Top 4 best-rated stress relieving apps in the market

• There are a number of stress-relieving apps on the market, and many of them aim to help ease anxiety and worries in a number of different ways
• Mental health apps come in all shapes including mindfulness meditation apps, symptom tracking apps, therapy apps, and more
• Plus points of using mental health apps: they are usually low cost, and they can be used on the go

The state of the world these days can be pretty fast-paced and chaotic. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us including children are facing frequent challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions. The self-isolation many of us had to practice for long periods to curb the spread of the virus, has left many feeling lonely and with increased levels of anxiety. The upside is that we are living in an age of quick-paced technology, and there are various stress relieving apps in the market to help cope with stress in a healthy way.

Apart from the usual physical activities to relieve stress, people tend to try some new methods when faced with an unprecedented situation like a pandemic. Global digitalization has given birth to new trends, including in the formerly-underappreciated sphere of mental healthcare. At a time when people are closely tied to their gadgets, they usually end up downloading various apps that help them to be and remain calm. People are even ready to pay for a digital solution if it makes their lives easier and more emotionally balanced. 

We looked into the best stress-relieving apps there are in the market based on customer ratings – most of the apps mentioned have at least a 4.5 rating in app stores. 

Colorfy

An adult coloring book brought into the digital realm, Colorfy has a selection of images and mandalas to choose from and, you can spend hours in a flow state or focused meditation through this app. Users even have the option to upload their own sketches to the app.

A recent study showed that adult coloring helped lower anxiety levels in participants, so pouring your rapt attention into the designs may help distract from your anxious thoughts and help provide some calm. While Colorfy offers a large majority of images to color for free, you have to purchase a subscription in order to get access to the full library of images. Colorfy however, does offers a seven-day free trial, so you can try it out beforehand, to see if this is the stress-relieving method for you.

Calm

While sleep is important for managing stress, it’s also one of the first things to become an issue when you’re feeling anxious. Sleep, meditation, and relaxation are in your hands with Calm, a popular mindfulness app. These guided meditations are good for complete novices and seasoned practitioners, and you can have your pick as to how long you dedicate to the app each day.

The app offers a mood check-in feature that tracks your mood throughout the day and puts together a personalized analysis report of your moods. In the free version, the app offers a limited amount of guided exercises and meditative audio to help relieve stress. Calm also features nature sounds and sleep stories to help lull you into relaxed sleep, but a subscription is required to access these features. First-time users are able to use their 7-day free trial to see if the subscription is worth it.

Happify

“Happiness. It’s winnable.” This is the dubious assertion that would greet us on the Happify website before we click “Start my journey” and sign up for the service. Happify is a self-improvement program offered with both web and app platforms. It claims “your emotional well-being can be measured,” then proceeds to measure it for you, and provides little tasks and games to help you increase your levels. 

Happify is technically free, but to access more advanced options, and detailed analytics, you have to pay— US$11.99 a month (or less if you sign up for six months or a year in one go). In a nutshell, it is a personalized growth app that gives you a wide variety of tracks, articles, meditations, and games – each of which deliberately helps you create more happiness with both your internal and external life experiences.

Daily Yoga

It’s all in the title isn’t it – but the app is not just for seasoned yoga practitioners. Beginner to advanced yogis will find hundreds of class plans and asanas on the Daily Yoga app. Step-by-step instructions will guide you through every movement, and you’ll also learn how to safely master challenging poses, such as the full splits and shoulder stand. The app also includes more than 50 workout plans to help you get fit with yoga, a global community to stay motivated, and regularly updated content.

There’s a scheduling feature that adds your yoga practice to a daily calendar too, so you aren’t tempted to skip out on it. There are some free sections in the app, but you can upgrade your membership to one of the two Pro levels to gain access to more of the workouts. Extra workouts and poses can be unlocked by earning coins through checking in daily, watching ads, and so on.