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One of the most unpredictable states of a college student’s condition is their mental and physical health. Their well-being sometimes depends on the current events and decisions they make in their daily lives. There are often attributed factors that might influence how they act and feel, both in physical and emotional situations.
Sometimes, even staying healthy is perceived as a chore for many youngsters. It has taken a back seat in their to-do list simply because they have too many things on their plate every time.
Being a busy student would take a toll not only on their physical health but also on their mental and emotional well-being. One undebatable fact is the importance of health in a person’s life.
Unfortunately, young people tend to abuse and take their youthful bodies for granted, resulting in burnout. Read along for the digital tools that could help strengthen your health and wellness while undertaking your college journey’s stress and demands.
Stress Among College Students
Due to the requirements and expectations in college life, most higher education students are compelled to deal with the immense academic workload, participate more socially, be more financially wise, and be more independent than in high school.
An American College Health Association survey mentions that stress has been the most severe impediment among college students studying at universities in different states all over America.
No matter how much sleep is vital for a person, it is found that most college students only sleep for about 6 to 6.9 hours every night, making them sleep-deprived due to activity overload. This may be one of the contributors to having anxiety.
Although classes, exams, and other activities are essential, a student’s health and well-being should always come first, more than anything else.
Digital Health and Wellness Apps and Resources for College Students
Make the most of these unprecedented digital tools and applications that are useful in promoting mental and physical health for all university students. These platforms are designed to sustain young people’s health and encourage them to practice these concepts and skills daily. After all, having a well-balanced student life could be a few taps away.
Best Online Tools for Health and Wellness in College
MyFitnessPal
Price: Free Premium: $9.99 / month or $49.99 / year
You are what you eat. This is the embodiment of what this app is trying to express. Having a healthy physique starts with what kind of food you eat. This application allows you to control your goals by tracking calories, understanding and conveying the ingredients of your meals, and logging physical activities.
One of its remarkable features is that it can provide recommendations based on your physical build and overall health goals. It carefully considers your height, weight, and gender, so it can recommend how much weight you need to lose, maintain, or gain.
While college meals tend to include a lot of tempting snacks and late-night cravings, being able to log those calories consumed and check the lack of nutrients you have will encourage you to opt for healthier meals instead.
MyFitnessPal Tips:
- Make it a habit to track and record everything. This will give you better results and help you achieve your goal faster.
- Set realistic goals. Don’t be too hard on your body; you deserve to eat your favorite foods but in the right proportions, of course.
- Join the MyFitnessPal Community and engage with people who share the same journey as you. The stories of others will inspire you, and you could also share and motivate them, too.
Sworkit
Price: 7-day Trial Premium: $9.99 / month or $59.99 / year
Sworkit might just be the perfect app for you if you are determined to live an active lifestyle but just need someone or something to push you. As one of the top fitness apps for iOS, Android, and web users, this app is ready to be your trainer as you achieve the best shape you want for your body and life.
Reach your goals in more straightforward ways by customizing workouts, like the type of exercise, duration, and focal body parts you would like to emphasize. If you would like to tone your muscles in some areas of your body, you can set a perfect workout.
This is an excellent app for those students who feel intimidated or hesitant about going to physical gyms. And it boasts about 400 unique workouts, so you will never be bored in making a variety of workout routines.
Sworkit Tips:
- You can always modify exercise according to your own pace and level. You can make it more or less challenging than what it is in the app.
- It’s essential to customize your workout because it will help you achieve your goals promptly.
- Use other workout equipment and tools as recommended by the app. Although there are workouts that use body weight, you may also secure kettlebells, dumbbells, resistance bands, and medicine balls.
Breathe2Relax
Price: Free
This portable app helps college students take a deep breath and go into meditation routines as a useful stress management tool. They incorporate a diaphragmatic breathing approach, which allows users to deal with their stress by taking deep, sustainable breaths.
Some of the many excellent outcomes of these breathing exercises are mood stabilization, anger management, better stress response, and anxiety management. This app is indeed an effective stress-reduction treatment for students who have started suffering burnout at school.
Breathe2Relax Tips:
- It is better to personalize your breathing routine by following your own pace and preference.
- Make sure to watch and listen to both the audio and video recordings so you can thoroughly understand the breathing exercises and processes.
- It is highly recommended that you regularly execute diaphragmatic breathing so that it can help you deal with highly stressful situations when they finally arise.
Habitica / HabitRPG
Price: $5/ month or $48/ year
This unique app encourages users to have fun while getting things done. It is a free habit and productivity app that focuses on making you achieve your goals and ensuring that you are happy and healthy in the process. Say goodbye to your old-fashioned to-do list, typed or handwritten, and try the to-do list here in Habitica.
You’ll be surprised at how it is designed since you will be getting coins and points once you complete your tasks. On the contrary, you will be losing coins if you engage in bad habits.
