Mental Health Apps that Make Self-Care Fun

Published on 20 June 2025 at 06:28
app icon for simple habit: mental health app (balancing stones seen)
close up of app icon for finch app for mental health

Tools to help manage mood, habits, tasks, and even finances.

(Click the images of the app screens to enlarge them.)

icon for finch app for mental health and self-care

Finch (free) *ADHD-friendly*

Self-care app created by folks with lived experience & includes evidence-based exercises/tools

  • All-in-one general self-care app created by two friends who struggled with mental health and keeping up with self-care practices, which kept them in an unhelpful cycle.
  • It includes a focus timer & a meditation timer,
  • as well as breathing exercises, physical exercises, journaling,
  • includes gamification, mood tracking, to-do list, & gratitude practices.
    • my favorite to-do list features:
      • tasks can be kept on the list until completed, so those tasks can roll-over from day to day (don't lose track)
      • you can create a "goal of the day" as the top thing to accomplish that day
      • you can categorize your tasks to get points & shout outs for investing in self-care, cultivating calm, or productivity

If you were ever into Tamagotchi (back in the day), then you might really like this one.

  • This group is based in Canada and run by clinicians and practitioners of mindfulness-based programs.
  • In this app they have included several meditations and practices from their many programs:
    • mindful self-compassion,
    • mindfulness-based stress reduction, and
    • mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
  • I trained with them a few years ago and really enjoyed their grounded, self-aware, and compassionate approach to mindfulness practice.
insight timer app icon: a sound bowl

Insight Timer (free)

Simple Habit (free) *ADHD-friendly*

  • A meditation app for busy people.
  • Their practices aim to be less than 5 minutes long, some as short as 1 minute to help you fit in even the briefest of pauses into your day.

Medito (free): an evidence based app

  • Recent study using their app showed 10 minutes a day led to healthy habits.

Medito App Screenshot below: 

About us

Apps available in different languages

from the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) affiliated with Harvard University

Above: CHA recommendations for adults

Above: CHA recommendations for children

icon for breathwrk app: representation of air

Breathwrk (free) *ADHD-friendly*

  • Learn different types of breathing exercises to boost mental health.
  • There are visual cues you can follow for different breathing patterns.
  •  Self-care for a healthy mind & body.
  • Reduce anxiety & boost self-improvement
  • with mood tracking, meditation, breathing exercises,
  • journaling, gratitude practices,
  • physical activities, and more.

The Daily Bean (free)  *ADHD-friendly*

  • simple interface & customizable emojis
  • tap buttons to record habits and mood
  • add notes, pictures to create a mini journal entry for the day
  • the basic features are free

Reflectly  (free)

  • offers mood/habit tracking,
  • daily quotes/encouraging remarks,
  • brief journaling prompts, and challenges.
  • the basic features are free

Lists of popular apps for mood/habit tracking here & here.

Hizo  *ADHD-friendly*

  • mood & habit tracking,
  • daily tasks & planner,
  • performance tracking & reminders

Brili Routines – Habit Tracker

*ADHD-friendly*

  • create routines with reminders,
  • break down the different steps of your morning,
  • see how much time each step should take
  • & then see how much time it actually takes you.
  • Get insights into how you handle your time, which parts of your routine are hardest to manage,
  •  and adjust the routine as needed.

Adulting can be extra challenging when you have ADHD.

Finances in particular can be difficult to manage with ADHD, so here are some sites & apps that may help.

Please note this information is also for educational purposes and not financial advice. Please see a finance professional to assess your personal finances.

  • Investopedia - Learn about finance topics
  • RocketMoney (free) - Money Tracking & Subscription Tracking App
    • You can link any of your accounts that you need to manage & just go to one place to monitor any/all of them
    • It also tracks how many subscription plans you have in your name, like streaming accounts, shopping sites, etc.
    • It also categorizes your expenses and shows you on a pie chart how you’ve been spending your money
  • Ally bank (free) - high-yield savings account that automates saving for you.
    • A high yield savings account offers you a higher interest compared to traditional banks, so your savings grow more quickly
    • You can connect  your primary bank account to it and set up how often and how much it should transfer to the savings account every month.
  • Wise (free) - a different high yield savings account that can be managed via phone app

There's no one-size-fits-all with mental health & mindfulness.

💜So keep experimenting & looking for the routine, combination that supports you & your unique needs. 💜

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