Did you know in Australia one in six people aged 16–24 years are currently experiencing an anxiety condition? Common symptoms include constant worrying, inability to relax, trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating on things like work and study.
Two Beautiful Free Apps To Reduce Stress & Anxiety
ReachOut Australia released two apps that are going to help young people (or any age) manage and reduce anxiety.
ReachOut Breathe is one of the world’s first wellbeing apps specifically designed for Apple Watch, and is also available for iPhone.
- Using simple visuals, the app helps young people reduce the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety by slowing down their heart rate to increase feelings of calmness in the body.
- The iPhone version also utilises biofeedback to measure heart rate so that users can track changes in real-time.
ReachOut WorryTime helps users control anxiety by scheduling worry so that it is confined to a specific time each day.
- Learning to capture and then postpone worry makes it less intrusive and can bring about a greater sense of control. Developed with the help of the WA department of health.
Key Facts
- one in six people aged 16–24 years are currently experiencing an anxiety condition
- Shallow and rapid breathing is a typical part of the stress response, and hyperventilation can be very distressing for young people with anxiety and stress. The Breathe app encourages young people to use controlled breathing to promote relaxation and reduce the effects of stress.
- the process of worry postponement helps people experiencing anxiety, to learn to set aside worries once a day instead of carrying them with them all day long – making worries less intrusive on their lives.
Testimonials
Effective self assistance tool
“What a great idea, I my heart rate dropped about 9 bpm after 3 mins of breathing. I like the idea of forcing the mind to focus on the bubble getting larger and smaller, it’s almost meditative in a way.. I had to tweak the breathe out times slightly because I felt it was a bit rushed.”
Effective tool for anxiety
“This is a great simple app to have in your pocket for on-the-go anxiety relief. Very simple to use and well designed.”
Featured Image: DepositPhoto
Have something to add to this article? Share it in the comments.