This app is a game-changer for students who may have started on the wrong foot for the semester. With low motivation initially, this game-like productivity app will boost your interest and optimism for sure.
Habitica/HabitRPG Tips:
- Schedule your dailies (repeatable tasks daily). Having schedules and setting a specific time makes it easier to remind yourself and eventually do it within the program.
- Aside from using a specific time, dailies can come in time blocks or multiple dailies. This way, you will know the duration of a task that you need to do.
- When preparing a to-do list, pattern it similarly to a planner. Such a format is neater and more organized—also, state whether it is a daily or weekly task.
Twilight
Price: Free
Unknown to many college students is that the blue light on your smartphone impacts your mind’s alertness and eyes while using your gadget.
Twilight is a simplified app that filters out the blue light and leaves out only the red shades to stimulate and increase your body’s circadian rhythm, or also means the sleep cycle. The transition of such colors is so gradual that you won’t be able to notice it.
Most college students would agree that sleep is not the top of their priorities. Some who are sleep-deprived would struggle with fatigue, which then results in binge eating. Using this Twilight application will improve your sleeping pattern and result in a well-rested night, making you ready for the next day.
Twilight Tips:
- If you notice your screen color changes too obviously, you can enable your phone’s dark or night mode.
- This application works better on a smartphone than on a tablet. You will hardly know the difference when the screen is smaller in size.
Pacer
Price: $9.99 / month or $49.99 / year
It’s indeed true that diet and exercise always come hand in hand. But with the tight schedule and too many demanding obligations from college, some students don’t have the time to go to the gym anymore.
Here comes the Pacer app to save you from skipping workouts. It can count the number of steps you walk daily.
Although doctors’ 10,000 steps recommendation has been claimed as a myth by some, many doctors would still recommend students take on some number of steps to avoid having an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle. Your phone is equipped with a pedometer, which can read the number of steps you have already achieved.
Pacer Tips:
- Register for a premium subscription to elevate your exercise goals. You will also have a personal trainer who can assist you with the best fitness strategy.
- Communicate and compete with other Pacer members; this will get you more actively engaged, and healthy competition will depict the best results.
BodySpace
Price: Free
With free training programs, this app is a must-download for many college students. The best thing about their workouts is that there are reminders set because they are linked to your calendar.
If you are not that keen on following a strict routine for activities, this app is great to give you enough motivation to exercise whenever you can. It is claimed to be a revolutionary social fitness app because of its platform.
You can join and meet with the online fitness community. With fresh content, innovative workout resources, and cutting-edge trackers, it’s a smart move to choose this app to help you transform your old self into someone better and healthier.
BodySpace Tips:
- Take advantage of joining the free online fitness community and be inspired by other members’ transformation journey.
- Use the workout templates and track down all your workouts and activities to monitor your progress.
Sleep Cycle
Price: $39.99 / year
Perfect for sleep-deprived college students, the Sleep Cycle app can help you relax and improve your sleep cycle. It is often considered a smart alarm clock and a sleep tracker at the same time. What sets it apart from conventional alarm clocks is that it can analyze the state of your body and wake you up when you’re in the light sleep phase.
Your sleeping patterns will all be recorded so you can find the rhythm of your body’s sleeping routine. Eliminate grogginess and try this app to have a better start to your day in the morning.
Sleep Tips:
- Choose an alarm sound that is effective and preferable to wake up to in the morning.
- Select the best 30-minute period in the morning in which you are most likely ready to wake up.
- Subscribe to the premium subscription and maximize other features such as sleep aid, sleep notes, weather, heart rate, and wake-up options.
Plant Nanny
Price: Free
With its cute and adorable graphics and visuals, it sure is difficult to resist drinking water. It has an exciting way of recording your water consumption.
You will set up a plant on this app, and each time you drink water, you can log in to the app by watering the plant. And whenever you reach your target, the plant will continue to grow. On the contrary, if you don’t keep up with your water requirements or forgot to log, your plant will also die.
With the simple interface and charts, you can understand how your water consumption is. This app is useful in cultivating healthy habits for your daily drinking patterns. Your body will change before you know it, and your skin will continue to have its natural glow!
Plant Tips:
- Improve your health and grow your plants together with friends and family by sharing them on Facebook.
- You must keep up with the growth of your plant, so if you want your plant to thrive, drink up that glass of water!
HeadSpace
Price: Free 10 sessions Premium: £9.99 / month
With all the hiccups and stresses that appear in your everyday life as a college student, you might have thought of taking a hiatus to pause and refresh your mind. That sure is possible through this top-ranking meditation app. Currently ranked #7 in Health and Fitness apps, it is equipped with meditation packs suitable for various conditions and time frames.
Don’t let your time restraints stop you from taking a break to meditate. With just two minutes minimum, you can have a healthy session with HeadSpace. Clear your mind and forget about any stress. Make it a habit and insert this routine daily.
