Apps for Calming the Mind
Few people would argue that an app can take the place of a well-trained therapist who understands a patient’s challenges and goals. However, apps are wonderful tools to augment therapy, foster habits that promote greater awareness of mood and breathing, and reduce the negative impact of tinnitus on sleep, concentration, and anxiety. The list below represents a limited selection of apps used for mental health support and tinnitus relief. Some are free, and others have fees that vary depending upon the subscription. Normally, a trial period allows you to test an app to see whether it meets your needs and expectations.
MoodKit | ThrivePort, LLC | $4.99; iOS
MoodKit draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and provides users with more than 200 mood improvement activities. Two clinical psychologists developed it to help you learn how to change how you think, develop self-awareness, and cultivate healthy attitudes. Its journal feature enables you to practice self-care by reflecting on the day, noting any troubling thoughts and how you overcame them.
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM) | Mind Garden Technology Ltd | Free; iOS and Android
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM) may appeal to those who are interested in self-help but don’t like meditation. Users build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit, which enables tracking anxious thoughts and behavior over time. The app teaches 25 different self-help techniques. You can also use SAM’s Social Cloud feature to connect confidentially with other users in an online community for peer support.
CBT Thought Record Diary | Inquiry Health LLC | Free; iOS and Android
CBT Thought Record Diary is used to document negative emotions, analyze flaws in thinking, and reevaluate thoughts more neutrally, reflecting the process of using cognitive behavioral therapy to change emotions and distorted thinking patterns. It can be used for gradually changing your approach to tinnitus and anxiety and altering thinking patterns about future situations.
iMoodJournal | Inexika Inc. | $2.99; iOS and Android
iMoodJournal can be used to record everything from mood and symptoms to sleep and medications, making it part personal journal and part mood tracker. By tracking various factors, users can analyze daily feelings through summary charts that indicate where stress levels rise and fall.
Breathe2Relax | National Center for Telehealth & Technology | Free; iOS and Android
The National Center for Telehealth and Technology created Breathe2Relax to help users learn to breathe and remind themselves to relax. The stress management tool teaches users a skill called diaphragmatic breathing, which can help decrease the body’s fight-or-flight stress response.
Headspace | Headspace Inc. | $12.99/Month or $9.99/Year for students; iOS and Android
The Headspace app aims to help users develop mindfulness and meditation skills by using the app a few minutes per day. It has hundreds of meditations on everything from stress and anxiety to sleep and concentration. It also has a daily reminder to encourage practice, which can be helpful when getting started.
Calm | Calm Radio | $14.99/Month; iOS and Android
Apple named Calm the 2017 iPhone App of the Year. Calm is well regarded by tinnitus-trained audiologists and therapists for use by their patients struggling with stress, anxiety, and difficulties sleeping. It offers guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music, making it useful for a variety of situations and concerns.
The ATA does not endorse products or treatments. The list is intended only for informational purposes. If you are seeing a therapist and/or audiologist for tinnitus treatment, discuss which apps they recommend and why.