5 Apps That Help Improve Your Mental Health

Mental Health Awareness Month may be over, but that doesn’t mean taking care of ourselves should stop being a priority. It’s important to focus on your well-being and check in so that you are as healthy in your mind as your body. Communication is always key as is understanding that however you are feeling is justified.

Finding a professional to speak to can sometimes be overwhelming, as was the case for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Tanaye White. But talking to a licensed therapist is just one option. There are plenty of websites and apps for your smartphone or tablet that can offer guidance and be a tool to help on your journey to mental wellness. Some can track your mood and offer suggestions to turn that frown upside down whereas others are great for setting your mind straight with meditation. Keep reading for five apps that have great resources to improve and monitor our mental health goals.

MoodFit

This free mental health app keeps tabs on how you are feeling and recognizes what shifts your mood. A questionnaire is given to users to better personalize the app for individualized needs and gives daily reminders to stay the course. A cognitive behavioral therapy component offers suggestions on how to redirect irrational thoughts.

Shine

Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey felt the lack of mental health support in other platforms so they created Shine to help underrepresented groups. (Hirabayashi is half Japanese and Lidey is Black.) With Shine, there is a free option that offers daily meditations and daily articles or, for $64.99 a year, you can get a library of more than 1,000 meditations along with a private digital community that offers one-to-one support. The programming is geared toward BIPOC-specific mental health issues.

Calm

This appropriately named app is meant to do exactly what it’s called –help calm and ease your mind. The meditations offered will help you focus on improving specific aspects of life such as decreasing stress and anxiety or helping you to improve sleep quality. There is a free seven-day trial and then the app costs $70 per year, but the resources within it are worth the spend.

TalkSpace

Connecting with a therapist you feel safe and comfortable with is super important, but that can take time and money. With TalkSpace, the platform helps you narrow down the best professional for you. If you don’t feel a connection, you can easily switch and use someone else at no extra cost. The best part is that this is all done virtually so you can remain in the comfort of your home while you get out of your comfort zone and open up.

Happify

Developed by therapists and life coaches, Happify makes purpose driven games to games that are backed by science to help reduce stress, build resilience and combat negative thoughts. The app doesn’t require a big daily commitment for results and there is a free or paid option.