Mental health is one of the most important issues facing men. Here are the best apps that can help you manage your mental health.
Mental health is no joke.
It’s something many of us have to come face to face with as men every single day.
Starting the new year fighting the same old battles is no way to live.
If anxiety, stress, or depression holds you back in your daily life, there’s no outright cure. But there are ways to manage and minimize it.
While talking to a licensed therapist or seeking professional therapy is an outstanding way for many to take control of their mental health, some of us aren’t ready for that yet. Others just want a small daily boost to keep them on the right track.
That’s where the best apps that help with mental health come in.
Luckily for you, I’ve rounded up the best of the best. And because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to caring for your mental health, I’ve narrowed it down to two apps for each category so you can find what works for you.
Best Beginner Meditation Apps
These apps help you get in the right headspace for a calm, relaxing meditation session.
Whether you’re just getting into meditation or you’re looking to up your game, Balance and Portal will help you achieve more.
Balance: Meditation & Sleep
If you’re just starting your meditation journey, Balance: Meditation & Sleep is an excellent tool to have in your pocket.
One of the key aspects that sets Balance apart from other meditation apps is how personalized it is to you specifically.
When you open up the app for your daily meditation, you’ll answer a few questions about your goals, how you like to meditate, and your daily events.
Then, Balance compiles sounds from the thousands of choices in its audio library and presents you with a personal meditation experience. This has a compounding effect, where the more you meditate, the more unique your Balance app becomes for you and your preferences.
Plus, daily meditations on Balance follow a 10-day outline designed to teach you the fundamentals of mindfulness, relaxation, and personal discovery. You won’t be a beginner for long!
Not everyone wants to sit down and have a full meditation session every day, though. Balance knows that. That’s why it features “Singles” or mini meditations you can use anytime, anywhere.
You’ll find instructions for breathing exercises, wind-down activities, sleep sounds, thousands of sound effects, and much more.
Balance: Meditation & Sleep is available for iOS and Android.
Portal — Immersive Escapes
Men are under a lot of stress in today’s busy world. Sometimes, we just want to get away from it all.
Portal is a trip to the Bahamas, a walk through a lush green forest, and a rest by a peaceful waterfall, all on your phone.
It’s one of the best beginner meditation apps you can download.
Through the use of spatial audio, smart lighting, and peaceful high-quality visuals, Portal transports you away from the hustle and bustle of your office, classroom, or stressed head into an environment that breeds relaxation, productivity, and mental focus.
You can choose from over 80 portals to various landscapes and scenery from around the world to help improve your daily meditations. Once you’ve picked one you like for the session, ease into some breathing exercises and let your worries melt away.
Portal — Immersive Escapes is available for iOS.
Best Mental Health Apps for Men: Anxiety
Anxiety can cripple you.
It locks you in your own head, tells you you’re not enough, and blows small worries out of proportion.
Sometimes, all you need is an app that helps you ground yourself and track how you’re feeling day to day.
Rootd — Panic Attack Relief
Looking your mental health concerns in the eye can be intimidating.
That’s why I like Rootd: it meets nerve-racking anxiety and heart-stopping panic attacks with a lighthearted “Blue Friend.”
Rootd places a lot of emphasis on understanding why you’re experiencing anxiety or having a panic attack so you can work on preventing future flare-ups.
If you’re having a panic attack, whip out Rootd and hit the “Rootr,” a panic button designed to calm you down and ground yourself in reality.
You’ll also find daily breathing exercises, a journal to track your mood and recognize patterns day to day, nature sounds to put you in a serene state of mind, and much more.
Rootd — Panic Attack Relief is available for iOS and Android.
Best Mental Health Apps for Depression
Usually, movies and TV shows get depression all wrong.
It’s not just feeling sad. It’s not being lazy and moping around.
Depression is struggling to find the will to do even the simplest tasks like brushing your teeth or making breakfast. It’s a force that pulls you away from your hopes and desires. It’s a voice in the back of your mind that tells you, “Why bother?”
Here are a few of the best mental health apps around that can help you follow a daily routine and set up some coping techniques that work for you.
Stoic: Journal & Mental Health
Stoic. helps you gain a better understanding of your emotions, prepare to take on the day, form healthy habits, and reflect on your mood over time.
The enemy of depression is consistent: little wins. Stoic. helps you start your day off right with a personalized planner and to-do list. Then, when the day is over, you can reflect on your mood and experiences with a habit tracker that paints a picture of your depression over time.
You’ll also get access to meditation and breathing tools, guided journaling that offers prompts and inspiration, quotes and daily affirmations, trend metrics, and several other ways to seize the day.
If you talk to a therapist, you’ll appreciate the therapy notes function that gives you an easy way to remember what to talk about in your next session.
Stoic: Journal & Mental Health is available for iOS and Android.
Wysa: Mental Health Support
Wysa is a neat little app that leverages AI to provide an open ear or a shoulder to cry on whenever you need it.
Whenever you’re feeling down on yourself, expressing your feelings and getting negative thoughts off your chest can put you on the path to dealing with tough emotions.
Wysa’s chatbot is always there to listen and help you face your challenges. It’s a terrific way to vent if you’re upset with someone else, practice resilience to the weight of depression and anxiety, and slip into a relaxed state of mind.
Plus, if you need to talk to a real person, you can schedule a talk with a mental health professional right through the app.
If you want to practice some exercises in self-care, you’ll find over 100 of them ready and waiting in Wysa, too.
Wysa: Mental Health Support is available for iOS and Android.
Best Apps To Help Men Battle Addiction
Overcoming addiction and substance use disorder is no easy feat.
In fact, it’s one of the hardest things a person can do. These apps can make it just a little easier.
I Am Sober
I Am Sober is easily the most popular app for staying on track with sobriety, and for good reason.
Its polished UI offers a time tracker to reflect on your accomplishments, a section to set goals and add motivational photos, advice for building better habits, and support from a community who are going through the same struggles as you.
Sometimes, remembering why you want to quit in the first place is all you need to stop you from taking that swig or drag. I Am Sober is a reminder in your pocket.
Not to mention, addictions are usually pretty expensive. $100 here and there for drugs or alcohol quickly add up. This app provides a calculator that shows you how much you’ve saved over your continued sobriety. Who doesn’t like saving money?
I Am Sober also helps you track and recognize triggers that draw you to your addiction. Understanding that certain settings, people, or moods set you off and figuring out coping methods that work for you is an excellent way to prevent a relapse and the guilt that follows.
I Am Sober is available for iOS and Android.
Loosid: Sober Recovery Network
Going out with friends who drink, smoke, or engage in any other activity that sets off your addiction can be an easy way to break your sobriety streak. Loosid is a community of sober individuals that you can connect with.
Apart from finding alcohol-free restaurants, events, and travel destinations, you’ll also get a wealth of functionality to help you get through each day drug-free.
Daily tips, SAM (Sobriety & Addiction Mentor), a sobriety tracker, audio clips that help you understand addiction and even a dating network for sober people — Loosid has it all.
Loosid isn’t limited to help with drug and alcohol sobriety, either. You can personalize your experience to deal with your own specific addictions.
Loosid: Sober Recovery Network is available for iOS and Android.
Conclusion: Get Control of Your Mind
Mental help is tough business for us guys, but so important for our physical and emotional health. We hope these tools can help you get calm, focused, and happier!
What other mental health-related subjects would you like us to cover here at The Modest Man? Leave a comment to let us know.
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