Depression, stress, and anxiety are widely present in today’s society and a range of first-world lifestyle factors may be contributing to their increased prevalence. Today we focus on two phone applications which may help you to relax when feeling anxious, stressed, or sad.

Stop, Breathe, and Think is an application created by an organization called Tools for Peace. The application is available on iPhone, andriod and online at stopbreathethink.org. Information about your mood can be input into the app and  then specific mindfulness meditation (relaxation) exercises are recommended. Session length ranges from 3 minutes up to 15 minutes. The application also tracks your progress and how much time you have spent meditating.

Breath2Relax is an application created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology that focuses on diaphragmatic breathing. It is available on iPhone and android. The length of inhalation and exhalation can be set by the user along with calming background music.

Both applications share information about mood and stress. Stop, Breathe and Think offers more variety, has attractive visuals and tracks mood and progress. Breathe2Relax focuses solely on breathing and may appeal to those who desire setting their own exercise length or those who get great relief from deep breathing.

These days, interventions based on mindfulness and awareness have become increasingly popular. Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When we are mindful, we are aware, attentive, and observe our thoughts and feelings from a distance without judgment. It has been associated with enhanced relaxation, attention regulation, emotion regulation, body awareness and cognitive re-evaluation. Multiple 2013 and 2014 studies suggests it may play a role in pain management, irritable bowel syndrome treatment, diminishing cravings, fatigue, and insomnia management. A 2013 study with 56 pre-hypertensive patients showed greater improvement in participant blood pressure who underwent mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises over an 8 week period. While another small 2013 study showed that diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation promoted more weight loss in overweight, Greek women when compared to those who did not receive a stress-management program. Mayoclinic also suggests that diaphragmatic breathing may help reduce menopausal hot flashes in women.

Overall, it is difficult to definitively link mindfulness, meditation, and diaphragmatic breathing to an entire list of positive outcomes since many studies conducted involve only small groups of people. However, the results seen are often positive. If you experience stress, anxiety, or mood issues, why not give yourself a few minutes to relax, breathe or become more aware?

References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24719001
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24461370
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24239587
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24127622
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23627835
http://www.mayoclinic.org/paced-breathing/expert-answers/faq-20119343

Mindfulness, Breathing, and Relaxation Apps
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