32 Mental Health Resources to Help You Get Through Stressful Times
32 Mental Health Resources to Help You Get Through Stressful Times
It’s no secret we’re living in an unprecedented time. We’ve all been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in many ways, including economically, socially, and even recreationally with adjusted riding routines and the loss of race days and group rides. So while one in five adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2018, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it’s no surprise the numbers of people experiencing serious fear and stress have spiked in recent months.
In fact, Mental Health America saw a 19 percent increase in screenings for clinical anxiety in the first weeks of February and a 12 percent increase in the first two weeks of March.
If you’re feeling tense, anxious, sad, lonely, or hey, you’re overwhelmed by all of the above, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone and there are many resource options out there to help you feel better. Best of all, you don’t even have to leave home to use them.
Whether you need a simple meditation to pick you up and out of a funk one day or you’re looking for ongoing therapy sessions led by a pro, these apps, sites, and hotlines make taking care of your mental health a little easier. Try a bunch or stick to one. Just remember, you’re never alone, even if it feels like that right now.
Social distancing can feel lonely, but you are not alone. If you or someone you know is struggling, Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime for the Crisis Text Line. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds on a secure online platform.
Breathe2Relax
Created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app will take you through deep belly breathing exercises. It also teaches you about how stress impacts the body and how breathing can help control that stress. Pair the app with your Apple HealthKit or Apple Watch to incorporate your heart rate reading and get an even better picture of how your breath affects your health.
Buddhify
Meditate anytime, anywhere, with this simple, user-friendly app that makes a mindfulness practice extra convenient. Choose from a wheel of activities, whether you want to listen to a session while walking, with a friend, taking a work break, going to sleep, waking up, or when you’re just feeling stressed. You can then choose from a mix of meditations, lasting from four to 30 minutes.
Calm
Listen to meditations ranging from three to 25 minutes and spanning topics like better sleep, improved performance, mindful eating, or forgiveness. Miss being in nature? The app also has “scenes” with pretty images of outdoor landscapes, set to the sounds you’d hear in that location. Across the app—from the sleep stories to programs—you’ll hear famous voices, including actors such as Laura Dern and Matthew McConaughey, and writer Elizabeth Gilbert.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $15/month on iOS and Android.
Chorus Meditation
Calling all lovers of music who want to meditate but haven’t quite found their groove with it yet. Chorus meditation offers online classes (sign up online ahead of time) that incorporate rhythmic breathing techniques set to uplifting beats. Originally set to open in San Francisco, the studio took to digital gatherings to dish out these welcoming meditations that even skeptics will enjoy.
Sign up for a class on their website for $7.
Expectful Meditation & Sleep
Pregnant women and new parents, there’s an app out there specifically designed to bring you peace during a stressful time. Expectful has specific meditations to get you through each week of your pregnancy, plus postpartum, motherhood, and healing sessions, too. Even if you’re not expecting yet, the app also features meditations for those preparing for pregnancy.
Download the app for free on iOS and Android; subscription is $3/month.
Frame
This newly launched mental health platform features interactive online workshops hosted by therapists in the Frame network. They discuss topics such as body image and self-esteem, grief, anxiety, and imposter syndrome. If you’re not committed to therapy yet, the talks will give you a taste of what it’s like to work with a pro. In May, the site will also start matching clients with local mental health therapists—this will start in Los Angeles and then roll out to major cities throughout the year—based on questions you answer on the site. Choose video or in-person visits for those sessions.
Sign up for free workshops on their website; therapy session rates vary.
Happy Not Perfect
First, choose the emotion that best describes how you’re feeling today. Then, work through a quick breathing exercise, followed by an exercise to help you let go (hint: virtually burn through a piece of paper). Next up, write a gratitude list, then play a mind game. Wrap up your daily mindful routine by creating a challenge or goal for yourself and sending a positive message to a friend. That’s what you’ll do anytime you open this app if you want a little “happiness workout,” complete with a meditation at the end (there are hundreds on the app). Click on “daily dose” and you get a mini audio recording, meant to give you a new perspective on tough situations.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $12/month on iOS and Android.
Happify
A series of questions about your life, your satisfaction with it, and whether you’re experiencing stress will bring you to suggested “tracks,” or series, meant to help you form a more positive habit. Another standout feature: You can opt in (or out) of the online community that’s there to cheer you on as you progress through your goal and offer words of encouragement. And you can do the same for other members.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $15/month on iOS and Android.
