9 free apps to help cope with anxiety
Feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed are not uncommon and should not go unaddressed. Many of us experience anxiety and stress, especially during times of uncertainty and change – but how can we manage these feelings and develop a more healthy mindset?
There are several great apps and free resources to help you cope with anxiety and learn some skills to rest and relax the mind even when that feels like an uphill battle.
If you are experiencing more severe issues, please consult a mental healthcare professional.
The best free apps for anxiety
- Catch It
- Dare: Panic & Anxiety Relief
- Insight Timer
- Stress & Anxiety Companion
- iBreathe
- Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM)
- What’s Up?
- Rootd
- Woebot App
1. Catch It
Developed as a joint project from the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester, this app is a simple mood diary, allowing you to record your changing moods and feelings.
By tracking how your feelings shift, the app aims to teach you how to manage anxiety and stress, illustrating new ways to view problems and develop positive ways of coping.
Through questions and guidance, Catch It supports you as you make sense of your moods – users have described how useful this can often be when trying to feel calmer.
2. Dare: Panic & Anxiety Relief
A popular app with high ratings from users, Dare, based on the best-selling book, provides you with a toolkit based on many years of experience to help your brain become less anxious.
The evidence-based training programme provides help for people experiencing anxiety, panic attacks and more. You can track your daily progress with the mood journal, writing down all of your thoughts and feelings. With the ‘SOS’ feature, users can also get help fast when needed and on the go.
3. Insight Timer
This free app hosts a library of guided meditations designed to help users relax and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
The guided sessions are led by 11,000 different world-renowned mindfulness experts and psychologists. You will also have access to thousands of music tracks and ambient soundscapes to help you fall asleep or quiet your mind.
There are more than 1,500 meditations tailored specifically to dealing with anxiety.
4. Stress & Anxiety Companion
This one is great for individuals with mild to moderate anxiety and stress levels.
With techniques built around cognitive behavioural therapy, the app uses an array of breathing exercises, mindfulness games and relaxing music designed to help you set positive goals, create healthy routines and manage problematic thinking.
The Stress & Anxiety Companion is all about helping you identify why you’re feeling anxious or stressed and learning how to manage these negative thoughts.
5. iBreathe
Whether you are struggling with anxiety, stress, insomnia or you are just trying to relax and meditate, iBreathe is a simple yet great app for this.
It helps guide you through deep breathing exercises. Copying a relaxed breathing pattern calms the nervous system that controls the body’s involuntary functions, which helps to reduce anxiety and stress.
6. Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM)
This engaging and practical app is a helpful resource for those who want to confront their anxiety and learn how to manage it.
SAM helps you understand the causes behind your anxiety and gives you resources to create your anxiety toolkit along with techniques to monitor changing moods, thoughts and behaviours. Through the various available self-help exercises and reflections, you can learn how to develop healthy thought patterns and actions.
You can also use the social cloud feature which allows you to give and receive support from other users.
7. What’s Up?
This free app is designed to help users cope with depression, anxiety, stress and more.
With a range of cognitive behaviour therapy and acceptance commitment therapy methods, the app provides actionable advice on overcoming negative thinking patterns, helps you put your feelings into perspective and gives tips on staying grounded during times of stress.
You can also use the diary to record thoughts and learn how to keep calm with effective breathing exercises.
8. Rootd
As seen in Women’s Health, Time magazine, Healthline and more! Rootd, is an award-winning, scientifically validated, female-led app to help people who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, and racing thoughts.
With the ‘Rootr’ feature, it allows users to press the big red button when in need of help whether that is for reassurance or to explore the discomfort going on in someone’s head.
9. Woebot App
The Woebot app offers support for people struggling with anxiety and/or depression, through daily check-ins and lessons, helping users to change their thought patterns.
Again, it should be noted that all of these apps should not be considered a replacement for professional help – but they can be great aids for boosting general mental health and wellbeing! Taking to nature and enjoying activities outdoors can also work wonders for mental well-being and self-confidence.
For more information about the Calvert Exmoor Experience and the disability activity breaks we offer, please get in touch.
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