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Something I learned from when I had to see regular counseling for depression and stuff while I was in: breathing control. Exhale and completely empty your lungs then do every step of breathing for 4 seconds each.
Inhale while counting to 4
Hold breath for 4 seconds
Exhale while counting to 4
Hold breath again for 4 seconds then repeat.
This can help to clear the mind since all you should be thinking about is the breathing and causes your body to calm down a bit. A great way to lead into meditation or sleep.
EDIT: the counselors would pitch this app and for the most part it helped
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.t2health.breathe2relax
Glad I could help! I use android but I am sure these must be available for Iphones too if that's what you have. Here's what works for me:
Pacifica which uses cognitive behavioural techniques and mediation is my favourite.
Breath to Relax gives you good breathing exercises to do while you're waiting.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.t2health.breathe2relax&hl=en
Stop Panic and Anxiety is good, it has lots of coaching techniques that can help you get through panic attacks.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.excelatlife.panic&hl=en
SAM, which has lots of useful information to keep your mind occupied.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uwe.myoxygen&hl=en
Calm which has daily stories that are designed to help put you in a calm state and also includes relaxing nature sounds.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.calm.android&hl=en
Make sure your sleeping environment is clean, tidy, and neat - chaos is disturbing. Take a hot shower, brush your teeth, drink hot chamomile tea with no sweetener, re-read a book like LOTR - especially the last bit at the end once they get back to the Shire - gorgeous prose. Then put any of these on, lights out.
No problem, I'm very happy to help! Let me dig into the citations and see which specific apps they tested.
But in the meantime, off the top of my head, the following apps have at least some evidence of benefit:
>Anxiety
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>Breathe2Relax
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool for iPhone and Android devices. It's a diaphragmatic breathing exercise that helps with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management.
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>Mindshift
Mindshift, for iPhone and Android devices, is designed to provide you with tools for managing various types of anxiety, including test anxiety, perfectionism, social anxiety, performance anxiety, worry, panic, and conflict.
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>SAM
SAM (Self-Help for Anxiety Management), an iPhone and Android app, assists in tracking anxiety, identifying anxiety triggers, teaching breathing and relaxation strategies, and developing an anxiety management toolkit.
>
>Stop Panic and Anxiety
Stop Panic and Anxiety is a free Android app with self-help methods to manage panic and anxiety.
>
>Tactical Breather
The Tactical Breather app for iPhone and Android devices are helpful to increase control over physiological and psychological responses to stress.
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>Depression
>
>Cognitive Diary CBT
The self-help methods used in this Android app are based on the tools of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and challenge irrational thinking.
>
>Depression CBT Self-Help Guide
This Android app contains a depression screening, audios, articles, and a cognitive diary.
>
>MoodGYM
MoodGYM is an internet based Cognitive Behavioral treatment for Depression developed by a psychologist.
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>Mood Tracking Tools
>
>T2 Mood Tracker
T2 Mood Tracker is an iPhone and Android app that monitors and tracks emotional health. The app records a range of emotions for anxiety, depression, head injury, stress, posttraumatic stress and general well-being.
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>Mindfulness/Relaxation
>
>Headspace
Headspace, for iPhone and Android, provides unique daily guided meditations, facts and progress notes, all geared to foster calm and clarity.
>
>Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep
An Android app contains a list of 6 different good quality nature relaxing sounds (sounds of nature) and one can begin a personal audio therapy.
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>PTSD
>
>PTSD Coach
PTSD Coach was developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD. The iPhone and Android app is intended to be used as an adjunct to psychological treatment, but can also serve as a stand-alone education tool.
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>Self-Esteem
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>Self-esteem Blackboard
An Android app created by a clinical psychologist using the methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help improve self-esteem.
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>Suicide Prevention
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>LifeBuoy
An iPhone app developed specifically to support suicide survivors after a recent attempt. It provides a daily mood diary, suggestions for decreasing social isolation, and other ways to track warning signs of suicidality.
>
>ReliefLink
An award-winning suicide prevention iPhone app that helps users track daily mood/thoughts, creates a safety plan, locates the nearest hospitals, and obtains access to coping methods.
>
>Virtual Hope Box
iPhone and Android app helps with relaxation, assists in decreasing the feeling of overwhelming emotion, and increases positive thinking.
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>Sexual Assault Resources
>
>Circle of 6
iPhone app allows a person to connect with your most trusted friends to stay close in an attempt to prevent violence before it happens. If one gets into an uncomfortable situation, use Circle of 6 to automatically send your six friends a pre-programmed SMS alert message with your exact location.
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>Substance Use Recovery
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>Quit Drinking
An Android app developed to help people cope with the emotional and physical cravings for alcohol.
>
>iQuit
An iPhone app assists a smoker wanting to quit wait longer between each smoke until they are gradually able to quit.