Finding time to maintain your self-care can be a tricky task, especially with the evolution of the digitally connected world we live in. When you think of destressing, you may never consider turning to your phone. A lot of times, your phone is considered a distraction—but rarely do we stop and realize that it can actually be a breath of fresh air and decluttering. Using your phone as a tool to maintain your self-care and eliminate stress is becoming the new norm.
As someone interested in self-care and eliminating stress, you’ve already taken the first steps by simply opening this article. Download any of the following nine apps to help you reduce and eliminate stress, all while remaining your best self! Besides, if you’re going to be on your phone 24/7, you might as well use it to better yourself! #goodvibesonly
- Shine
If you’re in need of daily motivational texts, affirmations, positive psychology articles, and self-improvement audios ranging from topics of productivity and better sleeping habits—Shine is the self-care app for you. Shine helps de-stress, lower anxiety, and improves your overall well-being. The app allows its users to set personal growth goals and provides shine talks on various topics as well. Shine’s company claims that 93% of its users reported feeling more confident and happy than they were before using the app.
Cost: Daily Shine messages are free, Mindful Moments monthly subscriptions are $9.99, yearly subscriptions are $53.99
2. Headspace
Boost mental wellbeing, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve mood, promote better sleeping habits? Count me in! This meditation app guides you through a tranquil form of basic meditation. The voice behind each mediation is soothing and instantly makes you feel relaxed and at ease. Two and three-minute meditation sessions also exist when you don’t have enough time for a full session. It’s a space for beginners as well as advanced experts to gain mindful techniques into the balance of meditation. This is the perfect app for those days when you need to destress in between work hours, and you aren’t able to completely leave your desk. Headspace can be used to schedule daily meditation reminders, as well as enabling push notifications that will send you mindfulness tips and positive affirmations throughout your day.
Cost: Headspace is free (first 10 sessions), accessing additional mediations cost $12.99/month or $94.99/year
3. Happify
Who doesn’t want to be happy?! Sometimes negative thoughts creep in and try to take away that happiness, which can be extremely harmful to our wellbeing. Happify uses weekly activities to help its user break old habits and form new ones. You’re able to set goals on how to cope with stress, conquer negative thoughts, and fuel your path to success, plus so much more. 86% of Happify users reporters that using the app regularly helped make them feel happier. Happify also includes games which contribute to the boost of its users emotional wellbeing. Users are able to keep up with their progress through their happiness score.
Cost: Happify is free, to access more features, subscriptions vary: $14.99/month, $139.99/year, and $449.99/lifetime
4. Talkspace
If you feel like you just don’t have enough time to go to a physical therapist—this may be the app for you. Talkspace matches you with a licensed therapist through a consultation session. Once you’re connected—it’s like your own daily therapist right in the palm of your hands. The app ensures secure, private, stigma-free experiences with professional mental health experts. Due to the flexibility of this app (available 24/7), you can always talk to your therapist when needed. Users can choose between text, voice message, or video chats to communicate with your therapist daily.
Cost: Free consultation, Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plus– $49/week for text, video & audio messaging (therapist must respond to messages daily, 5 days/week- billed as $196/monthly), Unlimited Messaging Therapy Premium- $59/weekly for text, video & audio messaging + 1 Live Session/month
5. Calm
Calm—just what you need after a long, stressful day. With this app, you’ll learn how to relax, master breathing, and reduce stress and anxiety. Learning how to relax is sometimes easier said than done, but with Calm, the incorporation of daily meditations, a sleep timer and calm music until you drift off to sleep all contribute to destressing. Users can choose various mediations based on lengths and topics. Topics include managing stress, deep sleep, self-esteem and many others.
Cost: Calm is free for seven days, $12.99/month or $59.99/year. A lifetime subscription is available for $299.99.
