FEATURE: 8 apps you can use to cope with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues

If you're stressed, anxious, or not feeling like yourself for a number of reasons, there are apps you can download that may help you to manage things better.

ReachOut is a service that provides information on stress, anxiety, bullying, suicide, depression, bipolar and other issues that can affect your mental health and well-being, and it's an incredible resource for the thousands of people who struggle with their emotional well-being in this country. Naoise Kavanagh from ReachOut, in conjunction with psychiatrists and clinical psychologists and psychotherapists, recommends these apps to help with a whole range of mental health issues.

WorkOut app

Based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; it identifies areas in your life that could do with some small modifications to increase your sense of well-being. It helps you regulate your sleep, work on problem-solving, identify your strengths and personal networks and some exercises to help you manage stressful situations better. WorkOut app by ReachOut Ireland, on iOS and Google Play. 

MindShift

This helps teens and young adults cope with anxiety, changing how you think about it by not avoiding it, facing it and managing it. It also helps you target specific events that can cause you stress like exam anxiety, perfectionism, social anxiety, performance anxiety, worry, panic and conflict. MindShift can be downloaded on Google Play and iOS. 

Mindfulness Coach

This offers exercises for information and tracking to practice mindfulness. It is designed with people experiencing PTSD in mind.  Mindfulness Coach is available on iOS. 

Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM)

This provides a number of self-help methods to help manage anxiety, relaxation and health. Developed by psychologists, there is a closed social network of SAM users to chat to as well as tools to help track your progress. SAM is available on Google Play and iOS. 

Breathe2Relax

This provides instructions for deep breathing exercises that can help reduce stress. Deep breathing has been shown to improve mood and deal with anger and anxiety. It can be used wherever you are, as a standalone tool or combined with other therapies. Breathe2Relax is available on Google Play and iOS.

ReachOut WorryTime

Gives you a place to store your worries and then reminds you when it’s time to think about them. As soon as you no longer have that worry to deal with, you can ditch it and move on. ReachOut WorryTime is available on both Google Play and iOS. 

Beat Panic

This app was designed to help cope with panic attacks or anxiety while you are going about your daily life. It works by presenting you with a series of flash cards to help you focus, slow down your breathing, reducing your heart rate and then hopefully releasing tension. Beat Panic is available to download on iOS. 

Headspace

Headspace is a good one to get in the habit of using for ten minutes everyday - it manages anxiety, panic, feelings of depression and the many things that trouble us in our daily lives. Give yourself some headspace and train your mind to be clear for ten minutes a day. It may not seem like a lot of time, but it could prove incredibly beneficial. Headspace is available on both Google Play and iOS.