Surviving Thanksgiving With Your Smartphone

Nov 27, 2013

Oh, Thanksgiving!

If you need to take a time-out from the dinner table for a little of your own (cyber)space, give these apps a try:

Does a holiday with your extended family put your nerves on edge? The Breathe2Relax and TacticalBreather mobile apps are specially designed to help you control physiological responses to stress through the simple yet scientifically proven act of guided deep breathing. Both offer customizable settings. Just lighten up on the onion dip before trying them out.Your brother is bummed about his bunions, your mother’s bad knee is acting up and your grandfather has been complaining of the gout. No problem! The myFamily mobile app from healthfinder.gov will help you plot a master plan to help keep them all healthy for many Thanksgivings to come.Thanksgiving Day football not really your game? Perhaps taking command of a spacecraft in search of comets is more your speed. Comet Quest, NASA’s ****iPhone/iPad game, which debuted this past April, will have you wishing you worked for them.Fearful the 3 desserts and 2 extra helpings of stuffing you wolfed down will push your waistline into the danger zone? You might be tempted to instantly calculate your body mass index even before your fork hits the dishwasher. We don’t recommend doing that, of course, but if you insist, try this BMI Calculator from the National Institutes of Health. Once the shock subsides, use the app to link to online resources to help you stay or get fit in time for New Year’s!

Gobble, gobble everyone!

Look for other cool apps to help you survive Thanksgiving (I’m looking at you, MyTSA!) on the USA.gov Apps Gallery.