Life has its ups and downs, but the one thing that stays constant is the smart phone in your pocket. So why not use it to benefit your mental wellbeing? From managing chronic illness, to overcoming stress and even rewiring your brain, there is an app for everything. Here are five you need to check out.
For Chronic Illness: Wana
Chronic Illness comes in many forms, and can leave people feeling isolated and misunderstood. The free app Wana (We Are Not Alone) was created to connected people with chronic illness so they find community and belonging. Once you put in your own symptoms or condition, the app will partner you with a buddy who experiences similar symptoms. With access to community message boards and a library of content about conditions and treatment, this is an invaluable tool to coincide with professional treatment.
Wana is available in the US Apple store.
For Mental Health: Cope Notes
Life is tough, but so are you—and Copes Notes will remind you of this everyday, through texts of encouragement, questions, and suggestions on how to boost your mood and health. This subscription based serviced was created to retrain your brain with randomised positive messages. Reviewed by licensed doctors and psychologists, texts arrive when you least expect it and give you the option of digital journaling to enhance your own recovery and wellness. Test it out with a free trial by texting COPE to 33222 in the US, or visit copenotes.com/trial world wide.
Cope Notes is available world wide at CopeNotes.com.
To boost your mood: Happify
If you like to play games on your phone, Happify is the perfect addition to your app library. Created to build resilience using scientifically proven methods, they just ask that you complete a few on-screen activities every week. The app measures your happiness over time, allowing you to see your personal growth and wellness on screen.
Happify is available world wide at Happify.com.
To overcome stress and anxiety: Mood Mission
When we are stressed, it can be overwhelming figure out what we need to do next. Thankfully, Mood Mission gives you five practical options. Tailored to your individual needs, it will provide you with scientifically proved methods that will decrease your heightened state. They could be anything from taking a walk around the block, to cleaning your bedroom or learning something new online. Over time, this will help you build emotional resilience and develop coping strategies for better health.
Mood Mission is available at MoodMission.com.
For meditation and mindfulness: Headspace
Developed as a ‘personal meditation guide right in your pocket,’ the headspace app provides you with hundreds of sessions. It will help you to overcome stress, practice mindfulness, and to build focus and compassion. Ideal for short moments when you need to de-stress, or longer stints where you want some peace and quiet, headspace is a based on clinical research and offers a free trial before you subscribe.