Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Launched in early October, UH partnered with the app Welltrack Boost as part of its continued efforts to improve mental health on campus.
The app, which is available for free on the App Store or Google Play, uses clinically-supported cognitive behavioral therapy and self-guided activities to help students with their mental health and overall well-being.
Overview
After downloading the app, students will be asked to answer questions regarding their demographics and then to fill out a short survey about their stress levels and similar feelings.
Using the feature “MoodCheck,” students can do daily check-ins of their mood, tasks and overall feelings. Students can later look back and view their progress in a journal form.
The app has something for everyone, from courses designed to help overcome anxiety, to a guide to healthier sleep. There are also screenings available for anxiety and depression, along with alcohol use and resiliency.
Through the “resources” menu, more information is available for sexual violence, addiction, finances and more. Once choosing a category, a list of UH-specific offices will appear and students can choose where they want to be redirected to.
Welltrack’s “tools” menu includes a thought diary and “The Zen Room,” which lets users choose ambient noise and a meditation type. Available noises include a campfire, river and birds, and meditations include breathing exercises and relaxing phrases.
The “activity scheduler” is extremely useful for students, as it allows them to plan out not only homework, but also social activities and self care.
Review
Working while also being enrolled full-time in classes is no easy feat, so I gave Welltrack a shot to see if it could ease some of my stress.
While it’s no miracle worker, the app gave me the tools needed to practice more self-care and set aside time to recharge. The ambient noise became a quick favorite, but I also learned to enjoy MoodCheck, as it forced me to take a step back and recognize my feelings and stressors.
The scheduling tool proved to be extremely useful and helped with time-blocking and making sure I stuck to my word and got my work done.
It’s also nice to have a wellness app to turn to when I’m killing time on my phone instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media.
With finals coming up, the continued importance of mental wellbeing is stressed and so are we. Using your UH email, you can download the Welltrack Boost app and see what it has to offer for your habits and overall mental health..
