Supposedly, the third Monday of January is the saddest day of the year. And you’ve probably heard of that day referred to as Blue Monday. We’re not sure about you, but after such a difficult past 12 months, the last thing we need right now is another sad day. So if you or someone you know is having a hard time with the winter blues, you’ll want to keep reading. Here are 10 mental health resources you can access at home.
Wellness Together Canada
This service is available across the entire country and is provided by the Government of Canada. And this service is entirely accessible from home with a focus on mental health and substance abuse issues. Plus it’s entirely free so anyone can access it.
MindShift™ CBT
This app is free and accessible to anyone in Canada. It uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help users overcome anxiety, worry, panic, and more. So if you’ve been feeling more anxious lately this is an excellent place to start.
Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research
This resource is specifically for first nations people of all ages across the country and parts of the US. And it has a multitude of resources that it can help first nations people get ahold of. So no matter what you’re feeling, they can help you.
Lifeline Canada Foundation
You’re probably familiar with this organization and its suicide prevention work and awareness. But beyond that, they also have an app that offers an e-counseling and chat function. so whether you’re looking for help or education this is another great resource.
Peer Support Canada
The pandemic has left a lot of people feeling extremely lonely. And that’s what makes Peer Support such a unique resource. They pair you with someone who has experienced a similar mental health issue so that you can get guidance from someone who really gets it. And it’s available across the country.
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Togetherall
This is another peer-based support service that gives users the ability to anonymously get and give support. And you can also get access to self-assessments as well as trained practitioners. So if you’re looking to feel less alone and get support this is a great option.
Mind Beacon
This resource is a paid therapy app that is available at home and at your own pace. And best of all, you’re working with a real therapist and you can also get live therapy sessions. It’s also worth noting that if you’re a resident of Ontario, this service is free.
Happify
If the idea of committing to therapy scares you then you might enjoy this app. Happify focuses on emotional health using games that have been developed by researchers. So you can have fun while building resilience and overcoming negative thoughts. Plus it’s free!
MindDoc
This is yet another app but its focus is on depression. So if you are or have struggled with depression in the past, this is a great way to check-in with yourself daily. You’ll be able to access daily questionnaires and see how your emotional wellbeing is fluctuating.
Headspace
And finally, we’ll cap this list with another popular app, Headspace. This app’s focus is meditation. So if you’ve been trying to work on grounding this year or are just generally trying to relax more this is a great way to start. However, it does cost $17.99 a month.
We hope that this list of Blue Monday inspired resources is able to help you, help yourself. And one more resource worth mentioning is Odin Books. This bookstore is local to Vancouver and it only sells mental health resources, related texts, and tools. So if you want to read up this is a great way to do so while supporting a local, Canadian bookseller.
