7 Wellness Apps for Your Mental Health Breaks

Mental health had historically been a touchy subject due to its stigma, but times have changed. More people are becoming aware of its importance in recent years and are slowly learning how to manage it. In the corporate setting, some companies are finally prioritizing their employees’ mental health, with some even creating wellness plans or promoting mental health breaks.

The impact of COVID-19 in 2020 aggravated people’s mental health issues. Filipinos as young as 15 years old report feeling anxious, stressed, and hopeless, increasing the risk of depression. Not to mention frontline workers who have worked tirelessly since the start of the health crisis.

Fortunately, with today’s advancing technology, apps are now available to help people manage their emotions, keep anxiety at bay, track their moods, and relieve stress. See the list below:

1. Headspace
   
   Headspace is a wellness app that teaches its users how to meditate. Daily meditation has been shown to help alleviate stress, improve focus and sleep, and reduce anxiety.
   
   You can browse through the Headspace Library and pick from courses and single meditation sessions that suit your mood and lifestyle. There are also guided meditations available. These sessions are led by experienced teachers, recommended for people learning to meditate.
   
   Pricing: Free or Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
2. Moodfit
   
   Moodfit is a fantastic mood tracker that can help you monitor your overall disposition through its mood journal, daily goal setting, mood booster tools, and insights on different factors that can lift or dampen your mood.
   
   As a therapy aid, it helps users know how sleep and exercise affect them, provide relief from stressful situations, offer mindful meditation, and give a better understanding of mood-related medication. The app also contains articles, tips, and motivation to keep users on track.
   
   Pricing: Free or Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
3. Talkspace
   
   Talkspace is a therapy and mental health app that allows users to interact with a licensed mental health professional. Online therapy has become very popular recently as the world continues to deal with the pandemic. With this app, people can stay in isolation but still get the help they need for their mental health.
   
   During the sign-up process, users are matched with a therapist through an online questionnaire. Once matched, they are able to interact through video sessions or an AI chat system.
   
   Talkspace has over 5,000 licensed therapists with different specializations, such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness, and many others. Through the app, users can seek treatment for the following: anxiety, addiction, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship issues, and LGBTQ-related issues.
   
   Pricing: Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
4. Insight Timer
   
   Insight Timer is a meditation app with the world’s largest free library. What started as a self-meditation timer has grown into an online meditation community that allows people to connect with meditators and teachers.
   
   The app comes with thousands of free talks and podcasts on life advice and inspiration, and music tracks to help soothe your mind or help you sleep. The meditations come in different languages, too.
   
   By using the app, you can learn how to practice different meditation types such as secular mindfulness, Buddhist mindfulness, breathing meditation, and Zen, to name a few.
   
   Pricing: Free and Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
5. Sanvello
   
   Sanvello is an app for stress and anxiety based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness meditation, which are shown to provide effective relief for stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related conditions.
   
   You can manage your mood and thoughts through clinically-validated techniques like daily mood tracking, coping tools, and progress assessments. After downloading Sanvello, you will be asked to track your mood daily by answering questions that help you label your emotions and identify patterns.
   
   You can also join communities or groups anonymously and participate in active discussions and chats while exploring a diverse range of topics, from stress relief techniques to words of encouragement and gratitude.
   
   Pricing: Free worldwide or Premium under a U.S.-accredited health plan
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
6. Happify
   
   As the name suggests, Happify is an app designed to make you happy through gamification. Each game is science-based and meant to reduce stress, build resilience, and overcome negative thoughts, all of which take only a few minutes to complete. The app was developed by psychology experts familiar with evidence-based CBT interventions.
   
   While the app's goal is to make you happier, it also lets you decide which tracks to work on: coping better with stress, fueling your career success, achieving mindfulness through meditation, conquering negative thoughts, or building self-confidence.
   
   Pricing: Free and Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android
   
   
7. Shine
   
   Shine is a female-focused, self-care app that aims to help you “rest, heal, and grow through difficulty.” The Shine app makes caring for your mental health a habit by teaching you self-care strategies every day, providing support from a diverse community, and giving access to an audio library of meditations and calming sounds.
   
   There’s also a Daily Shine podcast-slash-meditation and exercises based on your mood available every day. You can reflect on your meditations with like-minded members in the Daily Discussion group.
   
   Pricing: Free and Subscription-based
   Download here: iOS | Android

Make Mental Health Matter

Mental health breaks are sacred. The apps listed above have a wide range of benefits that significantly impact those who do not have easy access to help. They also anonymize people who are still struggling to open up about their mental health issues to their loved ones. And because some apps promote community engagement, users do not have to feel alone as they overcome mental health struggles.

BPI AIA has wellness programs that will help you achieve a more well-rounded lifestyle. We also make it convenient to get insured while in the middle of the pandemic. For more information, you can schedule a virtual appointment with our Bancassurance Sales Executives.