5 Apps for Mental Health

The pandemic has impacted us all negatively and made our lives even more difficult.  Some of us can’t really move around as we did before. Some have already created a makeshift workspace in their homes since office spaces and face-to-face interactions are restricted right now. 

This sudden routine shift can leave us anxious, stressed, or even depressed just by being at home all day. And the thought of going outside makes us feel unsafe. We are left bothered and thinking about our future and what lies ahead of us.

But we don’t have to be stuck like that. Our mental health is our top priority, especially during these times. 

We’re here to help you manage your emotions and thoughts with 5 apps for mental health. These apps were reviewed by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and One Mind Psyber Guide. Check out ADAA reviews here and One Mind reviews here.

1. Woebot

If you’re isolated or living alone and looking for someone to talk to about your worries, then this AI bot can be your friend. Woebot, also called “your friendly self-care expert”,  features Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) practices and exercises conversationally using emojis, slang words, and gifs.

This app is recommended for teenagers who are experiencing mild stress or feeling lonely and need a light and friendly conversation.

2. Happify

Based on its name, this app is designed to promote positive disposition and habits by doing activities that will instantly uplift your mood. Happify tackles topics such as health and well-being, work and money, relationships, and personal growth through science-based exercises and activities. 

The interface is filled with bright colors which makes the exercises more enjoyable to do. This is also optimized for visually-impaired individuals.

3. Headspace

For a customized meditation program, you can try Headspace. It is a self-help meditation app that’s backed up by scientific evidence and follows a timeline that progresses after every session. You can also try their specific programs called Singles, dedicated to easing out situations like difficulty in sleeping, fear of flying, and daily commuting. 

Headspace is also called “gym membership for the mind” because of its personalized approach to meditation.

4. SuperBetter

SuperBetter is a fun way to check up on your overall health progress. It’s programmed similar to  our well-loved games, where you can go on quests, obtain power-ups, and avoid the bad guys. 

A quest is a specific goal that you want to achieve or get super better at, hence the name of the app. Power-ups are things you can do that can give you a boost, for example chugging a glass of water every hour or so. Lastly, the bad guys are the bad habits that you want to eliminate, like staying on the couch for hours or excessively drinking alcohol.

This app shows a lighter but effective approach to your mental health check with a gamified experience.

5. Calm

Calm starts off with a program called 7 Days of Calm that introduces you to daily meditation practices. It’s a 7-day session of 10 minutes each about a specific goal you set for yourself. These goals range from managing stress to building your confidence. Once completed, the app offers a longer program called 21 Days of Calm for deeper mindfulness training.

For a maximized experience, you can customize the background scenes and sounds for a more relaxed feel when you open the app. It also has a program for kids called Calm Kids that introduces mindfulness to young ones engagingly and educationally. 

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Checking in with yourself once in a while is a good practice to maintain even after this pandemic is long gone. Though uncertainties may still come and go, it’s already a step forward to managing your emotions, and realising that some things are beyond your control. 

It’s okay to admit that things are not good now, but believe that it will all be better soon. Hold on to that, because that’s what we all need to keep ourselves going.