You carry your phone with you everywhere, and this often does more harm than good. But no worries — you can reverse that quite easily. There’s an app for everything, after all — anxiety, depression, therapy, OCD, and more. And if you have an addiction to your phone or social media, mental health apps can help you overcome it. Whatever kind of mental support you’re looking for, you name it, the app store has it. By using a good app, you can remember to step back and take a few minutes to prioritize what matters most — you. Here are a few companions worth having in your pocket.
Get Mental Support Because Your Mental Health Matters
It can be hard to keep up with the world sometimes. Every day there’s something new going on, and even if your routine is monotonous, it can get overwhelming. A colossal pile of work and chores awaits you in the morning before you can even wrap your head around it. You can easily lose sight of your own self. This is why mental illnesses in the United States are on the rise. People are too focused on taking care of external matters that they end up neglecting their internal ones. Mental health apps protect you from falling into the same pit and serve as good mood boosters.
Just as your physical health needs care and attention, your mental health does too. Mental wellness is not limited to emotions and different moods, but also refers to how you make choices and deal with them on a daily basis. Self-care is a popular term that includes the active steps you take to give yourself mental support. It is an extremely important process that you need to go through regularly to get your mind back in the right place. If you neglect it, well, we’ve got some bad news for you. Poor mental health can lead to poor physical health. Your mind affects your entire body, and if you do not take good care of it, you will develop some serious complications, both mental and physical.
So instead of ignoring the red flags your mind sends your way, find time to understand and fix them. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your trusted friend for mental support. In case you think you might have a mental illness, seek therapy. And if you can’t or don’t want to do either of these, you can simply download a mindfulness app, and let it guide you through the process of self-care.
Mental Health Apps/Mindfulness Apps and Their Benefits
If you don’t know how to begin self-care, mental health apps are a good place to start. They offer daily prompts for you to ponder upon, mental exercises, mood boosters, and reminders to keep you on the right track. Mindfulness apps like Headspace teach you how to stay in the moment and control the bombardment of anxious thoughts through guided meditation. A few minutes of meditation a day can keep mental illnesses away. Forty million adults in the U.S. suffer from mental illnesses. You don’t have to be one of them.
Since there are over 10,000 mental health apps out there, it can be tough to pick the right one. In order to select the one that fits you best, look for the following features:
- Is it based on research? The last thing you want to do is download an app that falsely claims to be a mental health one. In order to find out whether the app is based on proven psychological principles, you can check their website. The effectiveness of mental health apps is not a lie, although there is still need for more research. So if you choose wisely, it can prove immensely beneficial and an effective mental support
- Privacy protection. Apps that do not prioritize your privacy are a huge red flag. If an app doesn’t have a strict privacy policy, your sensitive information and personal data can reach the wrong people. Therefore, always look for apps that explicitly state their privacy policy, otherwise avoid sharing any personal information with them.
- Smooth user interface. No one likes a glitch. Apps that have a neat and well-designed user interface are easier to use and super convenient. You don’t want to end up navigating for hours through a frustratingly complex menu instead of destressing. Look for apps that give mental support, not tension
Some Mood Boosters You Need to Try
Some mental health apps are designed for a specific illness, while others are more general. Depending upon your needs, narrow down your list to the most relevant ones. The Anxiety and Depressions Association of America (ADAA) has actually analyzed a few apps to help users find the best ones. Similar organizations have also conducted research, so you could use their reviews as a guide. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of our favorite mental health apps:
- Happify. This is an ADAA-approved app that is rated well for its credibility. Happify, as the name suggests, is a mood-boosting app that helps you get over negative emotions. It has been developed by experts and has some really fun games for you to play which are also science-based.
- Talkspace. One of the most popular therapy apps on the charts right now is Talkspace. You can talk directly with a licensed professional therapist and get immediate mental support. Although it is not free, it lets you have access to high-quality treatments at a relatively low cost.
- Woebot. Woebot is a free app available on both IOS and Android that lets you chat and learn about your problems at the same time. You simply tell the bot what you’re feeling and it will explain to you the roots and the cure. That’s it. No weird brain exercises or awkward check-ups. It’s an app that goes straight to the point.
- Calm. If you suffer from anxiety, this app is perfect for you. It has a wide range of soothing and mood-boosting sounds and exercises to help you calm your nerves, sleep better, and focus well. The minimal design makes it easy to use and navigate. You can try the seven-day free trial to see if it works before applying to a long-term subscription. Combine it with a mood-boosting supplement such as ONNIT New Mood and you’ll be on your way to a stronger, healthier mind.
If you are looking for more ways to boost your mood naturally, here is a fourteen-minute Youtube video with seven ways you can naturally boost your mood.
Conclusion
What you feed your mind affects your entire body. Instead of choosing negative thoughts as fuel, opt for something better. With proper care, you can make your mind invincible. Mental health apps can help you achieve this goal effectively. They’re based on evidence and use research to create fun games for you to enjoy and heal with. Keeping track of your mental health will help you understand and fix your harmful thinking and toxic behavioral patterns. So, if you’re ready to be stronger, hit download today.
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