian Chic, Art Deco and Hollywood Regency glam.

STEPHANIE SCHOFIELD 2621 W Grand Ave, Chicago Walk towards the back of the studio at The Savoy Flea, and you'll find Steph Schofield's Chicago location. Steph has this  is a secret source to some seriously famous designers which is probably why her other showroom is in High Point, NC. Yes, I spotted Carson Kressley shopping at the HP location last Spring.

Steph has an eye for unique, one-of-a-kind, unexpected finds you may never see again. Her pieces are 1st Dibs level yet completely obtainable, and most of the time, surprisingly affordable. She was recently featured in Domino magazine and gave a pro tip to vintage shopping, “When I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy something, I visualize tv he piece in a space. Almost anything can be cool in the right context.”

SOUTH LOOP LOFT 685 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago This is the place for one-of-a-kind vintage statement pieces for your home. South Loop Loft recently moved, and the new space is a showstopper. Cheap? Absolutely not. This is not a store for pickers. However, if you're design obsessed and looking to add some wow factor, South Loop Loft is the place to go. Just be prepared to covet everything. The space is so inspirational and the lighting is on fleek.  There's a reason South Loop Loft was featured in Elle Decor.

STRANGELOVELY 2511 W North Ave, Chicago Keep your eyes peeled for a shop window that reads, North Avenue Collective. This is where you'll find Strangelovely. I'm not quite sure how to describe Kim's style…maybe funky, glam granny? Is that a style? First and foremost, if you're looking for a killer Chesterfield sofa or wingback chair, Strangelovely is the place to find it. While wandering around this gorgeous shop, be sure to look down. The rugs are on fleek! Because Kim shares this space with Hopscotch & Soda (vintage clothing), the place feels more like what you want Anthropologie to be. Carefully curated real vintage.

TILLY'S 5232 N Clark St, Chicago Tilly's might me the smallest shop on this list, but the amount of merchandise is overwhelming! If you're into vintage jewelry, handbags and clothing, you must stop in. It's packed to the gills with haute vintage couture and beautifully curated jewelry. Side note, the earrings I wore to meet the creators of Consort Furniture…the guys want to make sconces out of my earrings from Tilly's…ya, incredible finds. Not quite sure where to start, ask the shop's owner Susan Lynch. She basically gives you a once over and starts pulling pieces she knows will fit.

VINTAGE QUEST 1105 N California Ave, Chicago This tiny shop sits in between Strangelovely and the Savoy Flea, so if you're going to either shop, make sure to stop into Vintage Quest. It's a small shop that packs a serious punch. Upon arrival, you're going to think to yourself, Kyla, you sent me to a cross between a man cave and Wisconsin bar. But humor me and have a looksy…yes, that IS a Milo Baughman chair…yes, that IS a DIA swivel table…yes, that is a Togo sectional…and yes, that IS the price.

WOOLLY MAMMOTH 1513 W Foster Ave, Chicago Are you looking for something ultra weird? Victorian hair jewelry? A painting by serial killer John Wayne Gacy? How about a shrunken head…ummm, yes, it's real. I've only stopped into Woolly Mammoth a few times, but if I'm looking for oddities, this is THE place. It's right down the street from Brownstone, The Brown Elephant , and Scout, and it definitely marches to its own beat when it comes to vintage shopping. Word to the wise, you might want to sage yourself on the way out. LOL.

Phew! You still with me? If you are, then you shall be rewarded with a few antique malls, favorite flea markets AND a couple super secret burb locations I only share with nearest and dearest…yup, you're that special.

EDGEWATER ANTIQUE MALL 6314 N Broadway St, Chicago If you're into Mid-Century Modern and Industrial, this is the place to be. Lots of small booths made up of about 40 local vintage dealers. You'll find everything from chairs to doll arms here. As with any antique mall, the prices aren't picker prices, but everything is still quite affordable.

BROADWAY ANTIQUE MALL 6130 N Broadway St, Chicago If you're a vintage shopping local, you probably refer to Broadway Antique Mall as BAM. It's larger than Edgewater, and right down the street, so I usually stop into both when I'm in the area. The front area is mostly glass cases…I cruise through there fairly quick and wander to the left. There's where you'll find booths and nooks where individual sellers can set up vignettes. You'll find vintage cameras, globes, vases, ashtrays, old photos, maybe a pinball machine or two…I also tend to giggle in the aisle of “old porn”. Don't forget to go upstairs. They have a nice selection of MCM furniture.

HERITAGE TRAIL ANTIQUE MALL 410 Ridge Rd, Wilmette, IL See, I told you we'd hit the burbs! Over on Chicago's North Shore, there's a great antique mall in Wilmette. Again, this is a mall, so you will not find picker prices. But what you will find are tons of bonkers good vintage that is highly curated. No doll parts here. One of my favorite booth owners is a shop by the name of Redefined Decor. They carry some of the most eclectic and coveted pieces in the mall and have a couple of booths in the space.

Be sure to head upstairs where you'll find even more awesome. A couple of my other favorite booths belong to PeAk Stuff Vintage and Scene Vintage. I'm constantly watching these Instagram accounts for new arrivals.

BTDubs, Redefined also has a studio in Chicago's West Town neighborhood that I really need to visit one of these days (it's near The Savoy Flea in case you're looking to hit two birds with one stone). You can check out some of the inventory here.

