5 Free Apps to Help Ease Anxiety & Support Nervous System Regulation
- Danielle Morran
- May 11, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 19
In today’s world, many of us are navigating stress, overwhelm, and anxiety while also seeking ways to reconnect with ourselves. While technology often pulls us away from embodiment, it can also be a supportive tool when used with intention. If you’re looking for ways to cultivate awareness, regulate your nervous system, and foster self-connection, here are five apps that may be helpful on your journey.
1. A Gentle Guide to Mindfulness (Free)
Mindfulness is not about forcing relaxation but rather creating space to meet yourself with awareness and compassion. The Smiling Mind app offers guided mindfulness programs designed for different life stages and experiences, including children, adults, families, and workplaces.
Why It’s Supportive:
Varied Practices – Programs include sleep support, stress regulation, digital detox, and mindfulness on the go.
Built-in Reflection Tool – The Well-being Check-in encourages gentle curiosity about your emotional and physical state.
Customizable Experience – Offers accessibility features, including closed captions and options to adjust the voice and background music.
Nurtures Consistency – Set reminders to create a rhythm that works for your life.
Mindfulness isn’t about “fixing” anything but rather about noticing what’s present with a sense of warmth and care.
2. Down Dog Meditation App (Sliding Scale & Free Trial Available)
Meditation can be a space to return to yourself—cultivating presence, spaciousness, and deeper body awareness. Down Dog Meditation is a customizable app that allows you to tailor your meditation practice to meet you where you are. While it’s a paid app, it offers a free trial, and you can request reduced pricing if finances are a barrier.
What It Offers:
Varied Meditation Practices – Options include guided, sleep, walking, and breathing meditations.
Personalized Experience – Adjust the voice, background music, and session length (up to 1 hour).
Supports Integration – Keep a calendar of your practice to reflect on what’s supportive for you.
Expands Options for Movement – Connects with Down Dog’s other movement-based apps, including Yoga, Barre, and Prenatal Yoga.
3. Moodpress – A Compassionate Mood Tracking Tool (Free / $14.99 Annually for Premium Features)
Tracking emotions can deepen awareness and provide insight into patterns of activation and regulation. The Moodpress – Mood Diary Tracker allows you to document your internal experience with curiosity rather than judgment.
Key Features:
Multiple Daily Entries – Notice shifts in your emotional landscape throughout the day.
Personalized Mood Descriptions – Create custom labels that feel aligned with your experience.
Link Emotions to Activities – Reflect on how certain environments, interactions, and rhythms impact your nervous system.
Integrated Soothing Tools – Includes calming sounds to support grounding in the present moment.
This app can be a gentle companion for tracking what supports or challenges your sense of regulation.
4. Gratitude: Self-Reflection & Affirmation Journal (Free / $37.99 Annually for Premium Features)
Rather than bypassing difficult emotions, gratitude can serve as a grounding practice to anchor in what is nourishing and supportive. The Gratitude: Self-Care Journal offers a space to engage in self-reflection and appreciation without pressure or force.
Features to Explore:
Daily Affirmations – Supportive statements to cultivate self-trust and warmth.
Daily Zen – Quotes and resources to encourage self-inquiry and perspective shifts.
Vision Board – A visual tool to explore what feels meaningful and grounding.
Reminders for Integration – Set up gentle prompts to return to gratitude in a way that feels authentic to you.
5. Breathly – Breath Awareness & Nervous System Regulation (Completely Free)
Breath is one of the most direct ways to communicate with your nervous system, inviting a sense of safety and regulation. Breathly offers simple, intuitive breathing exercises to support presence and embodiment.
Why It’s Helpful:
Instant Access – No distractions or extra steps, just breath awareness.
Varied Breathing Patterns – Includes techniques to support calming, grounding, and balancing.
Customization – Adjust inhale, hold, and exhale lengths based on what feels best for your body.
Visual & Audio Guidance – Follow a visual cue or use voice prompts and a bell timer.
Rather than forcing deep breathing, this app invites gentle exploration of what feels safe and regulating in the moment.
DISCLAIMER: I didn't purchase any of the apps discussed in this blog, and am not affiliated in any way with the apps discussed in this blog.
These five apps offer different ways to support your nervous system, build self-awareness, and explore regulation practices at your own pace. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anxiety, but with curiosity and compassion, you can discover what feels most supportive for you.
If you’re interested in deepening your exploration with the support of therapy, contact Danielle at 403-875-9403 during business hours or book a complimentary 15-minute consultation online.
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