Happy Friday everyone!
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of our supporters.
There’s 50 MoodyPandas in the supporters team now! That’s a very small team of people, each of whom have donated to help MoodPanda grow, develop and be there for our lovely community of so many people!
By supporting our costs, each of our 50 supporters has helped me and Ross keep MoodPanda ad-free, charge-free, and the best Quantified-Self Mood Tracking community around!
Here’s an interesting stat for you - on average, our supporters are 9% happier than everyone else! I’m not saying joining the supporters team makes you happier, but it’s an interesting stat all the same ;-)
Thanks again, to you all! Have a happy weekend!!
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com
We are STOKED to be included in the latest page of the amazing Worry Wart comic! (Happiness 10)
If you haven’t already read Worry Wart (An Anxiety Comic) you should :-)
MoodPanda in a comic!!
Having a solid community of people who you can trust enough to be vulnerable and honest with is a foundational part of life.
Everyone needs people who encourage, listen to and cry with them. Community offers several valuable gifts that combine to improve our emotional state, relationships and quality of life.
Five Reasons why Community is Important.
1) Community gives courage: People who say just the right thing at just the right time give courage to pursue dreams, confront fears and live with less anxiety. A life free from fear is a life that can accomplish anything.
2) Community gives hope: In a painful, uncertain world the understanding and supportive nature of good, honest community can provide the hope necessary to press on and take chances – even in the midst of pain.
3) Community gives options: Life without community is lonely; it’s lacking in social events, intimate conversation and deep relationships. A strong network of people grants options for a night out, friend to call in a crisis and someone to share a funny story with.
4) Community gives constructive feedback: No one is perfect. The loving people in our lives know that better than anyone and can be a significant part of our individual growth and change. Listen carefully when people offer constructive feedback about your communication styles, decisions and relationships. They have your best interest at heart.
5) Community gives joy: The long and short of it is that community is fun.The shared memories, laughter and times spent with your closest circle of friends provide memories that truly last for a lifetime.
If you want to join the moodpanda community join here www.moodpanda.com.
or download the app.
Aww what a great week here at MoodPanda HQ. We’re on the front page of Android’s App Store. Fantastic!
Panda hugs to all our new members, you’re gonna love it here!
“The more you track your behaviours the more likely you are to create and commit to positive habits” —
Natali Morris, NBC’s Today Show
Wow what an exciting afternoon at MoodPanda HQ, with TV coverage across the USA on NBC’s Today Show!
Watch our segment here: http://www.today.com/video/today/51716428#51716428
A warm panda hug to all our new users!! We hope you enjoy being part of our amazing community.
Sorry if there’s any temporary slow down on MoodPanda right now, we’re getting a massive amount of people joining, due to major TV coverage in the USA.
You can get our iPhone/iPod App here
and Android App here
Once the website calms down again, it’ll be super fast as normal, this is just temporary,so download the App and give it a try!
Like our Facebook page, or follow us on twitter to be kept up to date
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com
“I cannot imagine my life without MoodPanda. It has saved me.” - Ace
“Your site is not only a life saver, it is also a real example of innovation based on human understanding and caring. ” - Paul
“I love the panda community” - Marilyn
“MoodPanda has helped me through really tough times.” - Emily
“I really would be lost with out it! You’ve help changed my life for the better! ” - Serena
“You guys are doing something really great here. It really helped make a very sad time for me easier to deal with” - Rux
“I love that this site helps people to not feel so alone.” - Michelle
“MoodPanda is a wonderful app that has helped me … and has given me support when I have needed it.” - Chloe
“The community is full of amazing, supportive people” - Emily
“Everyone should know about the site” - Serena
Motherhood can be one of the most stressful and amazing times in a woman’s life. While becoming a mum for the first time can be overwhelming at times, tracking moods with MoodPanda can help new moms cope with the challenges of motherhood.
Parents magazine outlines 5 common new-mom challenges that new moms often struggle with, including breast-feeding and self-image as a woman’s body undergoes changes after giving birth. Couples also have to renegotiate their relationships, as a baby upends routines and roles that may be hard to shift.
Jean Kunhardt, the co-author of “A Mother’s Circle: An Intimate Dialogue on Becoming a Mother,” says new moms should keep an eye out for the baby blues or post-partum depression:
“Childbirth comes with war wounds. Suddenly, you’ve got varicose veins, your hips are wider, and your hair is falling out — you may even be suffering from the baby blues.”
