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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental illness is now the largest cause of disability worldwide, and one of the highest-ranking causes of productivity loss at work. In fact, workplace depression alone costs employers $44 billion every year. It is important for employees and employers alike to put a focus on positive mental health at work.
Luckily, technology can help. Many tech companies feel the same and have created tools to help promote positive mental health to users. From remembering to take a deep breath to recognize when your stress levels are on the rise, these technologies can be used throughout the workday to ensure your mental health stays as positive as possible.
One of the best ways to stay focused on your mental health is to take a moment or two throughout the day to pause and center back on yourself both mentally and physically. Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools for de-stressing and resetting your mind during work hours. Self-care-focused apps like Headspace, Buddhify, and Stop, Breathe & Think provide exercises in meditation, some even aimed for the workplace, that allow you to take a short break during work hours to prioritize your mental health.
Related: Happiness Now | How to Practice Self-Care at Work
Mood-tracking apps are similar to those for meditation in that they provide a way to check in with yourself throughout the workday. Apps like Daylio, Moodnotes, and Stigma offer a place to track your mood each day and keep a journal to record your thoughts. Using an app to physically track your mood each day can help spot patterns and boost your overall self-awareness. In doing so, you have the ability to make any necessary changes to improve your own mental health and promote a positive mental space.
Wearable technology first made a splash in the fitness world with the introduction of exercise trackers. However, they have proven to be increasingly useful in the mental health community as well. Wearable devices like Spire, which measures respiration and warns you when stress levels are getting too high, and Muse headband, which is designed to sense the electrical rhythms in the brain, can be utilized throughout your workday to ensure you keep a positive mental state.
Sometimes, the best way to address your mental health is to talk about it. During work hours, however; that is not always plausible. Talk therapy apps give you the opportunity to have a therapy session from anywhere in the world, including your desk. Apps like Talkspace, 7 Cups, and BetterHelp, allow you to chat safely about your mental health, anxieties, or any problems throughout the day without disrupting your workflow or that of those around you.
Some days all you need is a high-productivity day to boost your mental state. One of the best ways to do that is through the right music. Focus@Will and Brain.FM uses music as a basis for putting your mind in its most productive state. Focus@Will uses neuroscience to determine your personality type then matches you with the best music to focus your brain while Brain.FM uses artificial intelligence to create the optimal focus music for any given mental state.
