7 Best Apps To Cultivate Calm, Clarity, And Inner Peace
Over the last few years, the space of mental health care has seen a noticeable rise in prevalence. And for good reason. The world looks a lot different from the one we knew prior to 2020, and with the increased awareness around mental health issues, along with growing access to tools that help us manage our stress, anxiety, and depression, it’s no wonder that we’ve been able to find new ways to keep our minds at ease.
Still, not everyone has the means to afford bi-weekly sessions while others simply need an introduction to therapy that they can ease into and manage for themselves. It takes time to get comfortable with the idea of spilling out all our deepest traumas and mental hurdles. And now, thanks to new and emerging telehealth and online therapy options, finding moments throughout the day to pause, reflect, and reclaim a sense of mindfulness has never been easier.
According to research, mental health apps have the potential to serve as an effective complement to traditional therapy and assist in addressing individual wellness needs. Additionally, mental health apps have been shown to help monitor and manage a person’s moods and symptoms.
Finding the right apps that speak to your needs and support you along your mental health journey is a great way to prioritize your well-being, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. From guided meditations to habit trackers, we’ve put together a wide range of mental health apps that cater to your unique needs to clear your mind and calm your thoughts.
1.BlackFULLness
BlackFULLness is a unique mental health app created by Sonia Russell and David Walker. This groundbreaking app is dedicated to promoting mindfulness practices that support stress reduction and healing justice, while also fostering a sense of community and connection among African-American users. With BlackFULLness, users can establish and maintain their own mindfulness practices, connect directly with health experts, and elevate their practice to new heights.
2.Headspace
Headspace has been coveted as the best introductory app for those getting into mindfulness and medication. The app strives to incorporate mindfulness meditation into your life in order to improve concentration, elevate moods, reduced anxiety, and increased productivity. The Headspace’s library is full of resources that include single meditations, session packs, and even animated meditations that cater to all levels of experience and needs.
3.Ayana Therapy
This digital platform puts our mental health needs to the front by pairing users with licensed therapists with shared cultural traits, identities, and experiences. To ensure the best matches for starting their mental health journey, new users can take culturally informed questionnaires to ensure that they feel safe and seen.
4.Healthy Minds Program App
Healthy Minds Program App blends the insights of neuroscience, contemplative traditions, and skill-based learning to create accessible resources that promote well-being for all. With a focus on four key pillars of a healthy mind, awareness, connection, insight, and purpose, this app has you covered whether you're seeking calm in the midst of chaos, clarity in uncertain times, or mindfulness for sleep.
5.Liberate App
Experience meditation designed with you in mind. With its focus on promoting daily meditation habits, this digital wellness studio offers a range of meditations and discussions that are tailored specifically to the Black experience. Its "meditation for us, by us" approach provides a unique and supportive environment that can help you achieve a better mental state and foster a deeper sense of connection and belonging.
6.Bearable
The Bearable app goes beyond tracking your symptoms and allows you to engage in wellness journaling, set medication reminders, and keep track of your food intake. Bearable’s approach to mental health apps helps you to see what triggers may be impacting your mind so you can gain a holistic perspective on your physical and mental well-being.
7.Slumber
Getting a good night's rest is essential for our overall well-being, but sometimes falling asleep can feel like an uphill battle when you have distractions all around. The Slumber app helps you to power down your mind and create a healthy evening that encourages calm and relaxation. Slumber offers a variety of techniques that promote relaxation and encourage ease into your sleep such as ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), mindfulness, breath control, gratitude habituation, guided imagery and visualizations and more so you never run out of ways to doze off.
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Featured image by Tony Anderson/Getty Images
Originally published on March 22, 2023
Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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