5 FREE (or super affordable) Mental Health Resources
Everyone has mental health. So everyone could benefit from taking practical steps towards improving it. Everyone has physical health. But if you don’t move and be intentional about what you feed your body, your physical health will not improve and will naturally get worse. What are you doing to improve your mental health? The biggest excuse I hear from people for not investing into their mental health is “I cant afford it”.
Sure, pretty much everyone could benefit from therapy. But not everyone can afford it. Thankfully, there’s a whole world of free or affordable mental health care out there designed to help you with just about every issue.
We’ve rounded up 5 of our favorite affordable (or free) mental health resources. Keep this list handy for when you need support or if you want to improve your health (mentally & emotionally) today.
ACT Coach App
ACT Coach, developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, teaches users how to tolerate negative thoughts and feelings.
The app virtually guides people through awareness exercises and gives tips on how to ditch self-doubt. With an extra focus on mindfulness, this app also provides a log to track your progress.
Happify
Want to kick negative thoughts, nix worry, and dial down stress? The array of engaging games, activity suggestions, and gratitude prompts makes Happify a useful shortcut to a good mood.
Designed with input from 18 health and happiness experts, Happify’s positive mood-training program is psychologist-approved. Even cooler? Its website links to bonus videos that are sure to make you smile.
Sanvello
Formerly called Pacifica, the Sanvello app teaches techniques for dealing with anxiety, depression, and stress. It is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It teaches through a combination of:
videos
audio exercises
interactive activities
mood and health habit tracking
One of my favorite parts is Sanvello is integrated with Apple Health, so you can input exercise, sleep, and caffeine figures. Sanvello also tracks Mindfulness Minutes in Apple Health, based on your meditation practice.
You can also connect to a community of users where other people post on a variety of topics, including personal strategies and words of encouragement.
MindShift
This straightforward stress management tool helps users rethink what’s stressing them out through a variety of onscreen prompts. The app encourages new ways to take charge of anxiety and tune into body signals based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
In my opinion, this is the best free resource available! From education about mental illness to updates on insurance coverage, NAMI offers a ton of resources. People who want to get informed about the workings of the mind and the government’s recognition of mood and behavioral disorders will get the full scoop here.
Arguably the most helpful resource is the heart-wrenching and hopeful personal stories from individuals across the country from individuals sharing their accounts of living with mental illness.
Another incredible resource is their database of free support groups in almost every community in the United States.
If you know a free or affordable resource you would like us to share with our community we would love to hear from you!
