With technology being the way it is today, we have the ability to access self-help apps that can improve our mental health. There are apps to help track your mood day by day, support motivation if you’re having a hard time at school or home, or even help make a suicide safety plan.
This is a list of apps that you can install onto your phone. Of course, if you are feeling unwell and need extra support reach out to an adult that you trust or call a Helpline or Hotline (see the full list here).
niggle by Kids Helpline
This app was developed by Kids Helpline and Queensland University of Technology in collaboration with young people for Young People. You can track your wellbeing and get personalised information, videos, podcasts, quizzes and tips to help you tame your niggles.
What is a niggle? A niggle is a feeling that won’t go away. If you are feeling down or sad to having sexual identity questions, dealing with conflict and more this is your take home, self-help toolkit that is available 24/7 for all things related to mental, social and emotional wellbeing.
This app is free.
Headspace: Meditate & Relax
The headspace app takes you through guided meditation to help you relax and overcome stress. Meditation is a great tool for helping with sleep hygiene, lowering stress hormones which can make us sick and improving our overall mood.
This app has a 10-day beginners course as a free trial, but does require payment after those ten days. Speak to your caregivers before downloading!
Beyond Now – A Suicide Safety App
Beyond Blue developed the Beyond Now app to help individuals make their own safety plan to support themselves through times of sadness or grief. It can be downloaded on your phone, so you can access it anywhere at anytime.
Thoughts of suicide can be overwhelming and you may find it hard to know what to do. A safety plan can be helpful during these times, as it puts all your coping tools in a series of steps. This can look like; recognising your warning signs, making your surroundings safe, reminders of reasons to live, things that can make you feel strong, people and place to connect with, family and friends you can talk or yarn with and professional support.
Research shows that having a safety plan can be useful for reducing the intensity of suicidal thoughts and increasing people’s ability to cope with them.
The app is free.
HarmLess: Self Harm Tracker
HarmLess is a self-harm tracking app designed to help you calm your urges, track your progress, and get better over time. Created with the help of mental health professionals, they’ve included a number of features designed to help you cope with your pain in a healthy way.
The developers Wired Betterment has teamed up with BetterHelp to develop this app. It has a rating of 4.8 stars with over 3,600 reviews.
This app is free, but has in app purchase offers. Speak to your caregiver before downloading.
Ahead: Manage Your Emotions
Ahead is the app that teaches us how to be in charge of our emotions. It was developed by learning behaviour-change scientists. It prompts you everyday for five minutes a day to learn about and manage your emotions. You could be feeling angry, overwhelmed or even happy and learn more about your own emotional intelligence for the betterment of your life!
This app is a monthly subscription based – speak to your caregivers before downloading!
Worry Kit: Bite-sized Mental Health App
Worry Kit offers relief in the moment from negative thoughts that can be overwhelming and paralyse us. It uses a variety of therapy-informed techniques to help defuse and find relief from negative thoughts. You can browse and experiment with different activities to find what works for you. Maybe you need to pop some bubbles or have a breathing session – this app has you covered.
This app is free.
Rootd: Panic Attack & Anxiety Relief
Rootd offers users education on mental health, daily check-ins and relief from panic attacks and anxiety. It will help you face panic attacks head-on or find comfort when you need it. If you want to learn more about panic attacks and anxiety, you can through their short term sessions and long term lessons. You’re guided by this adorable green creature who is with you all the way!
This app is free at download, but does require a subscription after a certain amount of time. So speak to your caregivers before downloading.