Living in our increasingly stressful world, many people have difficulty coping with everything that life throws their way. COVID, job losses, increased cost of living, and family health concerns are some of the main sources of anxiety in our society. Despite these extra burdens, there are things we can do to reduce our stress and anxiety levels and improve our mental wellbeing.
Every other day there seems to be a new wellbeing app or mental health initiative announced and it can be difficult deciding which one is the most useful or relevant. One stands out amongst the crowd – the New Zealand-created app/website ‘Groov’ (formerly Mentemia).
Since its inception back in 2018, Sir John Kirwan has been the brains behind the development of the Mentemia/Groov app, which is designed to improve users’ mental health and wellbeing. This tool is very easy to use and has up-to-date information, advice and exercises that can help most people navigate their way through difficult times.John Kirwan - Founder of Mentemia/Groov |
The app touts tailor-made exercises, activities and inspirational stories based on user goals and requirements. Some of the interactive options include a ‘Mood check-in’, ‘worry map’, breath training, and binaural audio tracks for relaxation/meditation. Along with regular fresh content and clinically-researched advice, these resources are intended to help you measure your progress and help you cope with stress and anxiety.
Overall, the Groov app is packed full of content designed to
improve your resilience and mental wellbeing and how you relate to the world.
If you need some help at the moment, Groov is a good place to start and it’s
free! They also offer a workplace
wellbeing programme (not free) to help staff and management ‘find and stay
in their Groov at work.’
I personally use the Groov app and find it's functionality and resources to be very user-friendly. I don't think it is a substitute for clinical therapy, but it is definitely a worthwhile tool to have in your pocket when you're feeling a bit stressed, or need a little bit if guidance about how to lift your mood and look after yourself. As far as Wellbeing/Mental Health apps go, I give it a 9/10.
If you’d like to support a righteous local initiative and
reduce your stress and anxiety levels with the aid of the Groov app/website,
check out this link for more details.
For more mental health/wellbeing resources and how to cope with Covid, check out this article here.
Images sourced from Groov by Mentemia website.