Author: Chris Skoyles / Source: Lifehack
Doesn’t it always seem to be the way that anxiety and panic attacks have a terrible habit of striking at the worst possible moment?
Sure, there’s never a *good* time to deal with them, but more often than not the stress hits hardest when we’re far beyond our comfort zone, with our usual anxiety relief tools well out of reach.
Perhaps we’re at a friend’s house, on the train or at the store. Wherever it is, when an attack strikes of the stress of the situation simply becomes too overwhelming, we could all use something quick, simple and effective to help us through it.
That’s where the leading anxiety relief apps we’re featuring today come in handy.
Over the past couple of years, a whole host of tools have come onto the market to help those dealing with stress, anxiety and depression gain some respite from their symptoms wherever they are, whenever they need them.
On the face of it, this is certainly good news. It means that however stress and anxiety manifests itself for you, and however you prefer to regain your calm, there’s a tool available that you can download and use at a moment’s notice.
But here’s the thing:
With so many of these apps now available, finding one that’s truly effective can take a long time and a lot of work.
Of course, there is an easier way.
Here, we’ve rounded up the very best anxiety relief apps currently available, each one tried, tested and reviewed to help you pick the ones that are going to work best for you.
1. Calm
Deciding how to rank our top two anxiety relief apps was no easy task. Both calm and second-placed Breathe2Relax offer incredible value for a free app and have ultimately helped thousands of people to get their anxiety under control.
In the end, however, it was Calm’s reputation as the world’s number one mindfulness and relaxation app which cemented its position at the top of the chart.
Voted Apple’s App of the Year in 2017 and currently the third most popular iPhone app in the category of health and fitness, Calm offers a plethora of relaxing meditations.
Each meditation comes with its own enchanting visuals and tranquil soundtrack, so you can always find one that’s just to your liking.
Also available for Android devices, the app allows you to choose meditations ranging anywhere from a quick two to twenty minutes.
Whilst the former can prove incredibly effective in an emergency, using the longer meditations on a regular basis can work wonders for keeping anxiety at bay and enjoying a greater sense of calm throughout day-to-day life.
Like most of the apps on this list, Calm is free to download and has lots of free content that you can use right away. However, there are some options to purchase subscription-only content if you wish to.
Best for: All-round stress-management and relaxation
Rating:
- iPhone rating : 4.8/5
- Android rating: 4.6/5
2. Breathe2Relax
Few apps have been more widely acclaimed nor as expertly put together as Breathe2Relax.
As the name implies, the app helps you get through an anxiety attack by practising breathing techniques, with a particular focus on diaphragmatic or “belly” breathing.
That said, this isn’t just as a great tool to use in an emergency.
Break it out regularly and practice some of the exercises whenever you simply want to enjoy a moment of quiet mindfulness or to help you feel fully relaxed before sleep.
As you might expect from a tool developed by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology, this one has plenty of science behind it. A series of videos and graphics can show you how stress is affecting you in different parts of your body, as well as offering the best techniques to tackle that stress.
Simple, effective, and very easy to use, this is well worth a download for anyone dealing with stress, anxiety, or panic attacks.
Best for: Breathing exercises
Rating:
- iPhone rating : 4.4/5
- Android rating: 4/5
3. Self-Help for Anxiety Management
Developed by a team of psychologists, computer scientists and students at the University of West England in Bristol, Self-Help for Anxiety Management (or SAM, if you prefer) is one of the most fully-comprehensive anxiety relief apps currently out there.
Whilst other tools tend to focus specifically on one aspect (such as breathing exercises or meditation), SAM sets itself apart as a one-stop-shop for all manner of tools, tips and techniques for busting stress, reducing anxiety, and dealing with panic attacks.
The ability to connect and communicate with other SAM users is particularly helpful.
Dealing with anxiety can often be a very lonely experience, especially if you don’t have anyone around you who really understands what you’re going through.
To address this, SAM comes with a secure, private social network that puts you in contact with others who are going through a similar experience to you.
That being said, the best part of this app is the ability to put together your own personalized toolkit of things that really help you.
So, instead of relying solely on a pre-defined set of tools, any time you come across a resource that works for you, you can add it to your toolkit.
That way, whenever you need it, you’ve got instant access to all the things you know you can rely on to help you out when stress or anxiety is at its peak.
Best for: Putting together your own anti-anxiety toolkit
Rating:
- iPhone rating: 3.9/5
Available for iOS
4. HeadSpace
With HeadSpace, you start off with a free trial version and then have the option to pay for premium content. Whilst that may not make it the ideal app for everyone, it does have plenty of benefits that make it a worthy inclusion on our list.
The free version provides a complete course that teaches basic meditation techniques that you can use in a variety of situations…
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