Stressed? Depressed? Feeling unhappy? There’s an app for that

Modern day life can throw you a lot of curveballs, leaving you feeling stressed, a bit blue or even mildly depressed. Sometimes putting on your favourite track on repeat can help you pull out the dark mood and clear the heavy clouds from your head. But if you’re worried that it may be more than just a fleeting feeling, with the rise of mobile health technology and smartphones  there’s now an easy way of checking. Whatever your worries, chances are there’s an app for that.

We’ve taken a look at some of the medical iPhone apps available on the market today that can help you spot the signs and symptoms of cancer, test your stress levels or just give you a few tips on happiness. And they are all free!

Cancer sign and symptoms

A cruel disease cancer is horrible for everyone involved. As we have no way of curing it at the moment, it is important to know what signs and symptoms to look for – when cancer is found at an early stage, treatment is often easier and more likely to be successful.

Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading cancer charity, has developed this app that highlights some of the possible symptoms of cancer, so that you can help yourself and those around you and potentially make a real difference.

Available from iTunes.
Stress Check

We can all notice our stress levels increasing once in a while. If you want to understand more about stress and how to lower it, it would be worth checking out this app.

Stress Check is a stress test developed by clinical psychologists with expertise in stress management. After a quick test the app will tell you your current level of stress, which you can use further to examine the specific areas your stress affects you (interpersonal, physiological, situational or control).  All results are paired with descriptions and recommended actions to take to reduce your stress levels.

Available from iTunes.

Depression Check

Think your blue mood could be something more than a bad day? The Depression Check will assess your risk of depression, bipolar and anxiety disorders (including PTSD) in just three minutes. After completing a checklist you will receive a personalised, confidential report that shares how much distress these symptoms could be causing you. Now if you think you are suffering from poor mental health we would recommend you contacting your GP.

Available from iTunes.

NHS Drinks Tracker

We’re all guilty of having a glass or two of bubbly when we really shouldn’t. If you want to keep track on your alcohol intake and those important drink units the NHS Drinks Tracker is great for this! The app is probably one of the most easy-to-use  option; you start by tapping on the drink you’re having and then the units are added up the more you drink. You can then review as you go along and even save everything to a calendar so that you can keep a close eye on your alcohol consumption over a longer period of time.

Available from iTunes.

Happiness Tips

Who doesn’t want a few tips on how to keep the spirits high once in a while. You’re personal, pocket-sized Mr Motivator, this app provide happiness tips to inspire hope, motivation, success, inspiration, beauty, peace, happiness and joy in your life. You can also share your favourite tips on Facebook and Twitter!

Available from iTunes.