Apps for Resilience, Mindfulness and Mental Health
Using an App to boost resilience, reduce stress or improve mental health
Have you tried out any apps for improving your own resilience, quality of sleep or working on aspects of your mental health? We would love to hear from you using the button below, if you have any apps you have personally used and think are worthwhile adding to our list.
Benefits of using Apps for Forming New Habits
- Many of us carry our phone with us most of the time and have easy access to the app.
- Apps can push reminders to us so that we keep up a regular practice.
- Many apps still work when they are offline or at least have an offline mode.
- Apps often work faster than websites.
- A phone can be discreetly used during time, which some might see as wasted - on the train, bus, waiting in a queue, etc.
- Phone apps can use other facilities on the phone like GPS (a running/walking app), camera (taking photos of things that make you feel good).... etc.
Recommended Apps
We will add good quality apps to this list - please let us know your recommendations ...
Headspace
This well-publicised Mindfulness app was created by Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk. Described as a “gym membership for your mind”, it features meditation and mindfulness techniques to help manage stress and anxiety, improve well-being, and become happier overall.
The series of guided meditations is designed to train your brain in just 10 minutes a day; users can opt to track and reward progress. There is also a buddy system to maintain motivation and help others do the same.
- Available on iOS and Android
- Daily reminders to take time to relax
- Free access to 10 days of 10 minute unique guided meditations; after that, you have to subscribe.
- Additional specialized free meditations on Sleep, Stress, Eating, Walking, Public Transport and Mindfulness
- Ability to download meditations for offline use
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is currently one of the top meditation apps. 10 or more guided meditation lessons are added for free each day. It has a content library of thousands of guided meditations available from more than 2,600 teachers on creativity, relationships, stress and other topics. If you prefer a quieter meditation, you can set a timer and meditate to relaxing sounds or intermittent bells. It also gives you access to a number of podcasts and inspirational free talks.
Meditation Oasis: Simply Being
Meditation Oasis: Simply Being suits beginners and advanced practitioners. Simply Being provides sounds and music as well as guided sessions with configurable time limits.
The featured meditations are nice and short, so it doesn't matter if you have very little time.
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- Available on iOS and Android
- Good for beginners
- Meditation for as little as 5 minutes
- Choice of music and nature sounds
- Gentle clear, soothing voice
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Buddhify
Buddhify is designed to help you relax/meditate while you are moving. There is a circular chart from which you choose your activity, including "Being online", "Eating", and "Walking in the City". There is a helpful Q & A section called "Together", which explains queries you may have about meditation.
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- Available on iOS and Android
- Meditation for as little as 5 minutes
- A 7 mixture 'settle' session if you are having trouble sleeping.
- Includes mindful eating
- Gentle clear, soothing voice
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Smiling Mind
This app starts with an explanation of what mindfulness is. You can then enter your age group to get tailored mindfulness sessions. Created in Australia, the not-for-profit organisation that created this app works to make mindfulness accessible to all. Includes a section on 'Mindfulness in the Workplace.'
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- Available on iOS and Android
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Calm
Visual and soothing sounds while listening to a guided meditation. The free 7 days includes a first session on "Concentration", which lasts for 9 minutes and explains the benefits of mindfulness and practice. The free version also includes a helpful visual timer to help you get a good rhythm for relaxed breathing.
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- Available on iOS and Android
- 28 free scenes of nature or soothing music
- 7 days of calm - a series of guided meditations
- Meditation for as little as 2 to 20 minutes
- Good quality background music
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Meditation Timer and Log
A simple timer for your meditation practice. You can add background noise like 'sea on rocks', and you can adjust the duration. Simple but effective!
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- Available on iOS and Android
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Self-Help for Anxiety Management
This app offers a range of self-help methods for people who want to learn to manage their anxiety.
SAM has been developed by a university team of psychologists, computer scientists and student users. Established self-help methods have been combined with high standards of usability to provide an engaging, flexible, and practical resource.
The content of SAM is presented in various media formats to support users in learning about anxiety and practising self-help. Users will get the most out of this app if they study the guide first. Users are encouraged to build their own Anxiety Toolkit of SAM resources that they find helpful and draw on this for regular practice in managing situations associated with anxiety.
