Teens face plenty of stress at the best of times, but it’s even harder when we’re still making our way through a pandemic. The transition from youth to adulthood and the pressure to perform at school can place even the easiest going teenager under mental strain. While no substitute for the support of a mental health professional, there are apps to help teens manage anxiety and practice mindfulness.
Alcatel recommends some of the best for Android smartphones:
1. MindShift
MindShift CBT is a free self-help anxiety relief app that helps you use cognitive behavioural therapy tools to reduce worry, stress, and panic. With CBT tools, you can challenge negativity, learn more about anxiety, and develop more effective ways of thinking and relaxing. Some techniques it teaches include writing thought journals, belief experiments, building fear ladders and doing comfort zone challenges.
2. Simple Habit
Simple Habit is a wellness and sleep therapy app offering guided mindfulness and meditation, daily motivation, and sleep sessions, personalised for the way you live your life. It fits in with your calendar, whether you have five minutes in the morning, 20 minutes during your commute or need to fall asleep quickly.
3. MindDoc
MindDoc is a monitoring and self-management app for promoting emotional well-being and coping with challenges such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and eating disorders. The app can be used by itself for prevention or self-help, or as a part of treatment with a mental health practitioner.
4. Headspace
Headspace is a guide to mindfulness for everyday life. It helps you to focus, breathe, stay calm, and create balance in your life — whether you need stress relief or help to get restful sleep. The Headspace app teaches you all the essentials in the Basics course — even if you’ve never meditated before.
5. Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind is a free mindfulness meditation app developed by psychologists and educators with programmes to help you deal with the pressure, stress and challenges of daily life. The app has dedicated sleep programmes for adults, kids and teens. Use these when winding down at night to assist with both getting to sleep and improving overall sleep quality.
6. Calm
Calm is suitable for anyone who needs a mental break, a soothing sound, or a peaceful night’s rest. You can choose guided meditations in lengths of three to 25 minutes, fitting in with your schedule.
7. Rootd
Rootd’s panic button can help people to stop, understand, and overcome anxiety and panic attacks. The app includes features like guided deep breathing, anxiety journal, soothing visualisations, stats page, emergency contact and lessons.