VOLO ANTIQUE MALL 27640 Volo Village Rd., Volo, IL If you want to kill a day antiquing, this is your one stop shop. Just a few miles away from the Wisconsin border sits 4 large buildings chucked full of pretty much everything and anything you can image. Over 400 local dealers in multi level barns. Volo is not highly curated, but you will find anything from formal antiques to Mid-Century retro to mantiques to industrial to primitives to collectibles.

Because this place is so vast, you have to checkout in each building…meaning don't carry items from mall 1 into mall 2. I tend to find quite a lot here, so I start piles at each checkout counter. The very last building sits over a garage filled with vintage cars and tends to have a strong odor of gasoline which gives me a headache…so I tend to skip that particular building. Oh, and one other thing to mention, if you get hungry, head over to Fratellos for lunch and a lemonade.

Ready for some fleas?

KANE COUNTY FLEA MARKET The first weekend of every month is the Kane County Flea Market. You'll walk through barns and buildings full of primitives and mostly traditional antiques. It's massive. You'll also find shabby chic crafts and handmade items…along with some tube socks. Because I'm more of a Mid-Century glam gal, this is not my favorite flea, but I do tend to walk away with some vintage items. Be sure to dress for dust and dirt…this flea is held at a traditional fairgrounds.

GRAYSLAKE FLEA MARKET The Grayslake flea is held the second weekend of every month, and many times it is themed. I just happened to go to the MCM themed weekend and can I just say that flea was on fire! This happens to be one of my favorite fleas…mainly because it's small and low key. It also helps that it's minutes away from my house. So what do I mean by low key? When I go to a a flea in the city, almost everyone is dressed to impress. Grayslake I could walk in my jammies and no one would bat an eye. Also, every once is so nice. No one is pushing past you trying to get to something first…it's just very chill.

WOLFF'S FLEA – ROSEMONT If you've ever driven down the Kennedy Expressway on a Sunday during the summer, you've probably seen the flea in Rosemont at All State Arena. Because this flea is held in a parking lot on blacktop in summer heat, it can be absolutely brutal. The vintage shopping can be very hit or miss depending on the weather, so I usually keep my eye on their Facebook page. Don't miss the farmer's market section of this flea. The plants and produce do not disappoint.

RANDOLPH STREET MARKET There's nothing more unique than antiquing in an open air market in downtown Chicago, and Randolph Street Market takes party to another level. This flea is one of my favorite haunts for vintage shopping in Chicago. Every time I leave, my car is packed to the gills with treasures and I venture home with a smile on my face. In fact, I would say it's a bucket list flea.  You're going to find a highly curated group of vendors selling quality over quantity.

It's also one of my favorite fleas to attend especially during the summer months. Why? Well, the parking lot of course…and no, I don't mean for my car (they have a valet service for that). During the months of May – September Randolph shows shows off some srsly jazzy furniture in the parking lot and pack it full of food trucks, live music, fresh roast coffee and my favorite part…booze. Yes, the mimosas are flowing at this vintage bonanza. This flea is held every 4th Saturday and Sunday of the month and is not to be missed.

Now, for my super secret local shops. The antique shops in Barrington where I live and are near and dear to my heart. This quiet little town is becoming more and more a hub for antiquing. In fact, I'm marking my calendar for this event in September.

PINK GERANIUM 829 W Northwest Hwy, Barrington While driving down Northwest Hwy, on the other side of the Metra tracks is is Marble and Granite warehouse…and on Thursday – Saturday, you'll see a tiny hot pink sign. Crank that wheel, cross the tracks and turn right. You've arrived at Pink Geranium.

Treasures upon treasures, nicely curated. You won't find piles of furniture, but there's still plenty to look at. The owner Katie and her staff are sooooooo incredibly nice, and they usually have a treat or tiny snack at the checkout counter. I usually pop in once a month, and never leave disappointed. This place is a gem.

STEEPLECHASE ANTIQUES When we were looking for a home I spied with my little eye a sign that said “antiques”. MY PEOPLE!!!!! Steeplechase was the first local antique store I visited after the move, and I've made quite a few purchases since that day. In fact, the owner Karrin took me under her wing a bit after I lost my job. For a few months, I helped her style the shop…I don't think she will ever know how much she helped me mentally. I cherish her friendship.

Okay, enough with the mushy stuff…Karrin curates antiques…no MCM here. Lots of wood and brown tones. When I was styling, it felt like all these beautiful pieces were growing up, and out of a beautiful garden of ivy and topiaries. Beautifully patinated wood tables, oversized urns, trophies, trunks, books, and old leather furniture. Her store has this look that's stunning and ever changing. Yep, she's one popular lady and flips that store pretty much every week. So if you see something you like, you better snap it up, or it'll be gone in a flash.

FRIENDS OF PEPPER ROAD The 10 major antique shops (including Steeplechase and Pink Geranium) in Barrington teamed up, and they host open house events. Every 4-6 weeks, they stay open late, and vintage shoppers can make the rounds, store to store. It's so much fun. A couple that I like to pop my head into are The English Daisy and Winterberry.

PARIS MARKET ANTIQUES Last one…and this shop I have to thank Karrin for or I'd never know it was here. Back behind Jewel is the Icehouse Mall…this is also where we had our first Thanksgiving in Barrington…cuz I know you really needed to know that. Anyhoo, wander down the hall of this building and you'll stumble upon Paris Market Antiques…and it's huge…and packed. I've only been there once, but I think the people who own it, also own a local estate sale company. Which makes sense with the inventory size…but don't quote me on it. It's hidden, quiet, and a total and complete gem of a find.

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