Technology has changed the way we live our lives. It is so much so that it’s our second nature to reach out to our phones subconsciously. Are you also amongst those people who turn to check their phone as soon as they wake up?
Going on a walk and want to track your steps and count the calories of the food you’re consuming? There’s a mobile app for that.
Want to order food or book a cab to travel? There’s a mobile app for that.
Out of groceries and want them delivered to your home in 10 mins? There’s a mobile app for that as well.
If there’s an app for all our needs and conveniences, why not also use an app for managing our anxiety? There are several mobile apps that help you identify your triggers and develop better coping mechanisms. There are several guided meditation and mood tracker apps such as Calm, Headspace and Moodfit but today we have curated a list of apps that utilise CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), a prominent therapeutic technique to manage anxiety.
What is CBT?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people identify and and understand their distressing thoughts and unhelpful behaviours that negatively affect their emotions and actions and replace them with healthy ones.
The core idea of CBT is that our thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behavior are all connected, and that what we think and how we feel affects our behaviour.
CBT works by combining two approaches: cognitive therapy, which focuses on thoughts, and behaviour therapy, which focuses on actions. The main goal of CBT is to identify negative thoughts that contribute to our distress and make us engage in maladaptive behaviour and employ techniques that help us replace them with helpful ones. CBT is helpful in managing anxiety, depression, stress management and even disorders such as OCD, eating disorders and substance abuse.
Here’s a list of mobile apps that help you manage anxiety using CBT techniques
MINDSHIFT CBT
MindShift CBT is a mobile app designed to help users manage anxiety, stress, and other mental health concerns using CBT techniques. It offers practical strategies like thought journals to challenge negative thinking, belief experiments to encourage realistic thinking, and digital coping cards for quick stress management. The app includes guided mindfulness and relaxation exercises, goal setting and tracking tools, and behavioural activation for mood improvement. Additionally, it provides educational resources on anxiety and CBT to enhance users’ understanding and application of these techniques in their daily lives.
CBT Companion
CBT Companion Therapy App is another excellent app that features CBT exercises like thought records, behavioural experiments, and graded exposure to help the app users to understand and challenge their thoughts and behaviours. The app also includes mood and symptom tracking to monitor emotional trends and mental health progress over time. Additionally, the app offers psychoeducation resources to enhance users’ understanding of CBT principles and techniques.
WorryTree Anxiety : CBT Therapy
This is a well designed mobile app that helps users manage anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques. Whenever users observe them getting unhelpful thoughts or stressors, users can log worries, get guided steps to challenge unhelpful thoughts, and develop action plans. The app tailors advice, tracks progress, and offers mindfulness and relaxation exercises, empowering users to take control of their anxiety.
Sintelly CBT Therapy Chatbot
This chatbot is an interactive app designed to support users in managing their mental health using CBT principles. The chatbot engages users in conversations to help identify, challenge, and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It provides personalised advice, tracks progress, and offers various CBT exercises and tools, such as thought records and relaxation techniques. With a user-friendly interface, Sintelly aims to make CBT accessible and effective for managing anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
While apps are not substitutes for professional help, they come in very handy to take care of managing anxiety in the present moment. They are also cost effective and user friendly to follow the steps with ease. They can help us stay grounded in the present moment and can be the first step we take to start working on ourselves and our mental health.