Try the apps that help users tackle stress, combat anxiety, and build a more mindful routine
It’s undeniable – the British public is feeling overwhelmed. According to the biggest survey of its kind, released by the Mental Health Foundation in May 2018, an astonishing 74% of adults report having felt stressed and unable to cope in the past year.
But it’s not just adults feeling the pressure; according to the NSPCC, teens seeking counselling for stress and anxiety rose by 11% in 2017 alone.
With so many of us struggling with pressures, finding simple ways to de-stress is essential. So, we’ve put together a list of five apps that help boost your mood, recognise anxiety triggers, and introduce a little mindfulness to your day to help you build a more sustainable, healthy routine.
1. My Possible Self
Combining research from the Black Dog Institute with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, My Possible Self helps users look at the way they manage problems through examining negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviours as they happen.
The app suggests modules based on your responses, identifying which forms of therapy should help most, while users can choose up to three areas (such as stress, confidence, and anxiety) to focus on and track daily.
2. SmilingMind
A modern meditation app and website, SmilingMind helps people de-stress and learn how to stay calm. With programs designed for five age groups, ranging from seven to adults, the app was developed by psychologists and educators to help create a more mindful routine. It also helps users deal with stress using a combination of mindfulness and meditation techniques.
3. MindShift
Designed to help teens and young adults struggling with fear and anxiety, MindShift helps users focus on practical things you can do to stop worries controlling your life. This free app introduces users to strategies that can help you deal with a wide variety of worries and anxieties, from social and performance anxieties, through to panic, conflict, perfectionism, and more.
4. Aura: Calm Anxiety & Sleep
Named one of Apple’s best apps of 2017, Aura offers more than 1,000 sessions to help with sleep, stress, and anxiety. Encouraging users to spend three to five minutes each day meditating to create a regular routine, the app aims to help clear your mind, to find confidence in yourself, and become free from stress. Users can also enable the app to remind them to take mindful breaks throughout the day, listen to relaxing nature sounds, keep a gratitude journal, or access life-coaching sessions.
5. Colorfy
With more than 25 million users, and 1,000 patterns, animals, mandalas, and more to paint, Colorfy lets users try their hand at mindful colouring anytime, anywhere. Offering a mixture of free and subscription illustrations, users can keep colouring without being connected to Wi-Fi. Research suggests mindful colouring can provide numerous benefits for all ages, as a chance to relax, refocus, and develop positive stress coping mechanisms, while decreasing anxiety and distracting from negative thoughts.
All apps listed are available on Google Play and the App Store
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