Free (or almost free) Mental Health Apps – Anxiety

As mentioned in our last blog, technology and openness about mental health struggles have continued to grow through the years. Along with that has come partnerships between App developers and the mental health community.

In our last blog, we listed 6 useful apps with tools to help your youth practice strategies to help them with depression. For this blog, here is a list of 12 anxiety apps, straight from our Children’s Mental Health Centre staff’s recommendations!

1) Mindshift CBT by Anxiety Canada – FREE - This app is incredible and was created by UBC to help teens to manage their anxiety, panic and perfectionism. It has multiple tools including Quick Relief to ease you out of a panic attack, a thought journal, check-ins, guided relaxation recordings and more!

2) What’s Up? – Free – Uses CBT and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help users cope with anxiety, depression, stress, anger and more. Includes tools such as a diary, habit tracker, grounding game, inspirational quotes among other things.

3) Virtual Hope Box – Free – Use this app with your therapist/doctor to aid with relaxation, distraction and positive thinking. Upload personal photos, videos, quotes and messages to fill your hope box with positivity and support.

4) Headspace: Meditation and Mindfulness – Free - (with optional in-app purchases) – This app is filled with guided meditations to help you be more mindful, relaxed and sleep better!

5) Rootd – Panic Attack and Anxiety Relief – Free – This app helps you manage anxiety and panic attacks through breathing and visualization exercises.

6) Acupressure: Heal Yourself - $2.69 – Acupressure gives you instructions on how to self-massage and access pressure points in the body to aid with your mental and physical health.

7) Stop Panic and Anxiety: Self Help – Free – Self-help for Panic Disorders through articles, diaries, relaxation and panic-assistance audio for panic attacks.

8) Relax and Rest Guided Meditations - $2.69 – Learn useful breathing and relaxation exercises through this guided meditation app.

9) Calm: Meditate, Sleep, Relax – Free – With over 10 million downloads, this app features meditations to help with anxiety, self-esteem, sleep and much more.

10) Stop, Breathe and Think: Meditation and Mindfulness – Free – With almost 5 million downloads, this app helps you slow down, take a deep breath, and focus on how you are feeling and what you are thinking.

11) Colorfy – Adult Colouring Book – Free – This free colouring app lets you unwind as you colour pictures, draw mandalas, experiment with palettes and post your finished creations online! Who doesn’t love colouring?

12) Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep – Free – This simple app offers six different sounds of nature from ocean to rain to night in the jungle to help you relax, fall asleep and sleep better.

These apps are a great start to helping your youth on a day to day basis. If they require more immediate professional assistance, the professionals at Front Door are always available to help.