Our top 8 wellness and support apps

Whether you're stressed or suicidal, have the desire to self-harm or simply have trouble sleeping, we’ve got you covered with our list of top apps to help support you with whatever feelings you may have.

Student Health App (formerly ESC app)

Created by experienced NHS doctors, the Student Health App (previously known as the ‘ESC Student App’) provides a whole host of health information for students. Features of the app include, sourcing reliable health information for you and giving you the locations of where you can access support. Overall, it aims to tackle your health problems by teaching you how to live a healthier life. This is achieved by showing you the ways to manage your stress levels, in turn, helping to improve your mental health.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

Stay Alive

The Stay Alive App is a pocket suicide prevention resource for students. It contains loads of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in a crisis. Whether you’re having suicidal thoughts or you’re concerned about someone else considering suicide, this app can support you.

The app also includes a safety plan, a space within it where you can write down your personal reasons to live and a LifeBox where you can store photos and memories that are important to you.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app for Android

distrACT app

distrACT App is a self-harm and suicide prevention app designed to help you manage difficult feelings, cope with a crisis and find help and support. It gives you access to reliable health information, relevant support services, and teaches you to build personal resistance and self-care.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

Calm app

Calm is a highly rated app for meditation and sleep. It aims to lower stress, lessen anxiety, and helps to give you a more restful sleep with the apps’ guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, masterclasses and relaxing music. It’s also great as a beginner’s app for mindfulness but includes hundreds of programs for intermediate and advanced users.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

StaySafe

StaySafe is a GPS tracker app that can follow your locations and has a timer which counts down from the time you’ve stated that you’ll be alone. The location tracking updates in real time as you change location, so if you’re walking or getting into a taxi alone, it will track your route. The app automatically triggers a text to be sent to your emergency contacts, letting them know your location details.

Download the app here for iPhone

Safe and the City – SATC

Safe and the City is an app which shows you safe routes around London which help to divert you away from locations which commonly experience catcalling and sexual harassment cases. The routes are based around crime data, the amount of lighting on a street, the number of businesses open and crowdsourced reports of sexual harassment. If you find yourself in actual danger, then the app also has an option to alert the police.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

Refuge Restrooms

Refuge Restrooms is an app that provides safe restroom access to transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming individuals. Users can search for restrooms by proximity to a search location, add new restroom listings as well as comment on existing listings.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

Headspace

Headspace is a meditation app that has been shown to help people reduce their stress levels, focus more and sleep better. It’s meditation made simple only takes a few minutes a day. Headspace is free and you’ll get a 10-day beginner’s course that guides you through the essentials of meditation and mindfulness, giving you a solid foundation to build your meditation practice on.

Download the app here for iPhone

Download the app here for Android

Adam Vidler, Communications and Projects Advisor