In this post, Emma talks about her favorite free mental health apps. Read on to learn more about them.
OK, Everyone knows that smartphones and social media can be bad for mental health…but phones are a tool and if we use them well they can also be really beneficial for mental health–seriously. So let me share with you how I use mostly free apps on my phone to help maintain and improve my mental health.
So, most of the apps I’ll recommend are free, and some are preinstalled on your phone. And in case you’re wondering, none of the apps in this video sponsor me. I just want to share what’s working for me.
1. Habit Tracker
Whenever I have something I want to improve in my life, whether it’s my marriage or my stress levels, I choose a small practical goal to move in that direction. But the key to making progress toward that goal is to have a system that supports the goal. So for example, I want to improve my marriage, and my goal is to work through “The Love Dare” book. My system is to read one chapter of the book every morning before I start work. I’ll set a reminder in my phone, and then check it off in the habit app when I’m done.
You could use a habit tracker app to build any positive habit, like- gratitude practice, scheduled worry, exercise, or checking in with your AA sponsor.
I put the widget for the app on my home screen and I have a personal rule that I don’t get to watch my shows until I’ve done it.
And speaking of systems, I use the Reminders app all the time.
2. Reminders or Google Calendar Tasks
These apps are great because it frees you from the mental load of remembering all the good things and touchpoints you want to do. Not only do I use it to support my fragmented working memory, but I also put a reminder in to do things like text a friend every couple of days, or snuggle with my daughter. These reminders help me do a lot of the maintenance tasks that don’t come easy for me—mostly with relationships. But you can also use it for things like setting goals, and remembering to take your medications or vitamins. My friend has a reminder to eat her lunch…because she often forgets, but then she gets really cranky. When you have a recurring reminder, you’ll take care of the little habits that add up to better mental health. Again, systems are better than resolutions.
3. Notes or Keep
Notes and Keep are another tool that can relieve your mental load.
I use the notes app pretty frequently, not just to jot down things so that I don’t forget, but I also use them for brain dumps. When I’m really upset, anxious, overwhelmed, Notes is great because I can just put it all in there. If I’m really upset, I’ll go for a walk and just use voice to text to take all the rush of thoughts and put them into my phone…it makes me feel better and often helps me sort through problems.
These apps can also work like a small journal. If one of my practices is scheduled worry or checking in with my feelings, but it’s something I don’t really want to save in my journal, I’ll pop it into Notes. It’s just convenient.
4. Day One
Now, here’s the other app I use for everything I do want to save. Day One. What we focus on we get more of, what we pay attention to and review we remember. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in the difficulties of each day and forget about all the beautiful moments you had last week or last year. So to be truly happy, you have to build an intentional practice to remember the good.
I use the Day One app for this…none of these apps are a sponsor, and Day One is like $35 a year I think… but I just try to pop a picture in from each day and keep my streak. When I remember, I write a little about my day, and you can journal in any way you like. You can set up a guided journal to prompt you to practice gratitude or journaling through your feelings, or track your mood, but I love just doing pictures and funny stuff. And my favorite part is that at the end of the year, I can print the thing and have it mailed to me, so I always print two, one goes up on my shelf and the other the kids read through and laugh at.
5. Lotus Bud on iOS or Mindfulness Bell on Android
Lotus Bud on iOS or Mindfulness Bell on Android are awesome if you want to change your subconscious habits. These apps have a very simple mindfulness bell, and you can set custom reminders to go off somewhat randomly at the interval you choose. When the bell chimes, you just check in and get mindful for a moment. So if you’re trying to train your nervous system to be calmer, you could use it to remind you to soften your shoulders or take a slow breath. If you’re trying to be more aware of what’s going on in your body, you could pause and do a quick body scan to see what sensations are showing up. Or these apps can help you remember to be more mindful, or present to this moment, or to check in with your thoughts and notice if you’re believing any cognitive distortions. Basically any time I’m setting a goal around something that’s a little hard to be mindful of, I use Lotus Bud to gently remind me to be more aware.
6. Cycle Tracker for iOS
And #6 Cycle Tracker for iOS probably came preinstalled on your device. Period Calendar for Android is another good, free option. Let’s face it ladies–hormones mess with our thoughts and emotions. For example, about once a month I start to believe that I’m a terrible human being and no one loves me. If in that moment I check my cycle tracker it will inform me that my period is going to start in like 12 hours, and PMS is just a liar…and to eat more chocolate and take a hot bath.
7. Therapy in a Nutshell App
Alright guys, this is my Dr. Leo Marvin Moment, where I’m going to recommend my own stuff, but The Therapy in a Nutshell App is something I’m really proud of. It’s free and it comes with two free courses: The first one is “Grounding skills for stress, anxiety and PTSD.” This is a great course, tens of thousands of people have taken it and learned how to regulate their nervous system, how to tell when you’re stuck in flight, fight or freeze, and how to re-train your nervous system to feel safe again. And the other free course is new, “How to stop Panic and Anxiety Attacks”. For those who are Therapy in a Nutshell members, you can take all 8 of my other mental health courses right within the app, so check that out. Watch one 15 minute video a day, and do the exercise and you really can learn to get out of survival mode, process your emotions, and break the cycle of anxiety.
Before I mention a few more good apps, take a look at my phone. Do you see what I don’t have on my phone? No TikTok, no Instagram, Linked In, X (Twitter). You guys, I make my living on social media—but I’m not going to let it control me. Any app that I find to be really distracting, as soon as I find that the app is sucking away my brain, I delete it off my phone. And I know phone games can be addictive, numbing black holes, so there’s no Candy Crush or puzzle games or solitaire.
Also, you can’t see it, but I went into settings and turned notifications OFF for almost everything!
Absolutely no news notifications, and every single garbage notification I turn off. Even calls and messages are almost always on vibe.
When I said earlier that our phones are tools, this is what I’m talking about. I try to use my phone to support the life I want, because I’m not going to let my phone control my life.
Okay, let me take the last minute of this video for some honorable mentions:
7 Minute workout- quick workout you can do at home or at the office, because exercise supports mental health.
Audible/Libby/Blinkist – Listen to books, read books, listen to book summaries, reading is a great way to improve your mental health.
Podcasts– I only listen to funny stuff…Wait wait don’t tell me, nothing better than a funny podcast while mowing the lawn.
Calendar app to keep my life from feeling hectic and overwhelming.
And I have a bunch of other apps that I consider really positive. AllTrails tells you where you can hike, because nature is so good for your mood and energy. Merlin Bird ID can identify a bird just by turning on the microphone. JustServe helps connect you to service opportunities in your area.
So that’s how I use my phone to improve my mental health.
I love reading your comments, and I’d love to hear what apps you’ve found helpful for your mental health, so please take a moment to share.
