We want to recognize Mental Health Month as an important observance dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and promoting mental wellness. There are several apps available that can assist individuals in managing their mental health and well-being. Here are a few notable ones:
By: Ashli Abernathy, M.Ed., LPC
Free Resources for Self-Care and Wellbeing:
- Insight Timer: 5 well-being apps in 1 – “Insight Timer is the only app you need to build healthy habits and create a well-being routine that works for you, And it’s free.” Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Guided meditations– “The world’s largest library of free guided ”
- Sleep– sleep meditations, sleep music, and sleep stories
- Breathwork– Learn the power of breath with “techniques guided by certified teachers”
- Yoga– Live yoga sessions are offered throughout the day for FREE
- Contemplation-”Spaces and places to reflect, journal and track your feelings and ”
- Smiling Mind– An Australian evidence-based app with a daily mindfulness and meditation guide at your fingertips with free adult, children, classroom, and workplace programs supported in other It is recommended to use it for just 10 minutes a day! Popular programs include Stress, sleep, attention and Concentration, well-being, relationships, performance, sport, and mindful eating. Who is it for? Individuals, parents, educators, healthcare workers, and professionals. Available on the App Store and Google Play
- Healthy Minds Program– “A Proven Path to Well-Being. Powered by Science.” With a combination of podcast-style lessons and both seated and active meditations, you’ll learn what the science says about the brain while developing skills to tap into these learnings for a healthier, happier you.” This app is unique in that it uses neuroscience as the basis for its tools to guide you through its framework of four pillars: awareness, insight, connection, and purpose. This app is available for free, thanks to donors. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- MindShift- CBT App– Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies that help you develop effective ways to tackle worry, panic, perfectionism, social anxiety, and phobias. The app offers free evidence-based anxiety relief and features a thought journal, coping cards, belief experiments, a chill zone, and much more! Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Bearable– Track your mood, symptoms, and activities to get insight on what affects your Available on the App Store and Google Play.
Free Resources for Time Management:
- Sleep Cycle-an alarm clock app that has sleep sounds to fall asleep to and tracks your sleep (and your snoring) as well as your sleep. Find out how quality your sleep is or isn’t so you can make adjustments to get better rest. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Calendly: A website that makes scheduling easy! If you are a caretaker that manages appointments, this app may help streamline your availability without the back-and-forth. Calendly allows you to send a link to people that want to schedule time with you and allows them to choose a mutual time that works for both of you based on your set parameters. Free for basic individual scheduling needs.
- Mealime Meal Plans and Recipes– can help you plan and eat healthier by personalizing your preferences for recipes and creating grocery store lists for you that you can even have delivered! Free to use with upgrades available for a charge. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Libby: An app that, If you have a library card, allows you to check out ebooks for free from your local Books are automatically returned on their due date and save you a trip to the library. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Unwinding by Sharecare: “A manual for your mind” Take mini-courses and unlearn old habits to form better ones! As mentioned in a previous blog post “Taking Care as the Caregiver,” The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers has partnered with Sharecare to provide a minicourse on Caregiver Stress through Unwinding, available for free through Apple or Google Play.
From: The University of California- Berkeley
Price: this course can be taken for free with the opportunity to pay for the verified track.
“This eight-week course explores the roots of a happy and meaningful life through science and practice. Students will engage with some of the most provocative and practical lessons from the latest research, discovering how cutting-edge research can be applied to their lives. The course is divided into eight one-week segments, with an additional week in the middle for a midterm and an extra week in the end for a final exam, though students have six months to complete the material at their own pace if they wish.”
