10 Genuinely Useful Self-Care Apps To Download Now

Self-care often takes a backseat to endless to-do lists and daily responsibilities. But prioritizing your well-being isn’t a luxurious indulgence or an act of selfishness, and it also doesn’t require grand gestures or hours of free time. In fact, small, consistent efforts and mindful choices can help you move through your days with more energy and positivity.

With smartphones always within reach and apps available for almost everything, self-care is even more accessible. Whether you’re looking to practice mindfulness, eat healthier, exercise more, or sleep better, the right tech assistant can make the process more purposeful and organized while seamlessly integrating it into your lifestyle. The following selection of apps is curated to support the key aspects that make up a balanced self-care routine.

Aloe Bud

A sustainable self-care routine often begins with the small things that add up over time. Drinking enough water, checking in with friends, taking a moment to breathe, or stepping outside is pivotal for our well-being. Yet, these simple things are easy to forget in a busy world. Aloe Bud is created to help you stay mindful of these fundamental activities and ensure you’re taking care of yourself every day—by sending you gentle nudges. There’s no pressure or judgment but just friendly check-ins, reminding you to put your present self first and helping you build healthier habits in a way that feels natural and personal.

InPulse

It all starts with a heartbeat, as it’s what keeps us moving through a long and happy life. InPulse allows you to monitor your heart rate right from your phone by simply placing your fingertip on the camera. In addition, the app lets you log blood pressure and oxygen saturation, giving you a comprehensive view of key health indicators in one place. It also offers mental health assessments to help you track your stress levels and emotional well-being, as well as the integrated habit tracker to support you in building heart-friendly routines with diet tips, self-care practices, and wellness advice.

Nike Training Club

Fitness apps offer a convenient way to add guided movement to your daily life without necessarily hitting the gym. If you’re looking for a long-term workout commitment from the comfort of your home, Nike Training Club is a great choice. The app provides fitness classes for all levels, from beginner to advanced, allowing you to choose between quick exercise circuits and prolonged sweat sessions—all led by trusted trainers and instructors. You’ll also find a variety of styles to diversify our workout routine, including cardio, strength training, HIIT, yoga, and more.

StretchIt

Whether it’s a rest day but you still want to stay active or you need to relieve muscle stiffness from hours of sitting, just a few minutes of full-body stretching can make a big difference. StretchIt takes the guesswork out of this rewarding low-impact exercise with structured programs and guided video sessions, helping you reach your full movement potential. The app will provide personalized recommendations based on your goals and training history, selecting from an extensive catalog of flexibility and mobility-focused classes and feel-good recovery sessions.

Happify

Happiness isn’t just a feeling—it’s a skill you can develop with the right mindset and tools. Happify is designed to help you take control of your emotional well-being by reinforcing positivity and resilience. Addressing goals like conquering negative thoughts, coping with stress and anxiety, navigating life’s challenges, boosting confidence, fostering mindfulness, and more, the app offers personalized tracks to support your journey. It invites you to engage in science-based quizzes, games, and other activities, guiding you to see more positive aspects in your daily life.

Headspace

In a world that moves fast and where stress is nearly constant, taking time to pause, breathe, and unwind is precious for mental well-being. Ultimately, these moments can make everything feel calmer and brighter—and Headspace helps you do just that. The app offers a wealth of resources for practicing mindfulness and, what’s even more important, enables you to make it a regular part of your wellness routine so it creates lasting results. You can explore hundreds of expert-guided themed meditations, mood-boosting exercises, focus and productivity sessions, soothing breathing techniques, sleepcasts, and more.

HitMeal

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, stay mindful of your diet, or build better eating habits, an intuitive app like HitMeal can make the process stress-free, straightforward, and structured. Designed as a nutrition tracker, it allows you to log meals, count calories, and monitor your macronutrient and water intake. Beyond its extensive food database, the app offers personalized meal plans tailored to various goals, from low-sugar to protein-rich to vegan. You can also sync it with Apple Health to track your physical activity in the same place and get a quick overview of your fitness progress.

BetterSleep

A good night’s sleep profoundly impacts mood, energy, productivity, and overall health—something backed by countless studies. But if you struggle to fall asleep and wake up feeling anything but refreshed, BetterSleep can help you track and understand your sleep, turning your nights into truly restful experiences. The app identifies sleep patterns, detects disturbances throughout the night, and offers actionable tips for improvement. It also features sleep soundscapes, bedtime stories, and calming meditations to help you drift off and enjoy more restorative sleep.

Forest

Distractions are everywhere, and sometimes, the hardest part of getting things done is simply staying off your phone. If you want to get your head down and focus on your real-life stuff, you can plant a virtual seed in the Forest app. As you stay fully present and productive, the seed gradually grows into a tree, representing your commitment. Over time, you’ll cultivate a lush virtual forest that reflects your progress in getting more use of your time. But if you exit the app early, your newly planted tree withers—giving you concurrent motivation to resist distractions and stay on track.

Day One

Journaling is more than just writing—it’s about capturing life as it happens, reflecting, and growing. It’s also a therapeutic practice, helping you process emotions, analyze thoughts, and appreciate even the smallest joyful moments that shape your well-being. Day One, a digital journaling app, makes it easy to document and reminisce on your journey, helping you build a journaling habit that actually sticks. You can choose the format that feels most meaningful to you, whether taking written notes and voice recordings or importing drawings, photos, videos, and even Instagram posts.