Overview: Our mobile devices aren’t just there for doomscrolling. They can be used as tools to enhance our physical and mental wellbeing. In this post, the HCDS and Oasis team has been collecting wellbeing focused apps that have been recommended to us by other health professionals and students. Reading time ~ 5 minutes.
There are so many apps related to wellbeing that trying to sift through them is virtually impossible.
We created a ‘how-to guide’ on finding good health-related mobile apps, but we (as a team) also thought it made sense to build up our own list of apps that have been recommended to us directly, either by other colleagues or by students who have used them and found them useful.
So we (Health, Counselling and Disability Services) are hereby starting our “Recommended Wellbeing Apps List”. The list is short at the moment, but it will grow over time. Our goal is not a comprehensive list, but rather a list of apps that we’re confident have value because they’ve been road tested by students or staff.
If you’ve been using a wellbeing-related app and found it particularly useful (i.e. it features regularly in your daily life), let us know and it can join the list below.
That way we can harness the wisdom of the crowd in finding the best wellbeing-related apps.
[I’ve provided links to some, but others you’ll have to google the app name or search for it in your respective app store. Note: some apps are only on one platform]
Time management/focus:
Focus Keeper
- Free app using Pomodoro technique for maintaining focus with studies.
- Free app that provides various sounds/background noise depending on context, that can assist with focus and productivity. Option for paid downloads for particular sounds.
- Music and background noise for focus, relaxation, meditation and sleep.
- Helping you stay focused on the important things in life.
- Offering a simpler way to stay organised
Mindfulness/meditation/CBT:
- Free and paid meditation app that has a number of guided meditations to assist with sleep, anxiety, stress and the option to use a timer for self-practice. Paid option allows for access to numerous courses and the option to download meditation and mindfulness practices.
- Free app based on principles of stoicism. Includes morning and evening routines, options for regular reflection and to adjust negative thinking, journaling exercises, stoic quotes, breathing and meditation exercises.
- Free app with a number of meditations to help with stress, anxiety, sleep
- Free/Paid app – provides some free meditation, mindfulness and sleep focused exercises as well as courses on anxiety, stress etc with the bulk of this being available through paid membership.
- Free/Paid app – provides some free meditation, mindfulness and sleep focused exercises as well as courses on anxiety, stress etc with the bulk of this being available through paid membership.
- Paid mindfulness/meditation app with a variety of mindfulness/meditation apps for different everyday situations (travelling, walking, workbreak etc)
- Free CBT and Mindfulness based app that provides information on the main anxiety subtypes and various strategies that can be useful in relation to specific anxiety presentations. Offers option of being able to track anxiety and activity levels, specific strategies to help with panic attacks, and safety planning if needed.
- Guided meditations, lectures, interviews focused on mindfulness meditation. Main meditations are provided by Sam Harris, but also includes guest courses from other teachers. Subscription required for full access, but you can contact the Waking Up crew if you can’t afford a year’s subscription and they will give you one for free.
- Learn to meditate from the world’s top mindfulness experts
Habit Formation
- Fabulous uses behavioral science to help people make smart changes and build healthy habits.
Safety Planning
- Beyond Blue Safety Planning app that allows you to develop a Safety Plan for moments of distress – identifies triggers and warning signs to distress, ways to make the environment safe, coping strategies and supports including crisis support if needed.
- Calm Harm is a free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm
General health
- The app that comes with a Fitbit device is useful for tracking a range of health metrics such as physical activity, sleep, stress and more. Obviously requires the purchase of a fitbit device.
- Safe supportive communities for people facing all different types of health challenges
Mental health
- Self-guided personalised therapy app, built on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) with interactive videos, therapeutic journaling, therapeutic activities, daily habits and mood monitoring
For more mental health focused apps, check out ONE MIND Psyber Guide who are continually reviewing and showcasing different apps.