Technological Aids for Better Mental Health
Applications · What Matters Most Psychosocial Resource
Helpful Task Trackers
1. Google Calendar + Google Tasks
A very simple combination for someone who needs external structure rather than a specialised psychiatric application.
You can schedule:
Medication times
Doctor/therapy appointments
Exercise
Meals
Sleep/wake times
Social activities
Household tasks
The advantage is that it can become a single daily timetable rather than another complicated mental-health system.
2. Todoist
Useful for converting a large task into small, manageable tasks.
For example:
“Prepare for doctor's appointment”
can become:
Find previous prescription
Write down symptoms
Note questions
Pack medical documents
Leave home at 10:30
This type of task decomposition can be particularly useful when executive functioning is impaired.
3. Medisafe
Designed specifically around medication management.
It can provide reminders for medication and help keep track of whether a dose was taken.
This is potentially useful when a person has a complicated medication schedule, although medication changes should always be managed with the prescribing clinician.
4. Daylio
A mood and activity-tracking application. Instead of requiring long diary entries, it allows the user to record mood + activities relatively quickly.
Over time, this can help identify associations such as:
Poor sleep → low mood
Exercise → better mood
Social isolation → increased anxiety
It can therefore complement a mood journal.
5. Bearable
Designed for tracking multiple aspects of daily wellbeing, including mood, symptoms, sleep, medication, habits and other factors.
Its strength is that it can potentially show relationships between several variables rather than simply asking, “How are you feeling today?”
6. MindDoc
A mental-health-focused application that includes mood tracking and psychological self-monitoring.
It can be useful for increasing awareness of changes in mood and emotional wellbeing, although an app should not be considered a substitute for professional assessment.
Sleep trackers
1. Sleep Cycle
One of the better-known phone-only options. It uses sound analysis rather than requiring a wearable and provides sleep duration, sleep stages, sleep score, snoring/sound tracking and a smart alarm.
Good for: someone who doesn't want to wear a device at night.
2. Apple Health + Apple Watch
Apple's system can track sleep schedules and sleep duration and, with Apple Watch, provide sleep-stage information and sleep-related trends. It can also integrate sleep with other health information in one place. (Apple)
Good for: people already using an iPhone and Apple Watch.
3. Samsung Health
With a compatible Galaxy Watch or Ring, Samsung Health tracks sleep patterns, sleep stages, sleep consistency and provides bedtime guidance. (Samsung id)
Good for: Android/Samsung users.
4. Oura
Oura uses a smart ring rather than a watch. It is particularly focused on sleep, recovery and readiness. Current independent reviews continue to rank Oura among the strongest consumer sleep-tracking systems. (Tom's Guide)
Good for: someone primarily interested in sleep and recovery rather than smartwatch functions.
5. Fitbit
Fitbit's ecosystem provides sleep duration, estimated sleep stages and sleep scores, with longer-term comparisons and trends. (Wareable)
Good for: combining sleep tracking with activity and fitness tracking.
6. WHOOP
WHOOP puts particular emphasis on the relationship between sleep, recovery and physical strain. It is popular among athletes and people interested in recovery optimisation.
Good for: sleep + recovery + exercise.
Diet Trackers
1. Cronometer
Cronometer is unusually detailed about micronutrients, not just calories and macronutrients.
It can track nutrients such as:
Vitamin B12
Folate
Iron
Magnesium
Vitamin D
Zinc
Calcium
Omega-3 fatty acids
Protein
Fibre
That can make it useful when the question is:
“Is this person actually getting adequate nutrition?”
rather than simply:
“How many calories did they eat?”
That's an important distinction in mental health.
2. HealthifyMe
HealthifyMe is particularly useful for an Indian diet because its database and approach are oriented toward foods commonly eaten in India.
It can help track things such as:
Rice
Idli/dosa
Sambar
Dal
Chapati/roti
Indian vegetables
Fruits
Snacks
Regional foods
For someone trying to understand overall dietary quality rather than simply calories, this can be practical.
3. MyFitnessPal
One of the largest and most established food-tracking platforms.
Its strengths include:
Large food database
Meal logging
Nutrient tracking
Recipe tracking
Habit monitoring
Integration with fitness devices
The potential downside for some people is that its calorie-centric approach can encourage excessive focus on numbers.
4. YAZIO
A relatively approachable food diary with meal planning and nutritional information.
It may suit someone who wants simple daily dietary awareness without the level of detail offered by Cronometer.