APP SPECIAL GUIDE - 6 APPS TO DESTRESS AND CLEAR YOUR MIND

6 APPS TO DESTRESS AND CLEAR YOUR MIND





Have you ever felt stuck in your thoughts? Like you're trudging through wordladen mud and not able to make any headway?
You're not alone.

When work is piling up, children are demanding, spouses aren't being helpful, and you still haven't had time to read that book you bought two months ago, let alone enjoy an undisturbed night's sleep, it's time to re-evaluate the situation.Yes, there are apps for that.

Regardless of what mobile device you own, calming, thoughtorganising apps can be used anywhere, help you gain clarity, and keep stress at bay.

Here are six great options to consider when you just need to clear your mind.

Mind Meister
Web, iOS, Android

Before you can begin to clear your mind, you must identify what exactly is cluttering up your thoughts.

Mind mapping, a technique that creates visuals of your thoughts, helps unclutter whatever is creating a mental traffic jam. We like MindMeister because it has a clean interface, which makes getting all that junk out of your mind all that much more cathartic.

With the free version of the app, you can create up to three mind maps and have others join in for real-time collaboration. Once you've mapped out a thought process, you can share it with others, store it, or drop it into Evernote or Dropbox. You can also export them to RTF, PDF, and PNG formats.

Breathe 2 Relax
iOS, Android

Diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress while inducing calm. Breathe2Relax is a helpful app for anyone who wants to practice deep breathing but isn't experienced in doing so.

It guides you through breathing exercises and offers the option of listening to music during each session.A recent study found practicing deep breathing exercises reduces stress levels in the same manner as yoga, and meditation.

Besides the app's built-in graphing function, it includes stress tracking and other helpful resources. As a bonus, the app is completely free to use and is compatible with both tablets and phones.

White Noise Lite
Web, iOS, Android

Proven to block out distrac tions, from crying children to phones ringing, white noise is becoming widely used in offices, hospitals and homes to improve focus and induce calm.

With White Noise Lite, you can have white noise on any device while in any location. Completely free, available via mobile, and accessed in a browser, White Noise Lite is a simple, easy-to-use tool that can help you calm down while exercising, working, or running errands.

White Noise Lite offers over 40 sounds and gives you access to hundreds of others via download. From typical white noise sounds to the sounds of rain showers, frogs at night, or even an oscillating fan, this tool has a calming background sound for anyone trying to clear his or her mind.

White Noise, the premium version of White Noise Lite, is priced at $1.99 and completely free of advertising. In addition to the free version's features, White Noise includes support for background audio allowing you to multi-task.

Calm
Web, iOS, Android

Although white noise helps some people relax, it annoys others. If you find yourself on that list, try Calm instead.

As opposed to static-like noise running in the background, Calm offers serene musical notes with calming imagery. In the web version, Calm is one large HD video loop of rain falling on leaves, waves rippling along a beach, or particles of light falling from the sky. Calm also helps you portion your relaxation based on the time you have available. Are you rushing back to work and have 5 minutes to spare? Calm makes it easy to time relaxation sessions if you're juggling a full schedule.You can set your Calm time for two, five, 10, 15 or 20 minutes.

The free Calm apps also include a seven-step process that outlines meditation and short audio files containing guided meditations.The premium version, includes 50 longer, guided meditations and updated content.

Diaro
Web, iOS, Android

Recommended by psycholo gists for decades, keeping a journal is a great way to clear your mind. For a diary app that works on any device and doesn't cost a dime to use, look no further than Diaro.

Whether you want to record notes and images of people you met, places you went or things you bought, Diaro makes it easy to keep all the data in one place.

A premium version of Diaro, Diaro PRO, provides an ad-free writing environment, syncing via Dropbox, and the ability to export entries into PDF.

Headspace
Web, iOS, Android

Meditation, a proven calming activity, enhances relaxation by honing your concentration. Available on the web or mobile, Headspace's basic features are free to access and provide an intro to meditation. The free version includes ten 10-minute meditation sessions.Headspace addresses certain areas of life associated with stressors, such as relationships and health. Both timed and short sessions are available for when you're on a tight schedule, and in-app gamification features keeps you motivated.

Article originally posted at MakeUseOf.com

Kayla Matthews MM12FEB15