A New App For People With Fatigue, Stress And Burnout Has Been Launched In The US App Store Today. Pocket Energy Is Specifically Made To Help People Gain More Control Over their Health and Wellbeing

    AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, August 15, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In the United States an estimated 60 percent of work absences is related to psychological problems such as stress and burnout - at an annual cost of over $57 billion. At the same time about one million Americans are diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). People suffering from these illnesses often feel helpless, because its causes remain ambiguous and treatment is not always available (there is for example no cure for CFS). The PocketEnergy app now offers these people a tool to gain insight into their physical and mental boundaries and to control and improve their energy balance.

Earlier this year the PocketEnergy app was successfully launched in the Netherlands and Belgium. Thousands of people in these two countries are currently using the app to get an overview of their symptoms and to make an optimal planning for their daily lives. Among the users are not only people with fatigue, stress and burnout, but also patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, thyroid problems and Lyme disease. Every day the app asks them to report their activities and to evaluate their physical and mental health. The app then brings the users' input in relation with their energy balance. Providing advanced statistics, users receive practical tips that allow them to make the necessary changes in their routine to feel more energetic and confident.

The PocketEnergy app has been developed by Rene Kuijlenburg, who was diagnosed with CFS himself about seven years ago. The efforts he made to get his life back on track form the basis of the app. "I realized that people with the same or similar symptoms could benefit from my approach. PocketEnergy works as a personal coach who is always by your side. If you want to get to know your boundaries, find a healthier balance and want to recharge your energy, this app may be able to help you."

Since its launch the PocketEnergy app has featured in the Top Ten of the Apple Store's health and fitness apps in the Netherlands. The app was also nominated for Best Dutch health app of the year. Users indicate that the app helps them in various ways. Peter, who had a burnout, states: 'Now I know when I should stop an activity or do something else. I even have more energy.' And Jeanette, who suffers from chronic pain, says: 'Monitoring my daily activities provides me with insight and understanding. I learn to plan better and am able to better deal with the impacts of my chronic pain and fatigue.'

The English version of the PocketEnergy app is now available for download for $1,99 in the US App Store (iOS). An Android version is currently being developed and will be made available later this year.

For more information and interview requests, please contact Rene Kuijlenburg, the developer of the PocketEnergy app, [email protected].

About the developer
Seven years or so ago Rene Kuijlenburg was diagnosed with ME/CFS, a chronic fatigue condition of which is little known. Suddenly Rene could no longer do what he used to do: "That was very frustrating, not only because I was always very active before, but also because I didn't exactly know what was wrong with me. When I was diagnosed with ME/CFS, I was sent from counsellor to counsellor, but each time without success." In an attempt to regain control over his life, Rene began to carefully monitor his daily activities and associated energy consumption and complaint level. It was the solution for him to improve his health and well-being: "I started to keep a record of what I did on a day and how I felt doing these things in Excel. The links I found helped me tremendously, because I got insights into my energy balance and my physical and mental boundaries. By following these clues, I started to improve significantly. I now feel no longer limited in my doings and hope that, through the PocketEnergy app, my experience can also help many other people."

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