2 weeks Ago
An increasing percentage of the population is relying on mobile apps to distract, relieve stress, and lower anxiety levels. I know, as I am one of those people. I’ve learned that not every “stress relief app” actually delivers, so I’ve compiled a list of my favorites for anxiety and stress relief.
Price: Free with premium option Calm ( Android | iOS ) is designed to help users manage stress, anxiety, and sleep issues through guided meditation, sleep stories, breathing exercises, and calming music. The app offers a range of resources of varying lengths, making it great for a variety of users. As someone who regularly experiences anxiety attacks, I found the app’s guided meditations particularly helpful.
I love that I can choose from short, five to 10-minute sessions when I’m pressed for time or longer meditations when I need to unwind. However, the app isn’t strictly meditation-focused: Calm also offers masterclasses on mental wellness topics, sleep stories, and calming sounds for those who don’t enjoy fully guided meditations. On the downside, the price can be a barrier.
While Calm offers some free features, most of the content – especially the more advanced meditations and sleep stories – is locked behind the premium subscription fee. Also, some of the longer meditations can become repetitive when you use the app regularly. Price: Free with premium option Sometimes the best way to relieve stress and anxiety is to share what’s on your mind with others.
7 Cups ( Android | iOS ) is an app designed to provide emotional support through anonymous chat with trained listeners, alongside access to self-help resources and professional therapy. This makes it the perfect option for those who need a listening ear. It can also be good for those suffering from depression.
Since I tend to spiral when anxious or alone, 7 Cups is a comforting resource. Chatting with a trained listener on demand is incredibly valuable, especially during heightened anxiety. These individuals can offer supportive, non-judgmental conversation, which I sometimes need between therapy sessions.
The app also offers self-help guides and community support forums, which I find helpful for gaining perspective and learning from others going through similar struggles. However, there are some drawbacks. While chatting with volunteer listeners is free, accessing licensed therapists requires a subscription fee, which can be costly for some users.
I also found that the quality of support from volunteer listeners can vary: some were incredibly helpful, while others felt less engaged. Additionally, though the app provides a wealth of resources, navigating through some of the features can initially be a bit overwhelming. Price: Free Although it may seem a bit gimmicky at first glance, Antistress ( Android | iOS ) is an excellent stress relief app for those who need a distraction to lower stress and anxiety levels.
Its simple design and variety of toys and games provide something for everyone without overwhelming the brain. Antistress features a collection of calming, interactive games and simulations aimed at relieving stress. The various activities kept me engaged, and the app’s tactile nature was perfect in the way it kept my hands and mind occupied.
It’s a fun and easy way to relieve stress without investing too much time or energy, much like a coloring book app . Of course, these simple stress-relief activities are not designed to help individuals cope with long-term stress or severe anxiety. Therefore, users who need something more significant may not find this free app as beneficial as others.
Price: Free with premium option Breathwrk ( Android | iOS ) is an app designed to help users relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and improve focus through guided breathing exercises. The app offers easy-to-follow breathing techniques tailored to your specific goals, with visual and audio cues guiding the user through each breath pattern, making it accessible for all experience levels. I found Breathwrk to be an excellent tool for calming myself in moments of high anxiety or stress.
It’s become a go-to whenever I feel overwhelmed, and I’ve noticed that consistent use has helped me manage my anxiety better throughout the day. To me, the best part is the wide variety of available exercises, making it easy to choose one for my current need that also fits the amount of time I have to dedicate to focused breathing. That being said, only the basic exercises are available for free; the more advanced breathing techniques are only available with the premium version.
Also, the app strictly offers breathing exercises, not guided meditations or mood tracking, which you may also need as well to manage your stress and anxiety levels. Price: Free with premium option Moodfit ( Android | iOS ) is a mental health app designed to help users improve their anxiety and stress levels through mood tracking, personalized insights, and mental health exercises. The app helps users track their emotions over time, providing insights on how factors like sleep, exercise , and other factors can impact stress and anxiety.
I was skeptical at first, but as I used the app, I found Moodfit to be incredibly insightful. The mood tracking feature is simple yet effective: logging my emotions each day helped me become more aware of what could be triggering my anxiety or stress. I also appreciated the personalized mental health exercises that the app suggests based on the data I entered.
There is a learning curve with this app, as it can track so many things. Also, this app isn’t just something you can periodically pick up during moments of stress – you need to use it daily to receive the most benefit. Price: Free with premium option The Unstuck: CBT Journal app ( Android | iOS ) is designed to help users manage anxiety, stress, and negative thought patterns through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
It provides daily prompts, exercises, and journaling tools to help users work through mental challenges and improve emotional well-being. By focusing on structured exercises, it encourages self-reflection and promotes healthier thinking patterns. As someone who has struggled with anxious thought spirals, I found Unstuck to be an excellent tool for self reflection.
The daily prompts encourage me to take a step back and evaluate my thoughts more objectively, while the exercises help me challenge negativity and reframe situations. That said, one limitation is that it relies heavily on self-discipline – you have to commit to daily journaling to see real progress. Additionally, while it provides helpful guidance, it lacks the personalization that a therapist could offer.
However, for those looking to try CBT techniques on their own as a way to cope with anxiety, Unstuck is a great starting point. Stress and anxiety are impossible to avoid completely. However, you can keep some of these tools in your back pocket to pull out on exceptionally stressful days or build your stress tolerance so that those difficult days don’t impact you as much.
Furthermore, you can try using other mental health apps or listening to podcasts about mental health to care for your mind and soul even more. Image credit: Pexels . All screenshots by Megan Glosson.
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Megan Glosson is a freelance technology writer based in Nashville, TN. She has extensive experience working with everything from printers to smart home systems, and serves as the go-to “tech guru” for a small business that sells digital products. Megan has created thousands of articles for online publications and company blogs, including How-To Geek, Clean Email, and Review Geek.
When she’s not writing, you will probably find Megan playing board games with her partner and two children or swimming in the pool. You can check out Megan’s entire portfolio on her website, https://www.meganglosson.
com/..
