Sinking in stress while at college has become the new norm, especially because of the pandemic. According to TimelyMD, 85 percent of college students are experiencing increased stress and anxiety levels due to the pandemic and the uncertainty about continuing their education. This emphasizes students’ need for help. The overwhelming pressures of taking courses online, losing loved ones, and social distancing are dampening on even the most average, mentally healthy student. Imagine what a student with pre-pandemic mental health issues is feeling.

On top of the pandemic stresses, there are the challenges of trying to complete homework assignments, essays, and quizzes. All of this baggage can cause students to put their mental health last. According to an interview conducted by The Buchtelite, a student-led news site at the University at Akron, students like John Albrecht provide information about their lack of free time. In fact, “Due to his (Albrecht) heavy course load, the few hours of non-school-related activity he does have doesn’t feel like enough, leaving him with just 12 hours or so per week to focus on himself.” A lot of students like Albrecht feel this way in terms of not having time for themselves, and as this continues, the stress continues to build.

However, there is a possible solution to these overbearing stresses, the mobile application, Fabulous. This game-changing app was created and first used at Duke University in 2013 to help its users to become better people and to ensure tiny habits can become long-term changes.

Fabulous eases its users into self-improvement by using behavioral science-based methods. Behavioral science is the study of understanding why people behave in certain ways, and then gives solutions to ensure people follow through on their goals. This science is rooted in Fabulous, making the app become personalized to its user by paying attention to their patterns and personal choices.

Once their personal information and goals are obtained, daily routines are created. This application becomes your ‘lifestyle coach and happiness trainer’ to the board of creators. College students like John Albrecht could use Fabulous successfully and create better habits so that they get much more work done with less stress while taking time for themselves.

Some healthy habits the application tackles range from better sleep to healthier eating, maintaining happiness, and more. Based on the honest and brutal experiences students like Albrecht share, all of these beneficial components can alter their lives for the better. Students can create better study routines by utilizing the healthy habit of better sleep. This means, going to sleep and waking up at a reasonable time can help the student get more work done. Students can even start eating healthier so they have more energy to be productive, rather than eating junk food which will cause them to feel sluggish and distracted.

This application is inexpensive with a low fee of $3.33 a month. Using Fabulous means embarking on a journey of success. The journey is not easy as it will discipline the user but will help strengthen them as a person.