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Health: Positive Thinking With A Little Help From Your Phone

By Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's an app that can help train your brain to get into the habit of thinking positively and disrupt patterns of negative thinking, manage stress and build skills to overcome life challenges.

It may look like any other video game but it's far from simple entertainment.

The app is called 'Happify' and it's designed to increase your happiness by helping you think more positively.

Barbara Kempe started using it about six months ago.

"I was feeling overwhelmed," says Kempe. "It was really easy to be negative."

Kempe uses two different games.

In one game, she takes aim to knock out negative words.

"Bang, I got them all," she said as she played the game on her phone.

In another game,  she gains points for recognizing the positive words like smile and devoted.

Kempe says  the app is making a big difference in her outlook.

"After couple weeks I would say that I did notice that I felt more positive," she said.

"It forms a new habit," says psychotherapist Diane Lang who teaches positive thinking techiniques.

"It shifts  how you see things,  it changes your perspective and your perspective can change your whole world," explains Lang.

But some experts warn these  simple approaches are not for everyone.

"People shoudn't look to these techniques as the panacea for all of the things that trouble them," says therapist Dr. Carole Bernstein. "I really encourage people not to be overly simplistic."

The Happify app is a free download and costs $13 dollars a month to access the full range of activities.

The makers say the community page is especially popular where people share inspirational comments.

 

Http://my.Happify.Com/o/lp32/?Fl=1&tmp=&trid=&srid=ggl_sem_org&c1=112833461&c2=&c3=4979217221,%2bsite%3ahappify.Com%20%2bhappify

 

 

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