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Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out?
Between work, family, and social obligations, there never seems to be a moment where you can just take a breath and relax. But what if there were an app that could help you find time for yourself during even the busiest of days?
What Are Happiness Apps?
That’s where a happiness app comes in. Happiness apps are designed to help you find time for yourself every day to focus on your well-being and good health. By taking a few minutes each day to check in with yourself and do something that makes you happy, you can create a more balanced and satisfying life.
Science-based happiness apps use positive psychology principles to help users find happiness, reduce stress and anxiety, build resilience, and develop better habits. They work to improve your emotional life, social life, and physical health.
While different happiness apps vary in their approach, most of them share a few common features:
- They provide tips and articles on happiness.
- They have positive reinforcement features, like badges and rewards.
- They allow you to track your happiness levels over time.
So, if you’re looking for a happiness app to help you on your happiness journey through 2023, read on for 10 of the best.
What Are The Best Happiness Apps For 2023?
Here is our list of the best happiness apps that can fit seamlessly into your busy life.
Action for Happiness: Get Tips
Action for Happiness is a global movement and charity based out of the United Kingdom whose ultimate goal is to build a happier and kinder world. Their Action for Happiness app provides suggestions for simple actions that users can do based on the latest scientific research about happiness.
Key Benefits:
- Get inspired with daily reminders of simple actions you can do to improve your happiness.
- Follow monthly themes based on the latest scientific research about happiness.
- Share your own words, actions, and ideas with others in the community to spread kindness.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.9/5.0
- Price: Free
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Action for Happiness is an admirable organization with a free happiness app that you can use for inspiration daily to help build a happier and kinder world.
Headspace: Mindful Meditation
Headspace is one of the most popular happiness apps on the market and ranks highly in articles about the “best meditation apps,” including the #1 spot in the New York Times. It offers guided meditations and breathing exercises to help you relax, cope with stress, and focus your energy. You can choose from hundreds of meditations on various topics, learn mindfulness skills from world-class experts, meditate with friends, and build your practice your way.
Key Benefits:
- Access a wide array of guided meditations from world-class experts designed to help you manage stress and anxiety and develop a mindfulness practice.
- Utilize Headspace’s sleep aids, including Sleepcasts, sleep music, and soundscapes, to create the perfect conditions for a restful night’s sleep.
- Use the Move Mode to engage in mindful fitness, combining workout routines with mindfulness to improve both physical and mental health.
- Receive mindfulness reminders throughout the day that encourage you to take a break, breathe, and bring awareness to the present moment.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Headspace costs $12.99/month or $69.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Headspace has proven to be one of, if not the best, meditation apps by critics and users. Its expert-driven content is extensive and can be easily integrated into your daily routine. You can stick with Headspace through your entire mindfulness journey, transitioning seamlessly from a beginner to an expert in meditation. The app’s diverse range of guided meditations caters to all levels, ensuring that as you grow and evolve, Headspace evolves with you, continuing to offer challenges and insights to nurture your mental and emotional well-being.
Mindfulness.com Meditation App
Mindfulness.com, established in 2020, is a vibrant newcomer in the meditation app market. Its genesis, evolving from the annual Mindfulness Summit, the world’s largest mindfulness conference its founders created, sets it apart. As a smaller player, Mindfulness.com’s strength lies in its close connection with its community, making it exceptionally adept at offering meaningful and tailored content that its users love.
Key Benefits:
- Receive a personalized video lesson and meditation every day.
- Be part of a thriving community and learn from globally-acclaimed mindfulness teachers.
- Harness the power of 1-2 minute micro-practices or choose from a variety of talks, courses, meditations, and soundscapes to reduce stress and anxiety and sleep better.
- Make a positive impact: part of your subscription goes toward mindfulness charities and free subscriptions to those with financial need.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Mindfulness Plus is free for one week, then $14.99/month or $69.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Mindfulness.com stands out as a user-centric app that caters to its users’ personal mindfulness needs. In addition, it is committed to making mindfulness accessible and impactful both individually and collectively. You’ll feel great knowing that your personal mindfulness journey contributes to a larger cause, fostering a more mindful and compassionate world.
I am – Daily Affirmations
I am – Daily Affirmations provides users with daily affirmations to help them focus on their well-being and develop a positive attitude. With topics ranging from self-care to positive thinking, the app has something for everyone. And if you need a quick pick-me-up, you can set the app to provide affirmations every few seconds for one minute.
Key Benefits:
- Choose how long you want to receive affirmations. Whether you need a quick boost (1 minute) or a longer session (5 or 15 minutes), this app has you covered.
- Tailor your affirmation experience to fit your needs with the app’s wide range of topics.
