The Best Mindfulness Apps for Better Sleep, Mental Health & Studying
Technology has become so integrated in our daily lives that it seems like an app exists for almost everything at this point. And though many interpret this to be a bad thing, I personally think technology can have a positive influence on our lives. Thus, I present to you a list of mindfulness apps to help improve your quality of sleep, mental health, and studying habits! (Disclaimer: Postmates is omitted from the following list, but we fully support your 11pm McDonalds delivery in the spirit of #TreatYoSelf).
Sleep
Sleep Cycle
Free, Premium Subscription Available
If you don't own a fit-bit or other smart watch, but still want to track your sleeping habits, Sleep Cycle is the app for you! Sleep Cycle uses your phone's microphone to analyze your movements and sleep quality, and breaks everything down in graphs that are easy to interpret in the morning. Best of all, the alarm clock feature analyzes what stage of sleep you're in to pinpoint the best time to wake you up within time frame you can set for yourself. Image via here
Calm
Free, Premium Subscription Available
Calm is a daily meditation app that, while not being specifically targeted for sleep improvement, has guided meditation programs that are meant to help increase the quality of your sleep. If you love the free app, you can also choose to subscribe for a premium account ($59.99/yr) and enjoy special features and a wider selection of meditation programs. Image via here.
Sleep Genius
$4.99
Sleep Genius' sleep training technology is perfect for people who have a hard time falling asleep. In addition to its promise to help you fall asleep at night, Sleep Genius has other cool features, including a power nap feature (to help you fall asleep quickly and get the most out of short naps) and a gradual awakening alarm clock. Image via here.
Mental Health
What's Up?
Free
This is a great app for dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and more. It uses tried and true counseling methods like positive affirmation and grounding activities to deliver immediate support in its "Help Right Now Feature." Additionally, it has open forums to discuss mental health topics with other users, as well as a daily diary and positive and negative habit tracker to keep track of your progress. Image via here.
Vent
Free
We all know that keeping our emotions bottled up is unhealthy and draining, but sometimes we don't want to confide in our friends and loved ones. If you're looking for a more private way to talk about your problems, worries, or successes, try vent, an app specifically made for regurgitating your emotions onto an anoynomous forum. Image via here.
Pacifica
Free
Pacifica is an all-in-one mental health app that focuses on meeting small mindfulness goals. The app features a goal-tracking tool, sleep and exercise tracker, meditation activities, and a place to write down your thoughts and emotions. One of the app's best features is a "hope board," where you can add positive quotes and pictures from happy moments in your life to reflect on when you're feeling sad or discouraged. Image via here.
Study
My Study Life
Free
My Study Life is a study centered organizational app that combines a calendar with a task list. Basically, it's a digital planner, allowing you to mark down when you have class, when you have exams, and when you have assignments due. If old-school agendas or bullet journaling haven't worked for you, give this app a try! Image via here.
Forest
$1.99
Forest is an app made with the intention of helping its users stay focused on tasks by keeping them off of their phones. Every time you want to work without being tempted by your phone, set a timer and "plant a tree" on the app. If you leave the app before the timer is up, your tree will wither in die, if you successfully make it through, a tree will be added to your forest. Thus, the motivating power of the app helps you be more focused! Image via here.
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