First Impressions: Mental Wellness Coaching By Noom Mood

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You've probably heard about Noom, the weight loss app that uses psychology to change your eating habits for the better through a structured curriculum with education, interactive challenges, weekly weight logging, daily good logging, virtual support, and more. But after finding great success in helping people lose weight, the brand expanded to now help people tackle stress with Noom Mood – especially during these very stressful times.

Living in New York City, the city that never sleeps, it can be easy to fall into a constant state of stress. Running to catch the subway, walking past people who think they can take up the whole sidewalk on a Tuesday morning, and dealing with the constant honking of cars, as well as police and ambulance sirens. But, because I refuse to give up living here, I've managed to find ways to lower my stress levels, which includes seeking help from apps like Noom Mood.

So What Exactly Is Noom Mood?

Noom Mood is an app and 16-week program that "guides you, step by step, to mental wellness – and helps you develop the techniques, emotional awareness, and resilience to reduce stress and live a happier life," according to the brand. Basically, every day, you'll be greeted with lessons and articles that help you better understand your train of thought during a particularly stressful event, as well as ways to carve out some time for you.

So, with me being one of the most stressed-out people that I know, I decided to put the Noom Mood app to the test to see if it could really help me feel less overwhelmed.

Subscription Details

Noom Mood

Price: 4-month auto-renewing plan for $149.

Noom Mood App

Now, once you decide that Noom Mood is right for you, you'll answer a few questions to help the professionals behind the program determine the best path and guide for you. The first question will be: How long have you been experiencing stress? You'll choose between the last month, the last three months, the last six months, or the past year. Yeah, it's been years for me, so that last one made me feel seen. It then further asked how often in that amount of time did you actually feel stressed – for me, it was most of the time. It then inquired the things that were causing me so much stress and I almost felt a little self-conscious when I began checking off more than four items. Once you choose whether it was your family relationships or your health that was causing you stress, you then say whether it was the loss of a family member, their health, a pregnancy, or a pet.

The questions were designed to really make you think about the source of stress in your life – something I was definitely not willing to do so I dreaded this section. But that's where the torture ended because you then revealed what exactly you wanted to work on: was it your career? Your existential thoughts? Dealing with a divorce? The good thing I liked was that after a couple of questions, Noom Mood assured me that it was ok to feel like this and be dealing with situations like mine. It made me feel less alone.

Once you actually start your plan, you'll read articles that will help you figure out why you might feel like you always have something to do and why you might feel like you need to do it right now. You'll sometimes be quizzed about what you just learned. And you'll always be encouraged to take some time for yourself for at least 15 minutes and log in your mood.

But the part that I liked best about this app is that I got one-on-one coaching to work through specific challenges. After a few days of doing self-care and learning about why I always feel like I need to do chores and errands now now now (when in reality, I don't have to), the app tells you it's time to meet your coach if you want to. Once you agree, they will connect with you someone who is equipped to deal with your particular areas of concern. My coach checked in on me every day, encouraged me to really think about the sources of my stress, and even pushed me to put myself first for once. Never once did they make me feel pressured to be there, but the same thing couldn't be said about the app itself.

Who is this subscription good for?

This subscription is good for anyone who is dealing with stress: from people who don't know where to start or who can't find peace with other types of stress-reducing activities to those who are already doing everything they can and want more accountability. But just now, that if you're really dedicated to lowering your stress levels, you need to be consistent with the work. You need to read your articles, take your quizzes, talk to your couch, and log in your moods. You also need to make sure to take time for yourself to work on the stress.

Verdict

Noom Mood seemed heaven-sent when I found out about it. As a freelance journalist working on several projects in New York City, my stress levels were through the roof. All I need to do was dedicate 20 minutes or so to the program? Totally doable. And it was... in the beginning.

Sadly, I noticed that on the days and weeks when I was very stressed because I had a bunch of errands to run and projects to complete, the app was the last thing on my mind ... even when it reminded me that it was there in case I needed a breather. At times, it even felt more stressful because although I was reading my articles, my brain wouldn't focus and stop thinking about the other 100 things I needed to do that day. I just wanted to get it over with, which is definitely the wrong way to approach it.

I consider myself a very organized person and I have millions of to-do lists to keep me on track, but Noom Mood sometimes didn't make it on those lists. That's not to say that it didn't teach me to take some time to breathe every single day. If you're truly dedicated to beating stress, this is definitely the program for you. But make sure to carve out time for it.

Have you tried Noom Mood? What did you think? 

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