- Get the most out of your affirmations by displaying the affirmations on your home screen with widgets.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.9/5.0
- Price: A subscription to I am Premium is free for 1 week, then $14.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
I Am – Daily Affirmations is a great happiness app for those who need extra motivation with positive affirmations. With its customizable features and wide range of topics, the app is perfect for anyone looking to improve their well-being in short bursts of time.
Wysa: Mental Health Support
Wysa is an AI-powered chatbot that enables users to talk through their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe space. Users can also access relaxation exercises, mindfulness meditation, and visualization tools to help them feel calmer, sleep better, and manage their emotions.
Key Benefits:
- Have anonymous, privacy-protected conversations with an empathetic chatbot.
- Participate in research-backed techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy to help manage depression, stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
- Connect with the Health app for activity reports.
- Can chat with a mental health professional when you need more support.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.9/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Wysa Premium costs $11.99/month or $74.99/year, or Guided Support (with access to a well-being coach) costs $29.99/week or $79.99/month
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Wysa is an AI-powered chatbot that is private and secure and helps you stay on top of your mental health and wellness needs. You can easily connect with a mental health professional if you need more support. If you’re looking for a safe space to talk about your feelings, Wysa is a great choice.
DailyBean – simplest journal
DailyBean is an intuitive, easy-to-use, minimalistic diary app that helps users record their daily life and analyze the weekly or monthly results.
Key Benefits:
- Quickly record your mood and activities every day.
- Look at your mood flow through a monthly calendar.
- Customize the categories to suit your needs.
- Add notes and pictures to your records.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Price: A subscription to DailyBean costs $2.99/month or $19.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
DailyBean is an excellent diary app for those who want to keep track of their daily moods and activities efficiently and intuitively. With customizable categories and colorful icons, DailyBean’s easy-to-use design makes it a great choice for anyone looking for an app that lets them quickly capture their daily life and analyze how it changes over time.
Calm: Sleep, Meditation, Relaxation
Calm, a titan in the realm of mental wellness apps, has been a constant companion for millions seeking to cultivate tranquility and mental clarity. Launched in 2012, Calm has amassed an extensive array of features ranging from guided meditations and sleep stories to music and mindfulness exercises, all aimed at alleviating stress and promoting better sleep.
Key Benefits:
- Start or end your day with a fresh perspective through the Daily Calm, a 10-minute meditation that changes every day, providing insights and focus on different aspects of mindfulness and mental wellness.
- Drift into a restful sleep with a diverse selection of narrated Sleep Stories featuring voices of celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey and Stephen Fry.
- Learn from experts in psychology, mental health, and self-improvement through in-depth masterclasses offering guidance and knowledge to enhance your mental resilience and personal growth.
- Stay motivated with progress tracking and see how meditation makes a difference in your life.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Calm Premium is free for 1 week, then $14.99/month or $69.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Calm is an all-encompassing happiness app that offers a treasure trove of resources. By integrating Calm into your daily routine, you are investing in your mental serenity and empowering yourself with tools and knowledge for lasting personal growth and mindfulness. With its 7-day free trial, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Mindshine: Mental Health Coach
Need help managing your time, emotions, and productivity? That’s where Mindshine comes in, with over 200 sessions designed to help you achieve your goals.
With Mindshine, you’ll be able to dig deep and find out what truly motivates and drives you. You’ll also learn how to become your own biggest ally through positive self-talk, visualization, and journaling. Most importantly, you’ll experience reduced stress and a newfound sense of calmness and control in your life.
Key Benefits:
- Achieve your personal goals with over 200 effective coaching sessions that range from 5 to 15 minutes.
- Develop self-confidence, motivation, self-love, emotional intelligence, and resilience to stress.
- Reduce stress and improve productivity and concentration.
Details
- App Store Rating: 4.7/5.0
- Price: Free to download and use; for full access, a subscription to Mindshine costs $12.49/month or $64.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Mindshine is a digital mental health coach that can help you achieve your goals and reduce stress through short coaching sessions. The app is free to download and use, but a subscription is required for full access. If you’re looking for an affordable and convenient way to improve your mental health, Mindshine is worth considering.
Happify: for Stress & Worry
Happify is an app that helps users cultivate happiness through activities and games based on positive psychology research. Happify has one goal: to help you lead a happier life. With science-based games and activities, Happify will help you to train your brain and overcome negative thinking patterns.
Key Benefits:
- Choose from over 65 activities (including guided meditations and reflective writing assignments) and games designed by happiness experts.
- Get personalized recommendations based on your happiness goals.