While the baby blues are a natural result of hormone changes after pregnancy, some women suffer from post-partum depression. MoodPanda can help moms keep an eye out for signs of post-partum depression. Tracking moods can also help moms figure out when they need a helping hand. The free app allows users to select a mood with a mood diary to track happiness.
The question of whether or not to return to work also looms large for many new mums. Some stay-at-home moms may find the experience isolating after the hubbub of the workplace, while working moms may feel guilty for leaving their child in daycare. While everyone loves to give advice after a new baby, the best advice for new moms is to let go of being perfect. As long as your baby is happy and well-fed, it doesn’t matter as much if your home is messy or dishes are piling up in the sink!
Check out moodpanda today for and see how MoodPanda website and how our free app can help new moms find balance by tracking moods with our interactive mood diary.
MoodPanda Press and Write-ups -
MoodPanda Press and Write-ups
Quiet Saturday night? Have a read through some of the articles, press and blogs that have featured MoodPanda :-)
There’s a huge one to add at the end of this month - watch this space!
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com
Have you ever walked through the door after a hard day and heard your friend or loved one say, “It looks like you could use a hug!” The truth is, most of us could use a hug, but too many of us aren’t giving or getting the hugs we need. And we do, in fact, need them!
The benefits of hugging are felt by anyone who engages in the practice. Those feelings of warmth, connection, and intimacy you feel when wrapped tightly in a bear hug don’t just come from the affection you feel for the other person.
According to this article from the BBC, hugging prompts an increase in oxytocin, the brain chemical responsible for loving feelings. And who doesn’t like loving feelings? It also reports that while both men and women experience the increase after a hug, the surge in oxytocin may be of particular benefit to women’s cardiovascular health. An article from USA Today reports that hugging lowers the production of the stress hormone cortisol, allowing serotonin and dopamine, brain chemicals related to mood elevation, to rise and shine.
When you’re hugging for happiness, nothing halfhearted will do. You can’t do that move where your handshake goes into a one-armed hug with a hearty pat on the back. In order to reap the benefits of hugging, make sure you’re hugging with both arms for at least twenty seconds. And make sure you’re hugging frequently. A psychologist named Virginia Satir once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”
So, whom should you hug? The USA Today article says that the benefits of hugging are most strongly felt when hugging your significant other, but it’s also important to hug anybody who might seem upset or lonely to increase their feeling of connectedness. Hugging babies decreases the risk of future social or emotional problems, and increases bonding. While you should still hug your teenaged children, they’re probably getting their recommended dosage, as another article reported that hugging has become the standard form of greeting and goodbye in younger generations. And don’t forget grandma or the elderly gentleman living next door! The elderly more frequently suffer from feelings of isolation and loneliness, which hugging and physical contact are known to alleviate.
Now get out there and hug somebody! And don’t forget to visit moodpanda.com to keep track of how your new dedication to hugging is affecting your mood!
If you haven’t already, you should visit http://tinyurl.com/WorryWartDA
Worry Wart is An Anxiety Comic created by one of our Moody Pandas, Dani Abram. It’s a brutally honest portrayal of her experiences of Anxiety, and it’s a must read.
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com
The United Nations has declared 20 March as the first ever International Day of Happiness.
It hopes the initiative will encourage governments to consider the well-being of their citizens, rather than focusing efforts solely on economic growth.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21855292
Have a happy day! :-)
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com
Time to change. Join MoodPanda today
We’ve just released a whole bunch of new MoodPanda avatars, thanks to Dani, our artist panda!
On the website, click “My Account”, on the Apps its under “Change Avatar” in the “World Feed” section
Below are all the avatars we currently have
Standard
Supporter Exclusive [Donate to MoodPanda to become a supporter]
We’ve added a new experimental feature to the Android and iPhone Apps - you can now Search through Mood Ratings, and People
We’ve recently had a massive influx of new users, and as the community grows it’ll be useful to be able to find people to follow, and fascinating to see what people are feeling about specific words.
So - on the Apps - click on World Feed, and scroll up a little, and it’ll all become clear!
This development is made possible by our team of donators
Posted by Jake, Co-Founder of MoodPanda.com