It’s that time in the semester and year where it is getting darker earlier and the school work is piling up. You may be feeling a little stressed about everything that you have to do. Everybody has different ways with dealing with stress. Some of the most common examples are listening to music, binge eating, working out, or watching a little bit of Netflix to clear your mind. In this day in age I would argue that technology has caused more stress than help. Simply scrolling through your Instagram, or news feed on Facebook can add stress to your daily life. Just the five minutes that you have spent scrolling through you’re Facebook feed can remind you of everything that you have to do, and can even bring on drama. 

I know that we have all been there where you are on your phone or you’re FaceTiming your best friend and you know that you have other things to do, but you convince yourself that it could wait. Eventually, that decision may cause you stress down the road when you are cramming to study for your test the night before. The big question is why are smart phones and social media so addicting if at the same time it stresses you out? My theory is that social media allows you to create an image of the way you want to be seen as, and can give you hope. In those same five minutes that you are scrolling through Facebook remembering about all the things you have to do, you also get a slight glimpse of hope or inspiration by looking at other people posts and pictures. 

For the majority of people who have a hard time not checking their phones for a while this article will be helpful for you. 

Believe it or not technology can also decrease your stress too! 

Here are some smart phone and iPad apps that were created to help you cope/ reduce your stress: 

Talkspace: This app has a weekly fee, but allows you to connect with a therapist who you can text at anytime and will respond with ways that they can help you. 

Who can benefit from this app? We all could actually benefit from this app but, this app was created in mind for people who are shy or do not want to talk to a therapist face to face. 

Anti- Stress Quotes: (Free app) This app consists of quotes to help manage your stress and to overcome your worries. 

YO MAMA: Who wouldn’t love to go back to elementary school and hear a good yo mama joke? This app has tons of yo mama jokes and it just so happens that these jokes are not the same eight yo mama jokes you heard in elementary school.

Pocket Yoga: This apps costs $2.99 in the app store but if it could help you manage your stress it is defiantly worth it. This app allows you to conduct your own yoga practice in the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is pull up the video, lay your phone on on your mat, and follow the program as you are guided through a yoga session. 

White Noise: This app creates ambient sounds to help you relax or fall asleep, and was recommended by the New York Times, Washington Post, and the iTunes staff.