The 7 Best Apps for Anxiety

This app essentially acts as an open-source platform, where meditation and mindfulness teachers around the world can upload practices and exercises, says marathoner and Denver-based sport psychologist Justin Ross, Psy.D. (He’s among them—he’ll soon have a high-performance sport psychology course available via the app.)

That means you can sample a wide variety of voices and styles—most free of charge—and find something that works for you. It’s easy to use, says Saremi, who finds it helpful in encouraging her own meditation practice—“a highly effective, evidence-­based way to support mental health,” she says.

Breathing and focusing during meditation activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which switches you from flight or fight to “rest and digest” mode, Kane says.

A technique called cognitive behavioral therapy involves altering patterns of thoughts or behaviors. It’s one of the most effective strategies for managing anxiety—and this app, developed by clinical psychologists, helps you harness it.

“You can personalize the app for what you want to work through, to reduce fear and anxiety,” says Gloria Petruzzelli, Psy.D., a sport psychologist who works with athletes in private practice and at California State University. By taking a self-test, you’ll identify situations that provoke fear, and develop a plan for gradually building your confidence and mastering them. You can also test yourself and track the severity of your symptoms.

Millions have learned to meditate to the sound of co-founder Andy Puddicombe’s voice. Athletes in particular have reason to be drawn to him—before he left to become a Buddhist monk, Puddicombe studied sports science.

And Headspace’s numerous guided meditations include sport-specific packs focused on training, recovery, and rehab from injury. Plus, there are exercises you can actually listen to on the treadmill, path, or trail.

Even though running is a form of stress relief, as you fatigue, you might find your brain filling with negative or stressful thoughts (even some that have nothing to do with your running). Going back to your breath and your focus, “you can get away from your anxious thoughts and actually regulate your mind so that it doesn’t freak out your body,” Kane says.

Inhale. Exhale. Simple breathing exercises are powerful enough to help manage anxiety or even conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. This app was originally designed by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology to help veterans, but anyone can use it, Petruzzelli says.

It includes videos, reading materials, and charts to map your progress—and it now integrates with Apple Watch and Health Kit to monitor your heart rate during the exercises.

If your anxiety centers primarily around your training and racing, consider this app, designed for high-performance athletes. The set-up will seem familiar to anyone who’s followed a plan to train for a race, complete with a coach—in this case, a mental coach. After all, you may have done the physical training, but it’s tough to execute if your brain’s not on the same page.

“You have to get through the self-defeating thoughts and beliefs when you start getting more stressed out and your nervous system is going haywire,” Kane says. “It’s helpful to have a coach.”

If symptoms of anxiety are starting to interfere with your normal functioning—for instance, you’re having panic attacks or disturbed sleep—those are signs you might benefit from more clinical help. An app can connect you to treatment when you can’t—or don’t want to—visit a therapist in person.

TalkSpace offers plans that allow you to text or video chat with a licensed therapist. Another app called BetterHelp offers similar services, Kane says, and both serve as a low-pressure introduction to therapy.

“You’re not going to be sitting on the couch talking about your mother for years,” Kane says, but you will learn more evidence-based tools for reducing your anxiety and its impact on your life.

If you’re getting therapy but still feeling anxious between sessions, this free app can act as a booster. Like AnxietyCoach, it’s based on cognitive behavioral therapy. It’s also highly customizable; one exercise, called Positive Visualization, allows you to record your own affirming mantra and listen to it on repeat.

Over time, this can help replace the negative beliefs that fuel anxiety with more positive, productive thoughts, Kane says.