World Mental Health Day 2023: 5 ways to improve your well-being through Apple iPhones, iPads

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health issues and raise awareness towards it. The day is an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization, and was celebrated on October 10, 1992, for the first time. Some countries such as Australia also commemorate this day as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the theme of this year’s Mental Health Day is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’.

Over the years, the world’s biggest tech companies have also made efforts to spread awareness about mental health and improve your well-being. Apple recently announced several new mental health-related features for its devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. These devices have a suite of features that focus on your mental well-being.

Mental health features on Apple devices

1. Mood - iOS 17 enables you to track your mental well-being by logging your moods and emotions on your iPhone or iPad. It provides insights on various factors that might be affecting your state of mind such as lifestyle, stress, sleep cycle, and more.

2. Mental health assessment - You can also take standardized mental health assessments on your iPhone or iPad that are often used in clinics to understand your current risk of depression and anxiety. You can share the results with your psychologist or a mental health expert for further recommendations.

3. Mindfulness app - Formerly known as Breathe, the Mindfulness app on your Apple Watch encourages you to set aside a few minutes a day to focus, center, and connect as you breathe. Users can choose to receive a reminder to start a session at the beginning or end of their day or at scheduled times.

4. Fitness - Physical activity can have a positive effect on your mental well-being, and the Fitness app on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch can help keep track of all your physical exercises. You can set your goals and check your progress. The fitness app also shows your activity details, workout, Mindfulness, and more. With the Apple Watch, you can also keep track of how much time you or your loved ones are spending in daylight.

5. Sleep - The Apple Watch and iPhone work in tandem to track your sleep. You can set your sleep goals such as the number of hours you’d like to sleep, bedtime and wake-up time on your iPhone, and then wear your Apple Watch to bed. It will track your sleep cycle.