The benefits of therapy are powerful. Promoting time for reflection and self-care, taking the time to analyse our thoughts and behaviour positively impacts our ability to live better and feel stronger.
In today’s world, life is fast-paced and busy, society scrutinises itself, constantly critiquing the way we all look, act and earn. Finding the time to appreciate self and establish solace, away from the background noise is essential to good mental health. Not everyone has time in their schedule to visit a therapist, so apps are quickly becoming the number one way to practise techniques to promote happiness.
Harnessing the effectiveness of self-regulation using cognitive behaviour therapies, anxiety management, mood trackers, thought journals and meditation, the vast array of apps available online are widely comprehensive. Discreetly stored on your smartphone, apps can remind you to re-centre and focus throughout the working day, encouraging positive habits to become second nature behaviour.
Here’s our selection of the top apps to promote better well-being.
Worry watch
Taking the format of a journal, Worry Watch encourages users to become more self-aware of the anxieties and worries they experience on the daily. When a plaguing thought occurs, this is then entered into the app journal, along with the wider context in which the worry was first formed. There is then space after the anxiety has occurred to reflect on these patterns of behaviours and understand your triggers. A useful tool for taking responsibility for understanding yourself and developing empathy for oneself, this app is easy to use and doesn’t take up too much time.
Headspace
Conceptualised by former Buddhist monk turned app developer Andy Puddicombe, Headspace is frequently regarded as the Gandhi of mindfulness software. Featuring guided meditation, anger management and mindfulness tutorials, Headspace is used by mental health professionals and championed by psychologists alike. Engaging users is cyclical sessions, the beauty of Headspace lies in its relevance to everyone’s experiences, from problem eating to stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Calmly delivering, life lessons Andy’s voice is engaging and genuine. Award-winning and chart-topping Headspace offers premium therapy at a cut-price.
Happify
Extremely effective at helping users cope with life and react more positively to challenging situations, Happify is intelligently formatted. Setting activities designed to achieve specific goals, such as ‘Conquer Negative thoughts’ and ‘Cope Better With Stress’ user friendly games are devised to phase out unnecessary negativity, focussing on positive affirmations. This app feels very organic and authentic. For the more cynical users amongst us, this is the perfect solution to those dark cloud days.
(Story source: Over 50s.com)