HeadSpace Tips:
- Get more benefits from this meditation app by using it regularly and daily.
- Sync it with your Apple Health or Android Health app.
- Start with the basics and learn to pace yourself.
- Set your goals and think of strategies to achieve them.
Down Dog
Price: Free Premium: $7.99 / month or $49.99 / year
This app is an excellent tool for you to continue doing your yoga exercises if you’re a yoga enthusiast. There are many health benefits of doing yoga; it does not only help you de-stress and lose weight, but it’s also useful in making your physique and posture better and stronger.
This Down Dog app makes it possible for you to do yoga exercises anytime and anywhere. It is structured with many different flows and vinyasa sequences that would match your preference. Just follow through with the video guides, and you’ll have a more robust and more flexible body in no time.
Down Dog Tips:
- Slow your pace so that you can focus and emphasize more on your postures. This will also allow you to practice and master the positions more.
- Set the instruction level to “Full Explanation” to maximize understanding and thorough guidelines on how to do each pose.
- Customize the app, and don’t be afraid to tweak it according to your comfort and preference. No need to rush through; just enjoy learning each yoga pose.
Power Nap
Price: Free
This Apple app is a favorite among people who love to nap. Although power naps are deemed reasonable and even advised by experts, sometimes there is a tendency to over-nap. When this happens, you might end up being more tired than before you ever took that nap. This app will help you prevent that from happening.
Power Nap is designed to determine and measure how much nap time your body needs. A maximum of 30 minutes is the threshold, so the timer will effectively limit and wake you up within range. The great thing about this app is that it comes with relaxing sounds to soothe you into sleeping faster, but soft and mellow music is intended to wake you gentler.
If you’ve lacked sleep every night due to some projects and thesis, it’s okay to take naps in the middle of the day. Use this app and get re-energized so you can function healthily in both your physical and mental state.
Power Nap Tips:
- Regularize your napping schedule so your body can easily adjust.
- Remember that the prime time for napping is between 1 to 3 pm.
- Choose the best sounds that can make you fall asleep faster and another gentle but alert-like sound to wake you up from your nap effectively.
Saying When
Price: Free
College life is not only academically challenging, but it also entails social and peer pressures. This means that either you attend drinking events because friends have influenced you or decide to stop being a party pooper by being a yes-man for booze parties.
Although occasional drinking is fine, the main point is “how often is it sometimes?” Saying When is here to help you realize your drinking patterns. Whether your goal is to stop drinking or minimize the frequency and amount, this app can support you in your journey.
This program has been a successful hit for 20 years now and has been translated into a mobile format to reach out and help younger fellows. This self-help app will transform you into a healthier and more controlled drinker shortly.
Saying When Tips:
- Be honest while answering the self-assessment questions. If you are serious about quitting or minimizing drinking, the first primary step is honesty.
- Set your goals according to your lifestyle. If you plan on quitting drinking, yet your lifestyle makes it impossible to do so, then take it slowly, step by step. You can eventually retire in the long run.
Recovery Record
Price: Free
Having an eating disorder is not something that most students would like to disclose to anyone. However, if you finally sought medical help and are on your way to recovery, let this app help you in your journey to a healthier life. Recovery Period is an app that will help you track your progress, log meals, and record your coping skills.
This app is designed to portray a mobile-first patient management experience. It has been an effective treatment platform and has already helped many people continue their treatment recovery. You can also visit their site if you wish to collaborate information to help fellow patients.
Recovery Record Tips:
- Help yourself get healthier by keeping on track with the app and its functions.
- Record as often and as accurately as possible.
- Enjoy your recovery journey as you achieve your goals.
The Safe Place
Price: Free
This app is specifically for Black people who struggle with mental health issues. Although no race is exempted from mental illness, it is said that black people are 20% more likely to experience it than other nationalities. This is probably due to racial and social backgrounds. Unfortunately, seeking professional help is not yet common for many of them.
The Safe Place is a perfect app to increase awareness and educate people about the gravity of mental illness, and we should not turn a blind eye to it.
Although this app is focused on helping black people face their issues, it could also be beneficial to everyone who is engaged in this social issue. If you have a struggling friend, share this app with them, or better yet, download and learn from it yourself and preach.
The Safe Place Tips:
- Take advantage of all the resources available in the app, as they are very educational and informative.
- Share it with anyone you know who is struggling with mental illness.
Beyond Now
Price: Free
Although college is a phase in your life where you learn many exciting things, it can sometimes be scary for some students who can’t cope with pressures and stresses. They possibly experiment with alcohol and drugs, which would sometimes compound with their mental state and commit suicide.
Beyond Now is an app for those people who are considering suicide. This allows them to prepare a safety plan in case their emotional and mental state goes downhill. This app gives you a chance to record and set reminders of why your life is worth living: record ways and coping strategies to battle against suicidal thoughts.
