It’s the time of year when people make new efforts to strengthen their bodies. We see them in the gym and on the road and I hope they keep doing it.
People trying to improve their mental health are less visible, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of overlap with people trying to improve their physical fitness. Many people are looking for help with self-improvement online, and some of those responding to this demand include Brady, who grew up in Wellesley, worked his way through the school system, and took entrepreneurial business classes. Dowling included.
Dowling has spent the past decade as a software engineer at companies such as Amazon and Chewy, developing mental health startups and apps. nurturing.
He is considering launching the startup in 2023 at some point, and its software has been available in app stores since early last year.
“Growing up in Wellesley, I saw how we often used video games, social media, and drugs to escape difficult situations and emotions, leading users to develop undesirable habits and addictive behaviors. We wanted to create an app to help you tackle it,” said Dowling. He himself has always felt somewhat dependent on technology. He prints out articles that interest him to give his eyes a break from the screen.
The Wellesley High School graduate says working at a company called Modern Health opened her eyes to all the resources available to people with mental health issues, including meditation and mindfulness. Many are dealing with sleep deprivation and stress. What he thought was missing was an app that uses research-based treatments and a healthy dose of self-compassion.
Dowling is currently working on the app alongside his day job, partnering with clinical psychologists and other experts (including his brother) to ensure the product is solid in terms of content and user experience. We are confirming that there is.
The app is powered by artificial intelligence and can make recommendations, such as meditation, based on your chats. Ask about how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking.
“We try to give people something depending on their level of commitment that day,” Dowling says. “It could be a five-second mood check, a quick AI chat, or a course lesson.”
Hoping that people will find your product among the billions of apps in the app store is wishful thinking. That’s why developers like Dowling have to find creative ways to get the word out, like by talking to us. He also started a podcast available on Spotify and other platforms. adaptable mindwill explore topics like dopamine and phone addiction with our guests.
“I’m interested in talking to people about things like this,” he says.
Dowling acknowledges that encouraging certain people, such as digital natives who are obsessed with technology and social media, to use new apps like Nurture is something of a Catch-22. Masu. “I’m not going to reach them with paper and pen. We have to meet them where they are,” he says.
Support our local news business by making a contribution or becoming an advertising partner.
