7 Mental Health Apps To Download To Clear Your Thoughts & Calm Your Mind
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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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!
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Oftentimes, my creative juices flow much more freely in an office that gives the vibes. As a creative, that means anything but sterile cubicle walls, bland nudes, or spaces that just don't scream vibrant invention and individuality. I like to be inspired to do more and to elevate my thoughts in any workspace, so infusing color and culture is a must.
I often look to Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration when it's time to refresh my workspace, and I just love seeing the manifestation of professionals' auras, accomplishments, and tastes all reflected in their office spaces. Here are a few that I find intriguing, enlightening, and inspiring that I hope will inspire you as well:
Desk DIY
Fashion designer Andrea Pitter shared a DIY that I loved watching simply because it looked like something that might be sold by CB2 or any other luxury brand. And I love a good look-for-less project for home decor. This one offers a way to have a desk that's not the traditional option yet functional (and affordable) enough to get the unique look I prefer for office decor. And the fact that she did this with her partner---something else I'm a huge fan of since I'm always stressing my bae out to do the heavy lifting and assembly myself--is a plus. I literally have a meltdown when I see too many parts and screws, so having a partner to help is definitely something I can relate to.
The Color Purple
For this room, Shavonda Gardner of SG Style incorporated several decor favorites of mine: the color purple, a neon sign, and texture. All three of these elements exist in my home, and the office space would be no exception. If you're not wowed by that trifecta alone, watching her paint and put the whole look together can be soothing in and of itself.
Neutral Meets Bold
Taking a black-and-cream color theme up a notch is always a win for me, someone who absolutely cringe at all-neutral choices for home decor. This hits different. Between the natural elements (that seagrass wall decor is everything) the art deco wallpaper, the marbled table, and the use of the fur throw, I'm literally in love. The space, created by Dominique Calhoun of Remix Living, is how neutrals are done right, evoking feelings of wanting to level up and embrace the bold, luxe spirit of blacks, greens, and golds.
Pretty in Pink
This is a subdued but well-done space that incorporates muted tones that make me feel a sense of calm and safety. The simplicity and just-right tones of natural wood, khaki, white, yellow, and champagne pink ensure you won't have too many distractions when doing your work but you won't be bored to death with walls that scream nursery or nursing home.
Morning Blues
This room does something I find refreshing: It realistically reflects an everyday aesthetic that mixes fantasy with real life. While the dark blue hue gives the room a dreamy writer's mood and the printed rug along with the complimentary planter and vases accent the room well, there's still an ergonomic chair that puts any of those popular cute little seating options we all see in many popular interior decor photos to shame. As someone who sits and stares at a screen for most of my work day, I've gone through a half dozen of those aesthetically pleasing seats, all either too small, too low, or lacking the back and knee support that a real-deal office chair provides.
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