5 APPS FOR MENTAL WELLNESS

Over the years, smartphones have developed a nasty reputation for making their users’ mental health worse.

- RACHEL NEEDELL

This could be because we spend too much time mindlessly scrolling or because we engage with content that doesn’t make us feel good. However, there are a few apps specifically designed to help improve mental health and wellness. Whether it is tracking mood, creating healthy habits, or prioritizing rest and relaxation, these apps are a great way to use your smartphone for good vibes instead. Here are my five favorite mental health apps that actually work to improve overall wellbeing.

How We Feel (Free)

If you want a simple app aimed specifically at helping you name and identify your feelings with detailed stats over time, How We Feel is the app for you. When tackling mental health, collecting data can be an excellent way to really understand what’s going on with someone. The How We Feel app is straightforward and makes naming the emotions that you’re experiencing easy. I find that having a large word map to name my emotion is much quicker than expecting me to come up with a word myself. When you’re stressed or busy, the word map is a fast way to log your mood without spending too much time mulling things over.

Once you’ve used the app for a while, over time, the data that it reveals is quite illuminating. Sometimes I look back in my memory and think I had a terrible week. The How We Feel app allows me to go back and actually see how often I was feeling okay or even good. It’s easy to forget all the little moments and feelings you experience throughout the day. This app allows me to track my moods quickly and positively shift my overall perspective.

Finch (Free or $9.99/ month)