Midterm season is a time notorious for mental and physical health going out the window, replaced with stress in all its forms – inhaling snacks from Peet’s in the library, not sleeping, and low mobility. While in an ideal world you’d be able to get outside and get active or simply breathe in some fresh air, sometimes time constraints make that unlikely. Luckily, there are endless apps to help battle stress that you can open right at your desk and take a much needed mini break with. Here are some of the best proxy relaxation phone apps.
1. Calm: Meditation
Meditation is the classic relaxation answer, but it really works. Sometimes you just need to clear your mind, and this app has guided meditation sessions from as little as 3 minutes to 25 minutes, making it adaptable for any type of break. What’s best about this specific app though is its breathing exercises and soothing sounds, like thunderstorms, that you can play music at the same time with, meaning that you can also have a dose of relaxation as you work.
2. Yoga Studio
While you may not want to do this one in the library, a little bit of bedroom yoga can go a long way. Yoga Studio is great because there are over 70 preset practices – complete with the option to choose music and voice instruction – that vary in length and purpose, but also a library of poses if you want to quickly tailor your own routine. You can even schedule your class on the app, ensuring that when the time comes around you’re more likely to really take the break.
3. Sleep Better Sleep Tracker by Runtastic
Sleeping well is a crucial aspect of stress management, and the beauty of this app is it doesn’t require an apple watch to track your sleep. By putting your phone by your pillow, and inputting information about your day such as exercise and caffeine consumption, you’ll be able to track your sleep quality over a span of time and make adjustments accordingly.
4. Happify
An app that markets itself as your very own happiness trainer, it lives up to the name. Featuring motivational articles and daily mood booster tips, the best part of this app is the library of de-stress games. The app tailors your gaming/reading material based on your answers to a questionnaire reveling your current state of mind and habits.
These apps can serve as your toolbox starter kit on the road to mental health. Good luck with midterms!