We all use our phones for so many areas of our life, why not use it to support your emotional health and resilience? Here are our therapist’s current top recommendations:
Mindfulness
Everyone knows building mindfulness skills is essential to your emotional and mental health, just like you know exercising and good nutrition is essential to your physical health. If you are not convinced, check out this post on 3 Reasons Why You Need to Care About Mindfulness.
Here are some apps we love that can support you with that:
For All:
Headspace (free and has subscriptions) This is my personal favorite. They have really expanded their library of meditations to help with all different kinds of settings, situations and levels of emotional intensity. Great for all levels and ages, even if you are just starting out and need some guidance on how to even meditate.
Calm (free)
For Kids:
Smiling Mind (free) This app teaches mindfulness, has activities and teaches skills.
Breathe, Think Do with Sesame (free and bilingual) This app uses interactive activities to support your child in learning problem solving and emotional regulation.
Anxiety Management
iChill (free) Created by the Trauma Recovery Institute to support you in working through PTSD, providing psychoeducation, skill building and supporting you in regulating your nervous system when you are triggered.
DARE –Break Free From Anxiety (free) This app is designed to help you in the moment of intense anxiety or a panic attack.
Skill Building
DBT Diary Card & Skills Coach (paid) This app is a great companion to skill building in therapy, especially when you are learning DBT skills.
Breathe, Think Do with Sesame (free and bilingual) This app uses interactive activities to support your young child in learning problem solving and emotional regulation.
Daniel Tiger for Parents (free and bilingual) This app uses songs and videos to support your young children in learning social skills (like sharing) and emotional skills.
Parenting Tools
My Chore Score (free) Gone are the days of paper chore charts and gold stickers. In this app, you and your kids can track completed chores and rewards. Improve accountability and consistency so you can enjoy more harmony.
Mood Tracking
Mood tracking can be super helpful to get an idea of where you are at over time. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are actually feeling lower than we think or doing better than we think, this gathers the data to help you be accurate. It’s also a great tool to use to see how effective therapy, medication, increase in sleep or exercise, a meditation practice are. Because you are with you all the time, it is sometimes hard to tell that you are making progress! It’s also a great idea to use a mood tracker to increase your self awareness and emotional insight skills.
Daylio (free)
CBT Thought Diary (free)
DBT Daily (free)
