Another 6 apps that boost your mental health

Mental well-being and inner balance are not a luxury. They are a necessity. In a world of constant worrying, being busy, commuting, changing and adjusting, we need some stability, and that’s something that needs to come from within.

So, we continued our research on applications that you can install on your mobile phone and that can help you find more inner peace and become more mindful within your environment. In our previous article, we shared 6 apps that boost mental health, and here we continue with another 6 (there are a lot, indeed, so we had to choose wisely).

1. Thrive

Thrive is an app that can help you manage stress and anxiety, especially before a stressful situation. If you manage to use it regularly, you will gain more awareness and control over your thoughts and thinking patterns, as the app uses CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) exercises. Moreover, it will help you find a calmer breathing rhythm and it offers audio scripts for deep muscle relaxation. An app that checks a lot of boxes, right?

2. eQuoo

This is an app that uses adventure games designed by psychologists to help you increase your emotional fitness and teach you new psychological skills. It’s easy and fun to use because it gives you the feeling of playing a game -with different levels and challenges- but at the same time, it teaches you useful emotional and relational skills.

For example, you can learn what “generalisation” is and how it can affect your mood (“Everybody is being mean to me”, “I will always be alone”) and you will learn how to turn the generalisation into a more realistic approach, making you feel more confident and in control. Suggested frequency: once a week. Especially suitable for teenagers.

3. Sanvello

When you download Sanvello, you will be asked to track your mood on a daily basis, giving you insight into important statistics. “Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same”. That’s one of the quotes that welcomes you when you join. The whole interface is extremely easy to use, with warm and relaxing colours. Bonus: it also includes integrated Spotify lists with motivational or calming songs, depending on your preference. Definitely worth a try!

4. Moodfit

Moodfit tries to simplify and organise your goals, through the ABC of mental balance: sleep, food, thought awareness (using CBT), gratitude and breathing. It also gives you the opportunity to listen to audio files on Mindfulness: understanding mindfulness, creating breathing space, doing a body scan, even practising mindfulness in silence - you only hear the sound of bells. You can also use reminders; positive messages that reinforce new habits. They show up as notifications and also on your home screen.

Last but not least, you can even use the app to create your own experiments. For example, if you suspect a certain food (like gluten) may be affecting your mood, the app allows you to track this.

5. Fabulous: Daily Motivation

“How often do you focus on the past or the future?” This is the first question you will get after logging into the multicoloured interface. An interesting start, for sure! After filling in a short questionnaire, the app supports you on your journey to build healthy habits. The app is laser-focused on getting you on track and establishing productive routines, whether you are struggling to get out of bed in the morning, dealing with stress, need more focus or want to decrease your use of social media.

Bad news: it’s only free for a week. However, if you try it and you think breaking unhealthy habits and establishing healthier ones is exactly what you are looking for right now, you might want to give it a try.

6. Carddecks

Created by a team from the Gottman Institute, Carddecks is meant to improve the communication and closeness in your relationship. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are relationship therapists and have conducted 40 years of breakthrough research with thousands of couples. They are world-renowned for their work on marital stability and divorce prediction.

You would like to know more about your partner’s life or inner world but you don’t know how to start or what to ask? This app has questions that you can ask your partner, as well as suggestions for things to do and say. The questions are in sets of specific groups (love maps, open-ended questions, rituals of connection, sex questions, give appreciation, great listening, etc.) so that it gives you and your partner the variety you need and the depth you are ready to explore about each other’s world.

The app includes 14 decks of cards and over 1000 of flashcards, enough questions for a whole lifetime, right? The only thing you need to do is get your partner on board and make time for the questions, making it a habit.

Mental health support

Looking for support in order to track and balance our mental health is normal. Nothing to be ashamed of. The number of apps that have been developed over the last five years in order to fulfil this purpose obviously proves the necessity of that kind of support. The key is awareness and that is what these apps offer you in the first place: the opportunity to get to know yourself better, become aware of your patterns, your thoughts and your feelings and to grow stronger through healthier habits and clearer goals.

Good luck!