A few years ago I started feeling that my anxiety was getting a little worse. I told my doctor and among other things she told me about a free app called Yoga Nidra Lite. This particular app provides a few very basic guided meditations to help you focus on your breathing and relax. It was a great place to start, but it made me curious about what other options may be available.
You may think it’s strange to turn to an app to help you relax, but you would be surprised how much they can actually help. At least that is my experience. It’s a little ironic really. We spend so much time on our phones and that is probably what leads to more anxiety! Using our phones for something productive and helpful is a way better use of our time.
I have found that it is so helpful to have space and time to slow your mind, and focus on your breathing. Slowing your mind can be difficult, but over time and with practice it does get easier and it’s incredibly helpful in managing stress and anxiety. Focusing on your breath and slowing your mind keeps your mind present and not stuck in the past or worrying about the future.
I’ve spent some time researching and trying some of the available apps over the past few years. There are quite a few available and I wanted to share with you the ones I think are worth checking out.
MEDITATION / Breathing / Relaxation BASED Apps
These apps mainly consist of different guided meditations. They also walk you through breathing techniques and include relaxing music, sounds and sleep stories.
- Calm – This app is so beautifully done. The opening picture and sounds are very relaxing and they instantly put you in calmer state of mind. As the app is loading it instructs you to take a deep breath – which I also love. I need any and all reminders to take a deep breath. Once the app loads you will find lots of options. One section includes “Calm Masterclass” sessions with experts in different areas. You can even find quite a few celebrities on this app as narrators. Lebron James has a guided course on mental fitness and Matthew McConaughey narrates a “sleep story”. This app does have a free version with about 7 total options across all of the categories – the rest are for the paid version only and you can receive a 7 day free trial to try it out, otherwise it is $59.99 for a year and you can cancel anytime. It is the #1 calming app on the Apple App Store.
- Headspace – This app is #2 on the Apple App Store and it’s a little different than Calm. It includes animations instead of real pictures – but I find them very calming. The main voice belongs to the founder Andy Puddicombe who is English, so if you enjoy listening to an English accent (like I do) you will love this app. The animations give you visuals on what is happening in your brain with different emotions, situations, etc. I have really enjoyed this app, and it is the one I use daily. Guided meditation sessions are available and cover different topics. I’m currently working through a guided meditation on Prioritization. Little videos are also available and there is an option to go through live guided meditations along other users (at certain times of the day). Daily exercise and even organizing “courses” have been featured lately during the quarantine. There is a free version that gives you a few options in each area, but the paid version is $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month.
Sleep Inducing App
- Relax Melodies – This app has amazing sounds. If you are looking for sounds and music to help you relax and fall asleep, this is an excellent choice. There are many different types of music and you can layer other sounds on top of each other. The sound portion is very interactive. Guided meditations, bedtime stories and “SleepMoves” are also included in this app. SleepMoves is a section of guided exercises to help you relax and fall asleep. I really like the music and all the options. Listening to it for only a few minutes makes me feel very relaxed. They do have a free 7 day trial and then after that, it’s $59.99 a year.
Support and Therapy Based appS
- Sanvello for Stress & Anxiety – This particular app is designed specifically to help with stress, anxiety and depression. It’s more like a counseling and support app. Their tag line is “A place to feel better”. They do have free premium access right now through the Covid-19 pandemic – so it’s a great time to try it out. There are a series of questions that the app asks you to answer based on how you are feeling and what you experienced the past week. Guided meditations and journeys are available as well as a place to journal and keep track of positive things that have happened. There is a health tracker that uses your phones health data. My favorite feature is what they call a “Hope Board” and it is a place to keep all the pictures that make you happy. You can post pictures of your happy places or of the people you love. You can also add in quotes or verses that keep you hopeful. It’s definitely a more in-depth app to help you navigate anxiety, stress and depression. Counseling and therapy are also additional options that are going to be available soon for individuals. You can read even more about it in this Psychology Today article. It’s free right now, but normally it’s $8.95 a month / $55 a year / $199 lifetime.
- Moodpath – This app was developed by a group of experts in Psychology and it’s designed to be your “daily companion”. Each day the app will ask you questions about your emotional and physical well being. After you answer the questions, the app will provide you with regular insights and a psychological assessment every 2 weeks that you can discuss with a therapist. If you are already seeing a therapist this app could be a great tool to use with your counselor. There is a free trial period and after that it’s $47.99 a year.
Christian Based Apps
- Abide – I love this app. It includes daily meditations, bedtime stories, and a place to journal. Bible stories are a part of most of the bedtime stories and there are many to choose from. There is a section of guides with multiple steps and Bible verses to help you with different issues. Issues including anxiety, insecurity, unstable times, conflict, loneliness, stress, depression, etc. There are also verse readings and explanations. They offer a free 7 day trial, and the paid version is $39.99 a year.
- Soultime – This app is like Abide in that it includes many of the same sections. It includes guided Christian meditations, sleep stories, verses and Bible stories. One additional feature is a mood tracker. It has a place that keeps track of your moods and provides a check up report on your emotional and spiritual health. Adding in this component makes the app very helpful. Based on your answers the app will suggest certain meditations and verses specifically for you. This app also has a free 7 day trial period and then it is $59.99 a year or $7.99 a month.
That completes my list of the best calming apps. There are others out there that you might find are helpful to you, but in my opinion these are the best. I hope you will try one or two of them out and see if they help you with your anxiety, stress, depression or sleep issues. It’s important to take care of ourselves all the time, but especially right now! Take time today to relax, take some deep breaths and create more peace in your life. 🙂