Headspace
Whether you want a walking meditation, peaceful music to put you to sleep, or a guided session to help you destress during the day, you’ll find it all on Headspace. The app also has multi-day programs if you’re hoping to maintain a regular meditation practice, plus sessions designed specifically to help you through the coronavirus crisis.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $13/month on iOS and Android. If the coronavirus pandemic has left you unemployed, click here to get a free premium subscription for a year.
Insight Timer
With more than 40,000 guided meditations and music tracks—and more added every day—you’ll never get bored listening to this one. Choose from different courses, focuses (stress, self-love, relationships, and more), and even 30 different languages. You can also meditate on your own, setting a timer, a starting and ending bell sound of your choice, as well as a background sound to carry you through your session.
Simple Habit
Choose from more than 2,000 meditations, based on goals such as improved focus, building resiliency, easing coronavirus-related stress, or sleeping better. Or search by time if that better fits your style. In addition to adult-focused sessions, the app also has kid-friendly meditations. Listen in at home or while you’re walking around town—you can easily download the meditations to your phone, so you don’t need Wifi or data.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $12/month on iOS and Android.
Smiling Mind
This is a mindfulness app made easy. Just choose a program (think: mindful eating, concentration, sport, or sleep) and it’ll set you up with 10-minute meditations, complete with reminders if you want to keep up your mindful moments. You can also listen to body scans, which help to bring your attention to how your body is feeling. One thing we love: the Australian-based app features accents from down under.
Stop, Breathe & Think
Open this app for a daily check-in that starts with a deep breath and a minute to focus on what’s going on in your mind and body. Then you’ll literally check off how you feel, mentally and physically on a scale of rough to great, with an option to enter specific emotions. From there, you’ll get a list of meditations to try. Don’t want to follow a guided meditation? You can also set a time limit for doing it on your own, complete with chimes or sounds to assist you through your session. This app also features meditations for kids.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $5/month on iOS and Android.
The Tapping Solution
Tapping, also known as emotional freedom technique (EFT), combines acupressure and psychology to help ease anxiousness. While thinking about whatever is bothering you, you tap different points on the body to calm the nervous system and ease tension. That’s exactly what you’ll do when you download and use this app, adding a new element to your typical meditation practice.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $12/month on iOS and Android.
Daylio
Gain some insight into what activities heighten or knock down your mood. You can keep it super simply by stating your mood and picking the activities you’ve been doing or use the app to go more in depth, jotting down your thoughts in the virtual journal. You also can see stats—such as your average monthly mood and what activities you usually record with each temperament—to help you recognize patterns in your emotions.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $3/month on iOS and Android.
iMoodJournal
Rate your mood on a color scale (gray equaling “couldn’t be worse” to red equaling “really great”). Add hashtags for things that have influenced your happiness, say your workout or your friends—or those that have added to your sadness, such as job stress or a fight with your S.O. You can attach a selfie to see how your mood affects your appearance, too. The app will also give you mood summaries and it’ll keep a history of everything.
Download it for $3 on iOS and $2 on Android.
[Want to fly up hills? Climb! gives you the workouts and mental strategies to conquer your nearest peak.]
MoodNotes
Consider this a little diary for all your thoughts and feelings, in which you check off a list of the feelings that fit the day’s mood. The app also features prompts to help you identify your common thought “traps,” like overgeneralizing, pretending you know what others are thinking, or blaming yourself too much. It then encourages you to identify what thought made your mind turn negative, and how you can reframe that thought.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $10/month on iOS.
MoodSpace
You get a mix of activities on this app, aimed to help you track your thoughts and focus on the positive. For example, “Three Clouds” encourages you to write down three good things that happened to you and how you contributed to those positive outcomes. You also have a “Thought Diary,” with prompts including what happened, what you thought about, how it made you feel, and the intensity of those feelings. You can also keep a planner and listen to meditations right in the app.
Download it for free on Android.
Morning Pages
Always wanted to start journaling on the regular? This app makes it easier than ever. Write as much as you want, about whatever you want, and whenever you want, and it’ll sync with all your Apple devices so you can jot down notes wherever is most convenient. The app will also offer insights into the emotions you choose and the common themes of your writing.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $3/month on iOS.
RealifeChange
Track your daily experiences on the virtual notepad (including how much the event impacted your life) with this app. Use hashtag for big events or emotions, such as #family or #happiness. The notes get added to a timeline, which includes location, so you can see where you were and what you were doing when you experienced high- and low-impact events.
Download the basic package for free and the premium package for $10/month on iOS.
Self-Help for Anxiety Management
Created with the help of researchers from the University of the West of England, Bristol, this app helps you monitor your anxiety levels by recording how you’re feeling. It offers quick-fix strategies through the “anxiety now” feature, with tips for achieving physical or mental relaxation. If you love bouncing ideas off of people for how to better control your anxiety, the app also has a social network to share strategies and words of encouragement.
