What the Tech? How to Find a Stress Relief App
First, there was COVID-19, then working from home with the kids stuck in the house, then job loss, or going back to work while the virus is still spreading, and now, civil unrest across the country.
We’ve had a lot we can worry about and millions of people are turning to their smartphone and downloading apps.
Popular meditation apps are flying out of both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. According to Sensor Tower, wellness apps that focus primarily on mental health, have been downloaded close to 10 million times since April.
And while those apps are free, people who subscribe to them monthly, gain access to meditation plans, relaxation reminders, more videos and audio recordings. Some offer the ability to chat with licensed counselors.
Due to the pandemic, the most popular meditation apps, Calm and Headspace have made their premium subscriptions available for free to some individuals. Calm is giving healthcare workers a free subscription.
Headspace is giving premium subscriptions free to people who are unemployed, for healthcare professionals, educators, and additional free collection resources for everyone.
The app has an entire playlist “weathering the storm” to help with stress and anxiety brought on by the coronavirus scare.
Another app, Simple Habit is offering a free monthly membership to anyone who is unemployed or can’t afford a subscription.
To ask for a free month, you need to contact them at help@simplehabit.com . The app also pays licensed counselors and therapists who meet clients or patients through the app.
And if you need help right away, you can contact a counselor by text through Crisis Text Line.
Just text the word “Home” to 741-741 to speak or text with a licensed crisis counselor.
Even before the protests, about half of Americans were suffering from negative health effects from sheltering in place or stress related to COVID-19. If you need help, you can find it. For free.
