Life in 2017 can be demanding, so it’s important to make time for yourself to reduce your stress levels. You might not think it, but your smartphone can be a great tool when you’re looking for help to relax.

To coincide with National Stress Awareness Day (1st November), e2save’s mobile expert, Andrew Cartledge, has put together a list of smartphone apps and tricks that will help you unwind when you need it most.

To do lists

Writing things down and creating a to do list can be a great way to help reduce stress levels and get things out of your head. There are many apps that can help you write to do lists, including Productive. This app allows you to plan your day out and create good habits, rewarding you when you manage to cross things off your to do list.
Productive – Free on iOS. Subscription required for additional features.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness centres around the idea that paying more attention to the present moment, thoughts and feelings, and the world around you, can help to improve your mental wellbeing. Your smartphone can be a great tool to practice mindfulness and meditation, with a plethora of apps available. Headspace provides everything you need to practice mindfulness, teaching you the essentials of living a healthier and happier life.
Headspace – Free on iOS and Android. Subscription required for additional content.

Stress ball

Previously, you might have grabbed something soft and squishy like a stress ball to help relieve your anger. Nowadays, there are loads of apps available to take your anger out on and reduce your stress. If you’re particularly riled up after a hard day at work with your nightmare manager, try Beat the Boss. There are four different series of this game, all of which use a number of different techniques to help get revenge on your boss. This one is a guaranteed stress reliever.
Beat the Boss – Free on iOS and Android

Social media detox

The average person spends an hour and 40 minutes looking on social media every day. Over the course of the week, this a huge amount of time which you could potentially spend doing something else. Try turning off your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram notifications, as well as your work emails, and give yourself some quiet time. Social media can cause many people to become competitive, from getting a certain number of likes on a post to comparing your life to someone else’s highlight reel. A social detox can be a great way to get you out of this cycle and help improve your stress levels and reduce anxiety.

Exercise

It’s a well-known fact that exercise can have a positive impact on stress levels and depression. It’s a way of releasing endorphins which are great for improving your mood. There are lots of exercise apps that can make working out much easier, including the iOS Health app. This app includes a step counter and is a great way to track loads of different exercises through third party apps including Nike+ Run Club, Strava and Yoga Studio.
Nike + Run Club – Free on iOS and Android
Strava – Free on iOS and Android
Yoga Studio – Free on iOS and Android

Be grateful

When we’re stressed out it’s easy to draw on the negatives and to think the worst. Keeping a gratitude journal or diary can help you to remember all the things that are good in your life. Gratitude Journal by Happy Tapper is an easy and effective way to keep track of everything to be grateful for, allowing you to write lists and make a note every time something good happens.
Gratitude Journal – Free on iOS