BetterHelp
This online counseling platform basically puts a therapist at your fingertips. You’ll get matched to a licensed mental health professional based on your preferences, as well as the issues you’re facing. And depending on the type of therapy you choose, you can chat with your therapist via texts (meaning, not in real-time, but by leaving messages for your therapist to respond to later), schedule live chats, talk on the phone, or opt for video chatting.
Prices vary from $40 to $70/week. Check their website for more info.
Crisis Text Line
For those feeling lonely, sad, or super anxious and don’t know where to turn, Crisis Text Line is there for you to send a message whenever you need someone to talk to. Trained crisis counselors will respond day or night to help you relax and find peace and positivity. You can also reach them on Facebook Messenger.
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
MindShift CBT
Aimed at those who suffer from anxiety, MindShift uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you relax more and worry less. It offers interactive tools that help you deal with worries when you need a quick fix. Those tips include breathing techniques, ways to shift your thinking, and small steps to help you cope with the stressor. You can also keep a virtual mood journal and listen to meditations all within the app.
MyWellbeing
Finding a therapist—particularly one who meets your needs and one you like and trust—can take some time. But MyWellbeing aims to make that journey a little more straightforward and less frustrating. This site will ask a series of questions, such as the type of therapy you want, location, your availability, how much you can spend, your preferred therapy style (like action-oriented, reflective, or integrative), and what you want to focus on, such as relationships, fertility, parenting, identity, work stress, and many more. After you complete the questionnaire, you’ll match with three therapists who will contact you for a free phone consult, so you can test whether they seem like the right fit for an in-person session.
Go to their website to get matched with a therapist for free; prices per therapy session vary.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call this hotline. It’s open 24/7 and offers free and totally confidential support for anyone who is seriously suffering. When apps or therapy just don’t seem like enough, this is your resource in times of immediate need.
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)to connect with someone who can help.
Online Therapy
For those looking for a transformation or some in-depth self-exploration, this platform provides the tools. You get 30-minute sessions with your therapist, plus a side of some homework, like chapters to read (or videos to watch) and worksheets to fill out. Your therapist will give feedback on the worksheets, and you have the option to message them whenever you want (though they will only respond right away during your 30-minute scheduled date). You also get access to yoga and meditation videos, a virtual journal, and a place to schedule activities.
Prices vary, starting at $32/week. Check their website for more info.
Pride Counseling
A teletherapy app directed toward the LGBTQ community, this site matches you with a therapist who specializes in LGBTQ issues and who has experience with whatever it is that’s drawing you to therapy, from anxiety to relationship problems. You have the option to message, live chat, or set up phone or video sessions with your therapist.
Prices vary from $40 to $70/week. Check their website for more info, or download the app for iOS and Android.
ReGain
For those specifically looking for help with their relationships, enter ReGain, at your service. You can choose to sign up by yourself or with your partner for couples counseling. After answering a series of questions about what you’re looking for in therapy and from your counselor, you’ll match with an online therapist within 24 hours. Then, you (or you and your partner together) can chat with him or her via the online messaging platform.
Prices vary from $40 to $70/week. Check their website for more info.
Talkspace
Match with a therapist and you can basically private message them at any time, from any place, and they’ll respond to you within 24 hours. (You get a max of up to two responses in a day, five days a week.) You can also set up video chats, if that’s part of your plan. Also, now the platform has a COVID-19 stress and anxiety program for those who have a subscription, so sign up if you’re super anxious about the pandemic.
Prices vary, starting at $65/week. Download it on iOS and Android.
The Unlonely Project
You won’t necessarily find true therapy on this site, but you will find a few therapeutic outlets.
Created by the Foundation for Art and Healing, the project aims to smash the stigma of loneliness and bring people together who might be feeling isolated (because even if you are physically isolated, you don’t have to be emotionally or socially). You’ll find tons of ways to connect on the site, a lá shared mini stories, creative challenges, and film festival double features. Some people just need a creative outlet for their stress, and this site has those individuals covered.
Free to use, check their website for more info.
Therapy Buddy
If you’re already seeing a therapist, or you’re just starting to, download this app STAT. You can easily keep notes on what your therapist mentioned in the appointment—a tip or thought reframing that you want to keep in mind for future—plus a list of homework, if you received any assignments from your counselor or just want to create your own to-dos. You can also write down a list of things you want to talk to your therapist about, so you don’t forget by the time your session comes up.
Find some calm in the chaos with these tools.