5 mental health apps that can help you enhance your mental well-being

iMobile devices have become an unavoidable part of our daily lives, as we are constantly relying on them to communicate with others, navigate around, capture memories, entertain ourselves, and seek help. Individuals are social beings who are often seeking answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. As a result of the rising prevalence of mental health issues, we turn to social media, especially cellular devices, for help and answers. 

Individuals experiencing unforeseen mental health challenges report that technology-based interventions play an important role because of their accessibility and ability to eliminate barriers. Research has proven that mental health apps are a vital supplement of psychological treatment as they help individuals self-manage their conditions. However, the efficacy is determined by two factors. First, the app being used; since each app is targeted towards a specific goal, choosing the right one will give you the best results. Second, the app must be used correctly. Consistency and proper use of the app as a complement to therapy are critical factors in assessing efficacy.  

Following is a compilation of mental health apps that can help with a variety of issues. Feel free to use them or discuss which one to use with your psychologists to get the best results. 

1. Calm: For relaxation and meditation. Used to improve sleep quality, enhance focus, reduce anxiety or   stress, and self-improvement. 

2. Moodnotes: Mood trackers and journaling to capture your mood and help improve your thinking habits. Help you empower your mood, develop healthier thinking habits, bring helpful perspectives to situations, and increase self-awareness.  

3. Recovery Record: Best practice for individuals experiencing eating disorders. Allows for meaningful collaboration with a health care team, personalizes journal, and celebrates wins with rewards. Ideal results when used in conjugation with therapy. 

4. Worry Watch: An anxiety journal that helps capture anxious thoughts with a great level of detail. Supports challenge negative thoughts, triggers, patterns, and provides affirmations with daily or weekly reminders. 

5. Breath2relax: Stress management tool provides helpful breathing exercises for individuals such as diaphragmatic breathing. 

Information Retrieved from: (Huang & Bashir 2017)