We all have some unwanted stress in our lives right now. How could you not? You’re self-isolating at home. The husband and kids are there, too, and you’re probably having to homeschool. On top of it, you’re worried about a deadly virus just outside your door.
Still, though, it’s important to decrease your stress as much as possible and care for your mental health not only now, but all the time. You don’t have to go to a therapist or sign up for an online yoga class to do so, however. There are plenty of apps you can access right on your phone that will help you decrease your stress.
Sound like something you could use? Here are our six favorite apps for decreasing stress.
1. Unplug Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness are a good place to start for decreasing your stress. If you’re a complete newb to meditation, though, the whole concept can be intimidating.
Unplug Meditation is an app developed by a real Los Angeles mediation studio. It offers you more than 700 videos to help you meditate for anywhere from a minute to an hour.
Pick through meditation sessions based on your mood, your desired mood or a range of other factors. Sessions are accompanied by both video and audio instruction, making the app a perfect fit for those who want to begin meditating but aren’t sure where to start.
This app isn’t free, though. You can use it for free for a week, but then you’ll need to pay $8 per month. (But, hey, you’re already paying that for Netflix so the kids can watch their fav movies; you might as well spend a little on you, too.)
2. Calm
You’ve likely heard of Calm, an app that’s gained a lot of cult following, and for a good reason — it’s just that effective.
Calm does offer meditation sessions, but it’s so much more than that, so if you’re not into meditation, no worries.
Other app features include breathing exercises, sleep sounds and sleep stories. There are also Masterclasses and other informational resources that will help you relax, reduce stress and enhance your sleep.
Calm is a bit on the pricier side, though, at least compared to other relaxation apps. It’s $15 per month or $400 for a lifetime subscription.
3. Sanvello
Sanvello claims it’s the top app for stress, anxiety and depression, with more than 3 million users (and free access during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the potential for insurance coverage for your subscription after that, based on your provider!).
Unlike the two apps above, which both have a heavy focus on meditation, Sanvello takes a different approach. It allows you to access therapists and psychiatrists, life coaching providers, peer support groups and resources for self-care, in case you’re not ready to talk to others about your life stresses.
4. Happify
Happify takes the focus off working through your negative emotions and puts the focus instead of just getting you to a happy place. The app combines fun games, meditation, tasks and prompts to increase positivity, optimism and confidence while lowering stress and anxiety.
Plus, if you know you should be tracking your stress and other emotions on a more regular basis in order to see what might trigger you, the app has a charting feature that shows your mood progress over time.
Like Calm, Happify is $15 per month.
5. Moodfit
But, yes, there are definitely FREE apps out there that can help you reduce your stress. One of these (and one of the best) is Moodfit.
Moodfit helps you to better understand your current headspace via a quick quiz, and then track your moods. The overall goal is to help you learn your stress triggers and what influences your mood for the day.
Could the amount of sleep you get or a medication you’re taking be influencing you? Or the amount you exercise or even the amount of gluten you eat? Whatever it is, you’ll be able to find out and then adjust your habits accordingly.
Moodfit also teaches you positive-thinking skills, like practicing gratitude.
6. MoodMission
If you really only ever see progress when you’re trying to change something in your life whenever you’re faced with a challenge, MoodMission is for you.
MoodMission makes relieving your stress a fun game, with “missions” to complete. Each mission is assigned to you based on how you’re feeling any particular day, whether you’re feeling depressed, stressed, anxious, sad, whatever.
A mission might be completing a breathing exercise, doing some physical exercise or completing a fun hobby-type activity, like learning a new craft.
Start Relieving Your Stress Right Now
Maybe you just need a bit of meditation and mindfulness, or maybe you need to talk to a professional therapist. Whatever it is that will help you work your way through your current or long-term stressors, there’s an app for that.
There’s nothing stopping you from relieving your stress right this second. Download one of these apps and give them a shot.
And just think — with all that stress properly managed, you’ll not only be a better person, but a better mom as well.
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