5 happiness apps to help with anxiety
The Partridge family sang, “Come on, be happy.” But it’s easier said than done right now amid the coronavirus pandemic. Isolation and fear can make us struggle with our mental health. On top of that, stay-at-home requests can make it difficult to get help in more traditional ways.
But thanks to technology, apps are available to bring help with anxiety and depression right at your fingertips. With that in mind, I am sharing some happiness apps meant to help calm your nerves and help you live a happier life, even during these difficult times.
Happify
A few years ago I tried the Happify app. It called my attention. For one, the name is catchy. Also, although I want to be happy, I am also cheap at heart and the basic version is absolutely free.
The idea behind this application is that all you need is a few minutes a day and you will be on your way to free yourself from negative thoughts. You’ll learn to cope with stress and develop positive, life-changing habits with some fun exercises and games.
According to the app, you can strengthen basic happiness skills such as: savoring the moment, thanking those who matter, aiming for meaningful goals, eliminating dead-end thinking, empathizing with others, reducing stress and negative thoughts, and improving your relations.
After downloading the app and creating an account, Happify will rate your happiness based on a questionnaire. The app then provides you with a series of hints that you can use to start living a healthy, stress-free life.
Then choose a “track” to start. As my mother’s caregiver at the time, I thought I’d start with the one that reduced stress and anxiety. My first assignment: List three things I’m thankful for, and the hack that really helped me, explain why.
This app ranks high on many best happiness apps lists and I can see why.
Head space
This is another application that I have tried and love. Headspace provides tools and resources to help you stay mentally strong, reduce stress and anxiety, live healthier, breathe properly, sleep better, and have a happier life.
They offer a two-week free trial, after which you will automatically enroll in their $ 69.99-a-year plan. At the time of this writing, if you are unemployed, you can get a free year of Headspace Plus to help you get back on your feet.
I discovered this app while I was enrolled in Weight Watchers (WW), which offers it for free as part of their program. I suffer from insomnia and her sleep meditation exercise helped me calm my thoughts, breathe slower, and relax my body to make it easier for me to sleep. I also used his “Take a moment to pause” exercise to help me pause for a few minutes when I was feeling stressed and refocus.
Calm is a similar app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation that helps you reduce stress through guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises, and relaxing music. Calm offers a 7-day trial, but after that, you will automatically enroll in their $ 69.99-a-year plan.
Real life change
The Real Life Change app is intended to be a portable life coach, designed to take your social interactions, moods, decisions, discoveries, and emotions that you experience every day and provide you with meaningful and practical feedback to help you live a better and longer life. aware.
The basic plan is free. This application is only available in the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Track your happiness
Track Your Happiness is a free application that is used with your smartphone. You spend about 10 minutes answering questions, then you are contacted by email or text message (you choose how often you want the app to notify you) and you are asked to report what you are doing and how you feel.
A personalized happiness report tracks your mood so you can find out what makes you happy, who makes you happy, and where you feel happiest.
Super best
Super Better has turned Building Happiness into a game with short, easy activities that you complete as you go on missions to build happiness-enhancing skills like resilience.
His site claims that millions have played SuperBetter to achieve goals and address challenges including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more. Original Super Better is available for free.
Do you need more than an application? You may want to check out Talkspace, which allows users to virtually connect with a licensed therapist. For $ 49 per week, you will have private access to a therapist via text, audio or video chat, on a daily basis or multiple times a day.
I’ll let them make their own decisions. Find what works best for you and your life. There are many more applications available than the five that I have listed. Who knows? A happiness app could be helpful and provide feedback to brighten up your day during these stressful times.