It’s almost 2025 and we all have supercomputers in our pockets. This isn’t news, of course, but sometimes it’s worth taking a bit of a step back to consider it. We have collected all of human 
knowledge, creativity, entertainment and communication, squashed it into a rectangle and all but fused it to our bodies. Who could have guessed that would affect our brains?

It’s pretty undeniable, though. While the newfound ability to win all those who-played-that-character-in-that-movie arguments instantly is fantastic, it turns out unfettered access to everything, all of the time isn’t always the best for our mental health.

When self-care advice starts making the rounds, one of the most common wisdoms is to disconnect from your phone. For the record, we are not disagreeing with this. But, a smartphone is a tool, and like most tools it can be used for good and evil alike. So, with that in mind, we’ve collected a few examples of how you can use that tool to help you along on your own self-care journey.

Self-Care Pets

This genre of app is aimed at those who might struggle to stay on top of a self-care routine, and it plays on the very human tendency to connect with anything that has a face.

Users of these apps are presented with mascots (or pets), that they must take care of. The trick is, the only way to take care of your “pet” is to take care of yourself. Completing self-assigned self-care tasks such as exercising, taking medication or staying on top of life admin maintains and improves your pet’s life. Neglecting these tasks, in turn, neglects the health of the pet. Think of it like a Tamagotchi, except the Tamagotchi is also you.

Some apps branch off of the “pet” path, instead presenting themselves as RPG characters that users help to progress, or gardens that they tend and grow.

It may sound silly to some, but the truth for a lot of us is that it’s difficult to keep up self-care habits when we’re the only ones holding ourselves accountable. If, however, someone else is affected by our lapse in self discipline – even if that someone is an animated animal – the motivation is much easier to find.

Examples: Finch | Habitica | VoidPet Garden

Anti Procrastination Apps

We said earlier that we agree with the advice to step away from your phone now and then. Well, there’s plenty of apps to help you do just that!

Our favourite is nice and simple, and it’s called Forest. With this app, you plant a virtual seed when you want to get some work done. Over the next thirty minutes, hour or more, the tree will grow and flourish. But, here’s the catch: if you exit the app for any reason at all, the tree withers and dies.

If your tree completes its growth, however, you can add it to your virtual forest. Over time, you get a nice visual representation of your hard work. Plus, you earn coins which you can spend on planting real life trees via Trees for the Future!

It’s simple way of discouraging you from quickly checking your Instagram, doomscrolling through the news or replying to the latest drama in the group chat, while also doing the real world some good.

Similar apps along this vein will allow you to block specific apps, while others will take a more hands-on approach, taking over your phone and refusing to let you do anything at all on it until the timer runs out.

They’re best for those of us who often find our hands drifting towards our pockets all by themselves...

Examples: AppBlock | Freedom | StayFree

Mood Trackers

A huge and often unacknlowledged part of staying on top of your mental health is staying aware of it in the first place. Mood trackers are an excellent way of doing this, allowing you to log and identify patterns, celebrate improvements or note sudden changes.

With the use of these apps, you can add in external factors. If you begin a new medication or start a new diet, for example, you can see how this affects your day-to-day experience. The apps can also present you with more detailed analytics, while some will even analyse journal entries to pick out trends you may not have noticed.

They’re certainly not for everyone – seeing a particularly low period of your mental health presented in the form of a line graph may not do much to help it – but for some they can mark the beginning of getting on top of their emotions.

Examples: Daylio | How We Feel | MoodFit

Menstruation Trackers

Menstruation trackers aren’t just tools for monitoring cycles – they’re powerful allies in supporting mental health.
By tracking hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, these apps help people identify patterns that may influence mood, energy levels, and mental clarity. Knowing that feelings of sadness or fatigue are linked to hormonal changes rather than external stressors, for example, both fosters reassurance and allows individuals to plan self-care practices around their cycles.

Additionally, tracking mental health alongside physical symptoms allows users of these apps to notice trends that could indicate health conditions, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Insights such as these can be transformative for people who may need or are seeking tailored support from healthcare practitioners.

By bridging the connection between physical and emotional health, these tools foster self-compassion and a proactive approach to mental wellbeing, helping users embrace their cycle as a part of - not an obstacle to - a balanced body and mind.

Examples: Stardust | Eve | Clue

Sleep Trackers

A third of your life is spent asleep – or, at least, it should be. A poor sleep schedule, or poor sleep in general, can have a noticable effect on your physical and mental health in the short term. If this sleep trouble is extended to the long-term, these effects can be disastrous.

Developing a better relationship with your bed is about more than just getting under the covers a bit earlier. It’s a tricky combination of routine and optimisation that can be frustrating to just guess at. That’s what makes sleep tracking apps so useful.

These apps vary in what and how much they can do for you, often depending on how much cash you’re willing to turn over for the good stuff. At a base level, they’ll treat you to some calming soundscapes to help you drift off easier, as well as recording the various odd noises you make during the night to track the quality of your slumber.

Moving up the scale, these insights on your sleep get more in-depth, with the app providing you with coaching programmes and health data so you can really get the best out of the night-time hours. Some will be able to wake you up with an alarm when you’re in your lightest sleep phase, letting you start the day feeling fresh. And if you’re really willing to invest, Oura offers a wearable ring that tracks your heart rate and body temperature so you can get the most accurate sleep data possible.

Examples: Sleep Cycle | Pzizz | Slumber

Meditation

It’s the epitome of self-care, really. Meditation apps are nothing new, and we doubt we have to give them much of an introduction. But, it would be strange to leave them out of this list!

Only a few years ago, meditation was eyed by the majority of the population with the same wary expression received by accupuncture or homeopathy. With the popularisation of meditation apps, however, the practice’s benefits are now much more widely known. Sitting down and listening to a guided meditation is a brilliant way to refresh your mood, calm your nattering thoughts and relieve latent tensions in the body.

You may already know the dedicated apps we mention below, but it’s also worth mentioning that your chosen podcast streaming service – be that Spotify, Audible, Apple, etc. – will also have a wealth of guided meditations in their library. So don’t worry, you won’t need to add another subscription to your library! However, if you do want your meditations to be a little bit more tailored, a dedicated app can help you to personalise your experience, ensuring you get the absolute best out of it

Examples: Headspace | Calm | Healthy Minds Program

Conclusion

Self-care is an inherently personal thing. It’s doubtful that any one person would benefit from every single one of the apps mentioned above. In fact, quite a few of the people reading this wouldn’t necessarily benefit from any. But, perhaps something we listed in this article jumped out to you. Maybe you’ve been struggling with your sleep recently. Or, you like the idea of taking care of a virtual pet while taking care of yourself. Whatever it is, if anything here helps you to feel healthier or happier, then we’ll certainly be able to sleep better!

Of course, if you’re also tasked with the wellbeing of a wider team, attending HR Technologies UK in April will grant you access to a wide range of businesses who can help. Register your interest today and we’ll see you there.