BY Fast Company 2 MINUTE READ

Today marks World Prevention Day 2020 and with stress of Covid-19 lockdown, stress and bad news, it is more important now than ever to look after our mental health.

According to South African government statistics, on average, almost 3 000 people commit suicide daily. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives.

While technology and apps will not make everything better, they can help to ease the stress faced on a daily basis.

We list five apps that will help you look after your mental health.

HEADSPACE

Headspace is a successful and popular app that lets you immerse yourself into the world of meditation. This app offers on-the-move meditation sessions and comes with a series of programmes focusing specifically on stress, sleep, focus, anxiety and more.

Headspace is available for iOS and Android devices – Free

MOODTOOLS

Moodtools comes with a safety planner, a thought diary, an activities log and a host of useful educational information. This app, aimed at tackling depression, was designed in collaboration with multiple mental health professionals and “is a purely non-profit venture aimed at helping people suffering from clinical depression.”

Moodtools is available for iOS and Android devices – Free

STAY ALIVE

Stay Alive is specifically designed for suicide prevention. This app is appropriate for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts as well as their loved ones and people close to them. It is equipped with resources include a safety planner, customisable reasons for living and advice on how to handle overwhelming emotions.

Stay Alive is only available for iOS devices – Free

SUPERBETTER

We all love games. And we all know the importance of keeping our mental health in check. If you are looking to gamify paying attention to your mental health, SuperBetter is perfect for you. SuperBetter provides you with challenges, quests, boosts and even villains while also breaking bad habits and keeping you positive and motivated.

SuperBetter is available for iOS and Android devices – Free

21-DAY CHALLENGE

With social media platforms having a challenge every other day, why not try the 21-day challenge? It is believed that it takes people approximately 21 days to form a new habit.

“Choose the best challenge for you and do it for 21 days and you’re going to see how the habit becomes part of your lifestyle day by day,” said the app creators.

Challenges include affirmations, fixing sleep schedule, working out, self-care and mental wellness.

However, while having apps is well and fine, they can only do so much.

Here are hotlines and websites on how to prevent a suicide and where to get help.

Lifeline: https://lifelinesa.co.za/

Helpline: 0861-322-322

The South African Depression and Anxiety Support Group: www.sadag.org

Helpline: 0800 21 22 23 (8am to 8pm)

Helpline: 0800 12 13 14 (8pm to 8am)

SMS 31393


Article originally published on iol.co.za.