Teenagers are at high risk for stress and anxiety. The transition from childhood to adulthood is undoubtedly stressful, and it's hard for them to understand the changes they may be going through. This inability to cope could sometimes disrupt their health and well-being and lead to irritability, fatigue, and undue stress.

There are several apps available for teens to help them manage their stress and anxiety levels. So, without further ado, let's take a closer look at some of them.

1. Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a guided meditation app developed by an Australian non-profit organization.

Meditation is a simple way to dial down your child's inner stress response so that they feel calmer, happier, and more relaxed. The Smiling Mind app can help young adults manage stress and anxiety in their day-to-day lives. It offers programs designed to help them learn meditation techniques. They can also choose appropriate and relevant content for their specific age groups.

To use the app, you should sign up for an account. Following this, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire about your child's needs and interests, which will be used to customize and recommend programs that work best for them.

The lessons focus on teaching skills around mindfulness (mindfulness meditation, breathing techniques, and how to focus attention), resilience, and empathy to deal with various situations such as work, sleep, study, and physical activity. The app also sends daily reminders to help them keep on track with their meditation sessions.

Download: Smiling Mind for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Calm Harm

Based on the latest research in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), the Calm Harm app helps your child deal effectively with anxiety by suggesting a list of coping mechanisms.

You'll find different modules such as Comfort, Distract, Express Yourself, Release, and Breathe. These involve simple activities that take around 5-15 minutes. Each one is focused on helping them direct attention away from the urge to self-harm or express their negative emotions in a safe and healthy way.

However, the app is not a substitute for professional advice or diagnosis, and you should not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a health professional.

Download: Calm Harm for Android | iOS (Free)

3. MindDoc Companion

You can think of MindDoc Companion as an emotional health journal that provides insights into how daily activities and emotional states impact your child's well-being. Once you sign up for an account, you can personalize your experience by participating in various courses and topics and save your progress.

The app also gives you access to a library of guided meditations in the Discover section. These meditations are organized by subject, such as mindfulness, anxiety, thinking, emotions, and more, and consist of resources and practical exercises. It also allows you to log your moods and record any other observations you may have throughout the day.

The app is easy to use and allows you to take psychological assessments, receive insights based on your answers, and choose the topics you want to learn more about. It can help teenagers or parents reach out for help through a crisis line or direct messaging with a trained counselor.

You can also opt for premium upgrades with quarterly, semi-annual, or annual subscriptions to combine enhanced mood tracking features along with personalized advice and psychological exercises to help teenagers build their emotional intelligence.

Download: MindDoc Companion for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

4. MoodTrack

MoodTrack is a mood tracker app and a social network of sorts that allows anyone, including teenagers, to share their feelings and thoughts with others, publicly or privately.

By rating your mood (from 'very bad' to 'excellent') and entering a few personal thoughts each day, MoodTrack helps you monitor your mood patterns and presents your data in an easy-to-read graphical format.

In the spirit of social support, you can also post your daily entries to the public timeline or follow other users to see their entries as well. It really pays to have friends when life gets tough, and MoodTrack makes it easy to get or give the encouragement you need. You can also opt for a premium upgrade to keep your notes private.

Download: MoodTrack for Android | iOS (Free, premium version available)

5. Sanvello

It can be hard to feel okay, both emotionally and physically, especially when struggling with depression or anxiety. Sanvello can help you recognize patterns in your child's behavior and triggers for negative thinking—and make changes that will help them recover. Their approach is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques.

To get started on Sanvello, sign up for an account. The app will then ask you to track your mood daily, so you can start looking for patterns. You will also have access to guided journeys for your child that focus on helping them achieve one goal at a time with the help of learning tools, exercises, and audio lessons.

Download: Sanvello for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

6. Mindshift CBT

The MindShift CBT app, developed by Anxiety Canada, is based on research-backed cognitive behavioral therapy techniques that are a great way to manage anxiety and stress. It is super easy to use for teenagers and adults alike.

To get started, sign up for an account. The check-in slider helps you note how you're feeling at any point in time. It includes a few sections to help you manage your emotions, such as Healthy Thinking, Chill Zone, and Taking Action.

When you're experiencing anxiety symptoms or feeling like your thoughts are spiraling out of control, MindShift has got you covered with a wide range of tools.

If you want something more structured, MindShift also helps you with activities that can help you learn to overcome your fears through a set of comfort-zone challenges and belief experiments. The "Chill Zone" feature is where you can find guided relaxation, breathing exercises, and mindful meditation sessions to soothe your mind.

In addition, Anxiety Canada also offers an eight-week therapy program for young adults that includes sessions on learning to face fear, challenging unhelpful thinking, learning about relaxation strategies, and more.

Download: MindShift CBT for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

7. Rootd

Rootd is an easy-to-use app that can help teenagers cope with anxiety and panic attacks.

One of the first tools you can access is a huge red button on the home screen. If you feel a panic attack coming, just tap on the button, and you can view a set of prompts designed to help you during an attack.

The app has five main sections: Breathr, Visualizr, Lessons, Sleepr, and Journal. Each section offers features meant to help your child cope better with their condition, such as breathing exercises, guided meditation, body scans, and more.

The short-term and long-term lessons provide helpful resources about various stressors and general information about anxiety and how your child can best manage them. For instance, the app calls out major stressors for girls, including social media anxiety and anxiety that might be associated with PMS.

The Journal page is handy when you want to note down feelings or experiences surrounding your child's anxiety. Additionally, you can fill out emergency contact details within the app if your child needs immediate assistance at any time.

Download: Rootd for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

Help Your Child Manage Stress

There's no magic bullet for stress, and it's not always easy to manage the symptoms. However, it can be an even bigger challenge for teens as they try to navigate often challenging social situations and pressures at school.

You need to encourage your children to make healthy choices, use the available tools, and reach out when they need help. You will soon see that they will make healthy strides toward managing their stress levels and overall well-being.