Support anyone who is struggling with suicidal issues by introducing this app to them. This app also allows the user to send such confidential information to their loved ones and friends to have the best possible support.
Beyond Now Tips:
- Regularly edit and change your suicidal safety plan. Never be afraid to deal with your suicidal issues upfront.
- Keep in mind that it’s okay to share your issues with the people you trust.
- Share this app with anyone who is struggling with suicidal issues. Spread awareness and help.
MoodGym
Price: $27 / year
This unique online resource is quite similar to an interactive self-help book, which can effectively teach you how to deal with and face depression and anxiety. You will learn cognitive behavior therapy skills, which are beneficial in dealing with depression first-hand. This app is popularly used by one million users worldwide, and you can keep your identity confidential while accessing resources on this online platform.
MoodGym Tips:
- MoodGym is not a substitute for seeking professional help or reaching out to a psychologist. But it is practical to support in your mental health recovery journey.
- Participate in exercises and quizzes so you can understand your progress better.
Smiling Mind
Price: Free
Perfect for youngsters and students, this unique app encourages you to put a smile on your mind. It comes with mindfulness meditation programs and activities that have been developed by psychologists, educators, and experts. It is useful in bringing balance to your hectic student life.
Look after your mind by increasing your mindfulness through this app. Maintain your mental health condition and perform meditation routines offered by Smiling Mind.
Smiling Mind Tips:
- Share this meditation app with friends and family.
- You can perform the mindfulness program and routines with someone to increase motivation.
Circle of 6
Price: Free for 30 days Premium: $4.99 / month
Originally intended and developed for college students, this app’s ultimate purpose was to prevent sexual violence. Hence, it could cover and be helpful for many people of different ages and backgrounds. It comes with a user-friendly interface and can help you in emergencies like needing help to go back home or needing an interruption when stuck in a dangerous situation.
With a few taps, you can share your location information with your friends. This way, they can look out for you, as you look out for them, during night outs and late-night parties.
Circle of 6 Tips:
- Stay close to your friends by turning on your notifications for location trackers, and make sure to update the app continually.
Reach Out Editions
Price: Free
This app helps you to connect with members of your communities who need assistance in many community resources like legal aid services, rape crisis centers, medical care, and emergency responders. It is perfect for university students who want support in many areas of their life on campus. This is like a resource directory for whatever area you need help and support with.
Reach Out Editions Tips:
- It is private and confidential, so you can freely join any community that you’re interested in.4
Happify
Price: $14.99 / month or $139.99 / year
Happify is a mental health app that utilizes games and activities to distract you and make you happy. Some simple activities are set out for you to finish in a week, which would measure your happiness level. Mood change has been a recurring result for many people who have used this app. 80% of its users have testified that they feel better when using Happify.
Happify Tips:
- Answer the short survey questions honestly and genuinely, as the weekly tasks will depend on your answers.
- To fully take advantage of the mental health activities, subscribe regularly.
Worry Watch
Price: $3.99
It’s time to get rid of your anxiety and stress with the support of this self-help app. It comes with mental health resources that are perfect for college students.
You can also record your daily worry experiences to track down how to improve them next time. It could be used online and offline, so you can create a journal entry anytime you wish. Writing will make you reflect on your worries and make you feel better because of its therapeutic advantage.
Worry Watch Tips:
- Don’t forget to set a reminder for your re-visit on your worries. This will help you rethink and assess the results of your decisions and actions.
- Follow the five steps, record, reason, reflect, realize, and refute, as they are sufficient for you to worry less.
Mood Tools
Price: Free
You will first need to answer a few questions to assess your current mental state. This will be the basis of your mood and depression levels. Although this does not replace going to professional experts, it can be used as a source for them to generate transcriptions and advice.
There is a diary log included with the app, and you can input your feelings and emotions about such events. One of its most advantageous features is that you can have a safety plan in situations when your mental depression levels get severe. You can prepare a list of warning signs, reasons to live, coping mechanisms, and the names of the people you love and cherish.
Mood Tools Tips:
- Take advantage of all the functions and features of the apps. You can use the video resources to help you deal with mental stress.
- If necessary, show your diary and share your feelings with your medical professional if you feel that it will help you and treat you more effectively.
Sanvello
Price: Free Premium: $8.99 / month
With an easy-to-use platform, this mental health app is excellent for all college students. It is one of the most sought-after mental health apps and has already reached more than 3 million users worldwide. During the development of the app, 500 adults have gone through mental health activities.
This app includes many tips and guidelines to boost confidence, promote meditation activities, and even record your heart rate. You can also keep track and record your mental health achievements.
Sanvello Tips:
- Set your goals and continuously track your progress.
- Select specific goals and maximize the benefits of reading all the guidelines and tips on the app.
Additional Information: