For most of us, life has been more stressful lately. For when you need to de-stress but Netflix or Nutella are not enough, there are lots of mobile phone apps that can relieve your stress. Here are some of the best:

Technology has its downsides — like being a distraction, causing insomnia, and triggering anxiety — but it has its upsides too. You can use technology to make your life better, reduce stress, and stay healthy in our fast-paced world. 

Here are some of many ways you can use technology to reduce stress in your life. 

Reduce noise, induce peace

Like other types of pollution, noise pollution is on the rise and it is detrimental to human health. Different studies have shown that it can lead to anxiety, increased blood pressure, depression and heart disease. Noise can also worsen other health conditions by increasing stress levels. 

Thankfully, we now have several ways to reduce or drown out unwanted noise. Apps are available for noise reduction during calls. You can also use noise cancellation earplugs or white noise apps to help you relax and relieve stress. Just search for “white noise apps” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and you’ll find lots of choices, including popular picks like White Noise HQ, White Noise Lite, Relax Sounds, and Sleep Sounds, to name just a few.

Apps to organize your stressful life

Planning and organizing your life can go a long way in reducing the level of stress in your life. From planning how you use your time and making to-do lists to scheduling events and organizing your emails, there are lots of great online and mobile apps to make your life easier. 

Just a few of the many popular planning and scheduling apps you can use include Google Calendar, Microsoft OneNote, or Simple Calendar by Simple Mobile Tools. With OneNote, you can have your ideas and notes all in one place. And calendar apps help you plan your events or meetings and set reminders. If you also have a lot to do at home, you can use a list-making app like Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, Todoist by Doist, To Do List by Splend, or Remember the Milk, just to name a few of the most popular such apps.

And if you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you’ll soon be able to make use of Apple’s newest focus-on-work tools, just announced in June 2021. You’ll be able to switch to a Focus mode to limit interruptions from non-work apps and friends, add “do not disturb” or sleep statuses to your Messages app, batch your notifications, and order notifications by priority.

Apps made just to relieve stress

Many people go on to social media to relieve stress. However, this can add to your stress as certain posts or comments on social media can be triggering, or you might compare yourself to others and feel less fortunate. Instead of scrolling through social media and internalizing all the negativity even without realizing it, you can turn to other other apps and games to relieve your stress. 

For example, you can track your different moods in apps like Bearable, Daylio by Habitics, or Mood Tracker Journal by Reflexio. (For links to these and other mood and meditation apps, see this list of apps at Happier Human.) You can also try out apps for virtual stress balls and other toys that you “squeeze” via your phone. For Android for example, you can try Squishy Toys by Fun Play Games. And for iPhone/iPad, try Anti Stress Ball: DIY Slime by Mikhail Karataev.

Just like with anti-stress apps, you can use mobile and online games to relieve your stress. Some games you can play include Little Wheel and Pigment, which are focused on stress reduction. Puzzle games can also be very relaxing. But if you would rather play a fun and exciting game to take your mind off your stressors, you can check out Casimba for online and mobile casino games. Who doesn’t love cheerful game-play music and the sounds of slots?

Reminders to rest

Finally, your body and mind need to rest, whether you feel stressed or not. To remind you to take breaks, you can use a break reminder app like Awareness for Mac and Windows, Time Out for Mac, or Eye Pro for Windows, and Eye Care for Chrome. There’s also Eye Care 20 20 20 by Pro Start Me. This app for iOS and Android reminds you to rest your eyes by reminding you every 20 minutes to rest for 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away. 

And since eye doctors recommend limiting screen time at night, you can also try out one of the many blue blocker apps out there. Some of the most popular are Twilight for Android, Night Shift for iOS, and multi-platform apps like Iris and “f.lux.” For links to these and other apps, see the list of eye strain prevention apps at Lifehack.org, and a list of blue light blocking apps over at Lifewire.

Reducing stress helps you become more productive, stay healthy, and improve the quality of your life. So don’t wait — open your favorite mobile app store now and try out some of the many apps that relieve stress. Then, let us know which stress fighting apps are your favorites.

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