Most mobile mental health apps are aimed toward helping individuals cope with symptoms of anxiety. Here are some suggested apps you may find helpful:

• • • Personal Zen
    • Happify
    • Headspace
    • Pacifica

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website also offers a more extensive list of apps, as well as reviews by mental health professionals: https://www.adaa.org/finding-help/mobile-apps

Some activities that can be beneficial to your mental and physical well-being include:

• • • Yoga– DoYogaWithMe.com offers free yoga video classes for all levels.
    • Sports, running, walking– Any level of physical activity can be helpful, from a brisk 30-minute walk through the park to playing a recreational sport or going for a jog.

Interested in learning more? Here are some books on the topic:

• • • Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being by Michael Otto

Even practicing 5 minutes of mindfulness or meditation a day can help you relax. The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley provides short and accessible guided mindfulness meditation practices you can do on your own. These can be found online at: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/

Here are some highlighted practices:

• • • Mindful breathing – this exercise takes 15 minutes and includes focusing your attention on your breath.
    • Self-compassion break – a 5-minute exercise designed to help after a stressful situation.
    • Body scan – 30 minutes of guided full-body meditation.

Some recommended books on mindfulness:

• • • The Mindfulness Revolution by Barry Boyce
    • Fully Present by Susan Smalley and Diana Winston
    • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

For more helpful mindfulness and meditation resources such as videos, published studies, organizations, and books, visit the Greater Good website: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

If you would like to share mindfulness practices with your child or a youngster you know, exercises such as mindful coloring, mindfulness games, and mindful movement are also outlined on the Greater Good website.

Caring for your body is equally as important as caring for your mind. This includes eating well and getting enough sleep (though we all know how difficult that can be!).

The American Heart Association website offers advice on how to make healthier food choices and also provides recipes and a nutrition guide: https://www.heart.org/

The Greater Good website also has information on the emerging practice of mindful eating.

• • • Raisin Meditation – a mindfulness exercise that focuses on your senses.

Tips to help you get a good night’s rest:

• • • If you have trouble falling asleep, try meditating just before bed.
    • The key to getting a better night’s sleep can even be as simple as avoiding the use of brightly lit screens 1-2 hours before going to sleep.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website has a section dedicated to helping parents and teens learn about mental wellness, where to find help, and how to talk to doctors and health care providers.

• • • https://adaa.org/finding-help/helping-others/children

The NYC Teen Health website can help parents and teens learn about ways to deal with peer pressure, bullying, dating violence, depression, and anger.

• • • https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/teen-home.page

The Born This Way Foundation, began by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, was founded in 2012 with the goal of creating a kinder and braver world. They seek to launch programs that empower young people. The website also provides resources encouraging self-care, community outreach, and mental health.

• • • https://bornthisway.foundation/

In light of growing public awareness of this issue, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website has articles dedicated to suicide prevention and resources.

• • • https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/suicide
    • https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/suicide-resources