- Available on iOS and Android
- Holistic approach - not just relaxation sessions
- Lessons in relaxations, guidance on anxiety treatment, thinking and anxiety, opportunities to become part of their closed social network
- Guidance on putting self-help into practice
Sleep Easily Meditation
This app has a 25-minute guided meditation that combines soothing music with talking you through the relaxation process. The calming female voice works quickly! This meditation session, like most others, has more impact the more you practice.
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- Available on iOS and Android
- Written and read by Shazzie Love.
- Gentle guidance to relax the whole body and mind.
- You can also set a wake-up alarm through the built-in alarm clock before launching the session.
- Music and sounds created by Ali Calderwood.
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Stop Panic & Anxiety Self Help
Made specifically for people who have panic disorders, Stop Panic & Anxiety Self Help has several features for those regularly experiencing panic and anxiety attacks. The app uses cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches to help users reframe their negative thought patterns, contributing to their anxiety. It also features relaxation audios, an anxiety diary, and emotional training tools.
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- Available on Android only
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What’s Up?
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) involves learning more about how you think and how your thoughts affect your emotions. If you have anxiety, it can mean the difference between having a panic attack and tackling your fear and worry head-on: this app trains anxiety, depression and anger sufferers to identify negative thoughts.
It starts with a simple presentation to reinforce the message that 'You are not alone."
- Available on iOS and Android
- Includes sections entitled 'help right now', 'coping strategies', 'information' and 'personal'.
- Features breathing techniques, habit and anxiety trackers & positive quotes.
- Lists the 12 common negative thinking patterns and simple methods to overcome them
- 10 metaphors to help you cope with negative feelings
- Includes a catastrophe scale. Put your problems into a better perspective when things are too much
- A grounding game containing over 100 fun questions to help keep you grounded and in the present when stress is taking over
- 3 simple breathing techniques for keeping calm and relaxed
Gratitude Journal, Affirmation
This app is a self-care tool to help you focus on your mental health.
It includes a gratitude journal, affirmations, a vision board and daily motivation content. As the app is completely private, you can be assured that your journal entries, affirmations and vision board are for your eyes only.
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- Available on iOS and Android
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WYSA: stress, depression & anxiety therapy chatbot
WYSA is a mood tracker, mindfulness coach, anxiety helper, and mood-boosting app. It contains daily spiritual meditations that improves mental health, and it also helps you keep track of your mood with friendly chats. WYSA also helps fight stress and anxiety with its proven techniques and calming meditation and mindfulness audios.
Your.MD Healthily: Self-Care & Health Journal
This free self-care app, designed by doctors, enables you to monitor your health changes by checking your symptoms via a private chatbot. Users can access a health library and complete a journal and tracker to check their progress. ‘Healthily’ helps you decide if you should access medical assistance and provides tools to encourage you to make changes to improve your wellbeing.
The app provides self-care information on a range of health conditions from coronavirus, colds, sore throat to back pain, headaches, anxiety, and depression.
The app is designed for people who are generally healthy and maybe experiencing mild symptoms. It cannot provide a diagnosis or medical advice and should not be used for serious medical concerns.
Fabulous self-care
Fabulous is a habit tracker which helps you focus on your wellbeing goals. It encourages you to build healthy routines to improve your fitness, achieve your weight loss goals, sleep well and practise mindfulness for relaxation and improved mental health. Fabulous includes integrated exercises, health sessions and personal life coaching to motivate you to lead a healthier lifestyle.
eQuoo: Emotional Fitness Game
It is a fun, evidence-based app to develop new psychological skills to build emotional intelligence and enhance your personal development. Developed by a psychologist and the creators of The Walking Dead games, this app allows you to choose your own adventure games and progress through ‘levels’ to boost resilience, improve relationship skills, reduce anxiety and enhance your wellbeing. Engaging mini-games help you understand your personality and set personal development goals.
Stay Alive
The Stay Alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information to help you stay safe. You can use it if you have thoughts of suicide or are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. In addition to the resources, the app includes a safety plan, customizable reasons for living, and a life box where you can store important photos. Available on iOS and Android.
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