10 Apps to Help With Your Mental Health

10 Apps to Help With Your Mental Health

Karuna Neupaney
Learn and Earn Intern

10 Apps to Help With Your Mental Health

Your mental health is as important as your physical health and deserves to be taken care of just as much. There are a lot of apps that help with improving this issue such as MyLife Meditation or Calm. While apps can help improve your mental health, they cannot help with more serious issues on their own–but they can be a great place to start. Getting in the habit of treating yourself better is just the beginning of something great and will help you in the long run.

Calm- Meditation and Sleep Stories

Headspace- Stress less, Relax, Sleep

MyLife Meditation- Meditate, Relax, & Sleep Well

Fabulous- Daily Routine Planner- Healthy Habits Tracker

Insight Timer- Meditation App- Meditation for Sleep & Anxiety

#Mindful- Motivation Widget- Daily Mindfulness Affirmations

Reflectly- Journal & AI Diary- Mood Tracker & Daily Quotes

Smiling Mind- Meditation for All Ages

I Am- Daily Affirmations- Manifest Motivation Reminders

Way of Life- Habit Tracker- Build a Better, Stronger You

These apps help with motivation, mediation, and mindfulness, so you can feel the best you can throughout the day. Your mental health matters, so if you are struggling, reach out to a trusted friend, family, or website like us here at UpStreet. It is imperative to take care of yourself, especially in times when you’re not feeling your best. 

Activities to Help with Stress

Activities to Help with Stress

Karuna Neupaney
Learn and Earn Intern

Activities to Help with Stress

Stress can lead to many health problems in both mental and physical standpoint, such as anxiety and cardiovascular diseases. It is good to give yourself some time where you don’t have to worry about anything, especially the situation that is causing you so much tension. Activities can help with distracting your mind from tough thoughts or allow yourself a break from the day/the people around you. These activities can range from staying indoors to relax and/or going outside for some fresh air. Below are just a few ideas to inspire you.

Indoor Activities

  • Read a book
  • Write in a journal
  • Watch a movie
  • Meditate 
  • Exercise
  • Listen to music
  • Bake/Cook

Outdoor Activities

  • Go for a run
  • Go for a walk
  • Ride a bike
  • Hang out with friends/family
  • Go for a swim
  • Look at the nature
  • Take photos of things you see

Self care is very important in order to function in the real world. Find ways to recognize what helps you with anxiety and stress while being able to relax and enjoy what you are doing. This list can help you with ideas, but you are ultimately the person who knows yourself most. Realizing what your hobbies are and the things that bring you happiness will improve the way you deal with the stressful things taking a toll on your mental health.

The 5 Stages of Grief and Ways to Deal With Them

The 5 Stages of Grief and Ways to Deal With Them

Karuna Neupaney
Learn and Earn student

The 5 Stages of Grief and Ways to Deal With Them

Traumatic experiences in our lives dictate our feelings and emotions. They bring us sorrow and grief that stay with us for a very long time. The 5 stages of grief usually occur during this period of your life. The 5 stages of grief is a process you go through to mourn the distressing times. Seeking help early on is imperative and will save you a lot of suffering and isolation.

Denial

Denial is the state of not accepting that the traumatic event has happened. You may be disconnected to reality because you are living in a false world where (for example) you haven’t lost a loved one. The main thing to know is it’ll get better from here and you are not alone. The best way to cope with this is to acknowledge that it has, in fact, occurred without losing yourself in the process.

Anger

Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure and hostility. This stage can get very dangerous for the person going through it and others around them. You are most likely masking your emotions and deflecting your pain. It’s important to seek and ask for help, especially if things start to become violent or threatening to yourself/others. The best way to cope with this stage is to let out your emotions (in a safe way) whether you need to bawl your eyes out or smash a couple plates. Talking to someone through the pain will help greatly as well. 

Bargaining

Bargaining is negotiating terms to reason with the situation/event. Phrases such as, “God, if you do this, I’ll never do that again” or “I’ll better myself if you bring them back.” It seems like a tactic to cope with the grief. Turning to a higher power helps people feel like they can gain back control and influence the situation. The best thing to do in this type of situation is to trust that you can’t undo or fix the circumstances, and talk to someone who can aid you through the pain.

Depression

Depression is the feeling of severe sadness. By this stage, you have acknowledged and recognized the reality of the situation. Because you have finally grasped it, you are taking in the emotions, mostly grief experienced from the outcome. The best way to cope with this is to find hobbies to distract yourself and deal with the pain. Another way is to talk to someone who can help you through the road to recovery.

Acceptance

Acceptance is finally realizing that what has happened has, indeed, happened and it’s time to let go. This stage is the final stage in the grief process one may be going through. It is accepting what’s happened and the person is ready to move on to a healthier and happier life. By this stage, the coping mechanisms should have worked, for you have reached the end of the grief. Talking to someone is very important when going through a traumatic experience, so don’t be afraid to reach out to a family member, friends, a trusted adult, or even our counselors at upstreetpgh.org.

These stages don’t need to happen exactly in this order. There is no right way to grieve and process the pain. You don’t even need to go through all five stages because everyone processes their heartache differently. If something is eating you up or you want to talk to someone about something that is upsetting you, you can chat with Upstreet for advice or just to vent your problems. This is a safe place to not feel judged for whatever you are feeling or going through.