- Track your progress and see how your happiness changes over time.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 4.5/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Happify Plus costs $14.99/month or $139.99/year
- Available: App Store and Google Play
Bottom Line
Happify is a great happiness app for those who want to actively work on improving their happiness levels. With science-based activities and games, Happify is a fun and effective way to make lasting changes in your happiness.
Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits
We know this is a biased addition, but we genuinely believe that our Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits App is one of the best available happiness apps.
Our Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits app is the simple system to become happier using science-backed practices and the power of small wins. We designed the app to help users easily incorporate happiness practices into their daily lives, stay motivated, and make happiness a habit.
Key Benefits:
- Focus on important positive things – self-care, relationship maintenance, and acts of kindness – with the Do Happy Task of the Day.
- Use the gratitude journal to curate your favorite photos and happy moments from every day.
- Stay on track and motivated with the accountability calendar.
- Strengthen your relationships and gain peace of mind knowing you’ll never forget another special occasion again with the important people organizer.
- Enjoy using the app as your memory book of happiness to reminisce about good times and reflect on your happiness journey.
Details:
- App Store Rating: 5.0/5.0
- Price: A subscription to Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits is free for 1 week then $4.99/month or $39.99/year
- Available: App Store; we hope to be on Google Play in 2024!
Bottom Line
Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits is a great happiness app for anyone looking for a unique and comprehensive yet simple happiness solution. The app’s focus on small wins and daily happiness practices makes it easy to make happiness a habit.
Final Thoughts
We all know that we should be taking care of our mental health, but it’s hard to find the time and energy to do so. Happiness apps utilize pockets of time during your day to help you focus on yourself and create a more balanced and satisfying life. They help build happiness-boosting skills and resilience, encourage personal growth, and significantly enhance well-being.
The ten happiness apps on this list are all great options for you to consider if you’re looking for a bit of help on your journey to becoming happier and more fulfilled. While some of the happiness apps require a paid subscription, many include free versions or trials so you can try them out before committing.
All of the apps on our list have already served as positive interventions in the lives of so many people, and they can help you too. The only app that’s truly right for you is the one that aligns with your goals, preferences, and lifestyle. So, take some time to explore these ten best happiness apps. We hope you find an app (or combination of apps) that works for you and helps you lead a happier life!
FAQ
What Is A Happiness Check-In?
A happiness check-in is a quick way to measure your current level of happiness. You can use it to track your progress over time or give you a snapshot of how you’re feeling in the moment. Essentially what you do is rate your current level of happiness on a scale from 1 to 10.
If you’re unsure how to rate your happiness, think about the last week. How many good things have happened compared to bad things? If you’re feeling mostly good, with a few bad moments here and there, you might rate yourself as an 8 or a 9. If you feel like everything is going wrong and you can’t seem to catch a break, you might rate yourself as a 3 or a 4.
Once you’ve rated your happiness, take a moment to think about why you’re feeling that way. If you’re happy, what are the things that are making you happy? If you’re unhappy, what are the things that are making you unhappy?
Becoming more aware of your emotions (both your happy emotions and negative ones) is the first step to improving your overall happiness. If it turns out that you’re not feeling that happy, you can consider using a happiness app to help you boost your mood.
Should You Use A Happiness App To Manage Your Happiness?
There’s no simple answer to this question. Some people may find that happiness apps help manage their mental health and well-being, while others may prefer other methods. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what works best for you.
Happiness apps can be incredibly helpful in several ways. First, they can help you to become more aware of your emotions. If you’re not used to paying attention to your feelings, an app can be a great way to get started.
Second, happiness apps can provide you with valuable insights into your own happiness. By tracking your mood over time, you may be able to identify patterns and trends that you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
Finally, happiness apps can help you to set and achieve goals. If you’re struggling to make positive changes in your life, an app can give you the motivation and support you need to stay on track.
If you decide to use an app to manage your happiness, choosing one that’s right for you is essential. There are a lot of different happiness apps on the market, so take some time to read through reviews and compare features before you make your decision.
Can You Substitute A Mental Health Professional With A Happiness App?
Happiness apps are not meant to be substitutes for mental health professionals. Rather, they are best used as supplements to professional care. If you are struggling with negative thoughts, depressive symptoms, or mental health issues, it’s vital to seek professional help.
That being said, happiness apps can help improve your mental state and well-being. If you’re feeling down, they can provide you with quick wins and easy tools for building happiness. And if you’re struggling to make positive changes in your life, they can help you set and achieve goals.
What Is The Best Happiness App?
There is no single “best” happiness app. Depending on their needs and preferences, people will find various aspects of different apps to be helpful. Experiment with different apps to see what works best for you. We’ve provided ten great options for you to try, and we hope one (or more!) of them is a good fit for you!
