Does your child struggle with their mental health? One of our main priorities here at My Online Schooling is supporting our pupils with their mental health and well-being. Statistics show that conditions like anxiety, depression and eating disorders are on the rise among children and young people. Research is always being done to help tackle these issues. And, with the power of the internet, there are now more opportunities for spreading information and awareness than ever before.
In an earlier blog post, we gave you our top apps for kids and young people to help with their education. This week, we'll go through some of the best mental health apps out there that your child or teenager can use. And best of all, they're all free! Obviously, these can't be a solution to serious mental health conditions, and should not be used to replace professional treatment where required. But they do provide helpful information and tools to encourage more positive mental health coping strategies. Check them out below!
Calm
Calm is probably the most popular mindfulness app out there, and for good reason. It includes guided meditations, breathing and stretching exercises and sleep stories narrated by award-winning actors. The app is super user-friendly and a great one for mindfulness beginners, with new features constantly being added. If your child is feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or all of the above, using the Calm app can quickly help them settle in to a more peaceful headspace.
Smiling Mind
Much like Calm, Smiling Mind is an Aussie mindfulness app designed to help users unwind and de-stress from the pressures of daily life. This one is more tailored to different age groups, though, which is helpful for younger users. Your child can choose their age group (e.g. 10-12), and access a range of different daily guided meditations and mindfulness programmes and exercises. It even has a 'Mindfulness in the Classroom' section for both pupils and teachers to use.
Rise Up + Recover
This app is designed for those in recovery from an eating disorder, or for anyone who is struggling with food, exercise and body-image issues. Rise Up + Recover allows your child to log their meals, emotions and behaviours, based on the self-monitoring homework aspect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Your child can also save and share their logs on the app with their therapist if they're receiving treatment. Other features include motivational quotes and pictures that can be shared among users to create a positive and supportive community.
notOK
notOK is an innovative app for people in crisis - it's essentially a digital panic button. It's designed to get users immediate help and support when they need it via their trusted contacts. If your child suffers from depression or anxiety, asking for help isn't always the easiest thing. This app aims to make it easier. If they're not OK and need to reach out, they simply press the big red button on the app and it sends an alert to their selected trusted contacts to either text, call or come find them.
Happify: For Stress & Worry
Happify helps users combat negative thinking and improve their emotional well-being; perfect for when your child is having a down-day or week and needs a pick-me-up with effective methods. It's packed with science-based activities and games, so you can improve your mood while having fun and thinking creatively. Happify focuses on positive thinking, stress management, building confidence as well as mindfulness.
My Online Schooling is an online learning platform that offers a flexible, full-time English Curriculum-led education to children all over the world. We support home-educated pupils by providing live online lessons following a set syllabus, offering them the opportunity to receive International GCSE and A-Level qualifications that open doors to higher education.