There’s an app for everything nowadays, including anxiety and stress. These are good options for when your problems are manageable or you can’t afford therapy.
We live in anxiety inducing times. Maybe it’s Instagram or the pandemic, or simply the fact that people are more comfortable now with openly discussing their mental health, but it feels like everyone is battling anxiety and stress to some degree. Luckily, there’s an app for that.
While none of these apps could ever replace the opinion of an expert, they are good options when your problem is not too serious or you can’t afford to go to therapy. These apps are good Band Aids for garden variety issues like stress and anxiety, but they probably won’t work if you’re clinically depressed.
From apps that transform mental health exercises into games, to ones that contact you with professionals, here are five apps that can help you cope with anxiety.
Happify
One of the most popular apps on this list is Happify, which grants you access to mobile games that claim to make you happier, establishing positive life habits. When opening the app you’ll be asked a set of questions that will determine which “track” you should follow. The app will then assign daily activities and quizzes that’ll help you reach your in-app goal.
Brain.fm
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One of the coolest concepts is the one devised by Brain.fm, which asks a mood you want to achieve and plays music that’ll you help you get there within 15 minutes. It sounds too good to be true but it was designed by neuroscientists and there’s an algorithm and everything.
Headspace
Headspace is a meditation app, providing you sessions that last 3, 5 or more minutes. The basic course is free and sends reminders for daily meditation sessions, providing vocal guidance that works a lot for beginners.
Mood path
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This app was developed to see if the user has symptoms of depression, tracking their mood for a period of 14 days and judging the severity of your symptoms. At the end of this time frame, Mood Path completes a report that can be mailed to your therapist.
Talk Space
The simplest app of the bunch is Talk Space, a service that links you with licensed therapists that live in your area. It’s quick and effective, asking you to fill out a questionnaire and then linking you up with a therapist.