Apps have become an everyday staple in our lives. The average smartphone owner uses about ten apps daily (according to App Annie’s 2017 Report). And like many, you may wonder how wellness fits into this app-driven landscape?

As of 2015, there were roughly 165,000 health-related apps. Among those applications, nearly two-thirds were wellness-focused (according to the iMedical Apps analysis of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics Report). Throughout 2018 we can expect this number to increase dramatically.

Wellness is no longer a niche segment – it is a lucrative, growing industry. According to The Global Wellness Institute, the wellness space represents a whopping 3.7 Trillion dollar sector.

The latest trends show that people are adopting techniques to increase their quality of life and holistic well-being. Now apps have become an additional aid to help people reach their wellness goals.

As an on-the-go New Yorker, it can be challenging to re-connect with my inner zen. Fortunately, I have a few apps on-demand to help get through the day. Here are my top faves!

My Top 10 Wellness Apps

Calm – This super popular app offers a range of relaxing mediations and short stories to help you embrace that quiet place inside. I love using this app at the end of my day before bedtime. My favorite meditations are the Daily Calm Highlights, 7 Days of Gratitude module, and the Deep Sleep Relaxation. I also love The Waterfall, The Lavender Valley, Luna Lullaby and The Butterfly Sanctuary 3-minute sleep stories. The app is available on Andriod and iOS.
Think Up – For those of you that are all about affirmations Think Up is your perfect companion. This app allows users to record pre-written affirmations or create their own personalized versions. You can even add background music to your affirmations from the Think Up music gallery or your own playlist.
Memorado – Love brain games? Well, Memorado is your sweet spot. This app uses mindful exercises to sharpen your mind, decrease anxiety, and quiet mental chatter.
Moodnotes – Calling all journal lovers! If you enjoy keeping up with your daily thoughts but don’t always have a pen and paper handy Moodnotes is just for you. This app offers an excellent shorthand way to chart your thoughts and emotions. Using cognitive behavior therapy techniques with journaling activities from positive psychology, Moodnotes helps users enhance their mood, reduce stress and create habits that promote well-being and happiness.
Aura – Tap into a mindful moment with Aura – one of the leading meditation apps on the market. Aura has hundreds of meditation channels from teachers worldwide, relaxing audio sessions, and goal-focused packages for stress reduction and confidence development.
Streaks – This digital t0-do-list helps you develop good habits with the tap of your finger. You can add up to 12 individual tasks and track your daily progress over time. There are even neat graphs and charts to document your success.
Headspace – If you are new to meditation Headspace provides a great beginners guide to get you started. The user-friendly platform even has fun animated videos with step by step illustrations. Headspace has themed mediations and one and two-minute mini meditations that are great for busy people with limited time for their practice.
Brainwaves Binaural Beats – Looking for some calming sounds to lull you to sleep or energizing tunes to prepare you for the busy day ahead? Brainwaves Binaural Beats is your on-demand tool. This nifty app uses binaural beats and isochronic tones, (sound frequencies in the Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta ranges), to help refresh or relax the mind. Brainwaves’ full library of beats addresses everything from healing headaches to embracing gratitude.
Mindfulness Daily – Mindfulness Daily (MD) is a great option for building a daily mindfulness routine. MD allows users to customize their meditations and breathing exercises. The MD platform also, offers daily audio lessons, micro-journaling, and quick surveys to rate your mood, physical wellness, and stress level.
Subliminal – For a double dose of rhythmic positivity check out Subliminal. These enriching melodies help you tap into subtle audio stimuli that are meant to help you retrain your subconscious mind. Each recording is masked with affirmations and positive statements that promote positive growth and help users overcome negative thinking patterns.

Honorable Mentions

Stop, Think, Breathe – Sometimes we all need to stop and take a moment to simply breathe. The Stop, Think, Breathe app has you covered with breathing exercises, meditations and even acupressure practices for relieving stress and tension.
Calm Radio – This free internet radio server has over 250 different channels. And there’s even a station dedicated to relaxation. The relaxation portal has a variety of sub-channels, like Sleep (my personal fave), Fung Shu, Reiki and many more. Now available for Android and iOS, and live streaming on a smart TV.
Maharishi Veda – The Maharishi Veda platform offers a series of harmonious chants and instrumental songs that uplift the spirit and invite peace and well-being.
MeetMindful – A dating app for wellness lovers? Sound too good to be true? Well, try your own trial with MeetMindful. Although I have yet to try this one, I’m looking forward to exploring its dating possibilities.