When Covid emerged, we abruptly lost the ability to manage some of even the most crucial things for our own wellness in-person, like seeing a therapist. Accessibility in wellness had to undergo a rapid overhaul to provide these services to people from a safe distance. In this way, wellness apps were no longer just about convenience or the latest trend in self-care. And while Calm and Headspace did dominate the digital mental health and wellness space pre-pandemic, countless more companies have stepped in to fill the demand for feeling better from a safe space. We still love those now-mainstream wellness apps, but we have a few more to add to the list.
Below, our favorite wellness apps for self-care in 2022 and beyond…
Headspace
One of the most heavily advertised wellness apps, Headspace was actually offered for free to Angelenos during the pandemic to help offset the increasing mental health crisis. Great for anyone who loves ambient noises or voices, Headspace offers a free 2-week trial to see if it’s a good fit for your journey to a “healthier, happier you.”
Calm
Unlike Headspace, which lets you choose what area of your mental health you want to focus on, Calm curates your content based on what you check off as your goals. Arguably more beginner-friendly, Calm is great for anyone who needs help choosing the right meditations and exercises for them
Exhale
The first of its kind, Exhale is an emotional wellbeing app geared towards BIWOC. Being a woman of color comes with so many nuanced layers of cultural trauma and stress, Exhale was made to tackle those issues by a fellow WOC who understands the unique struggles of the community.
Grateful
Emphasizing a simple and clean interface, Grateful gives users and opportunity to “count their blessings.” Each journal entry starts with a prompt which users can choose from the app, or create for themselves.
Curable
For anyone who struggles with chronic pain, Curable’s virtual concierge, Clara, takes your symptoms and recovery preferences and creates a custom recovery plan. While Curable does have some resources available for free, the paid subscription is worth a try if you’re looking for a long-term solution to your chronic pain.
Meditopia
Focused on enhancing sleep and decreasing stress, Meditopia follows a similar vein as Calm and Headspace, with a library of exercises and resources. However, unlike the other apps, Meditopia’s intake process includes an assessment that is used to create a personalized program that includes meditations, mindfulness exercises, and articles.
Sleep Cycle
If you’ve had trouble getting quality sleep, this app can help you start tracking your cycle! Sleep Cycle pinpoints where your sleep quality drops by tracking movement and sounds, and wakes you up when you’re in the lightest sleep to minimize morning grogginess.
Reflectly
Marketed as “The World’s First Intelligent Journal,” Reflectly’s AI takes your journal entries about your mood and state of mind and builds personalized motivation and prompts over time. Utilizing psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, the journaling app creates a regiment to help you create a lasting positive emotional cycle.
Whichever aspect of your mental health and wellness you want to focus on, one universal rule holds true—imperfect progress beats momentary perfection. Every time. So don’t worry about the impact of your first step, just focus on taking it… and we hope these wellness apps help you do just that.
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