Stress happens when you’re in college, and sometimes phones don’t help. Publications like the Huffington Post point out that the conveniences of a smart phone are also a constant link to the stresses in your life.
To-do lists, reminders, a 24/7 connection to people are convenient, but sometimes pretty demanding. Ironically, when used right, it can also help us relax. Here are a few apps that can help.
1. Thisissand
Great for: Sand art, mindless gaming.
Thisissand was an app recommended to me as a stress reliever back in Whatcom Community College. The app gives you a canvas to turn pixels into digital sand. With the slide of a finger, you can select from different colors and pile on sand from the bottom up. You can change up to the colors to make some really interesting pieces. Perfect for something nice and easy to let yourself relax with. The app itself is free, but you can also buy more art-enhancing toolkits for $1.99.
2. Just Rain
Great for: Ambient noise, visual relaxation.
As Pacific North Westerners, we get a lot of real rain already, but if you’re anything like me you miss it throughout the hot months. Just Rain advertises itself as a “soothing audiovisual rain simulator.” It’s effectively just that; a simple app that let’s you watch and listen to falling pixel rain. Swipe your finger up, down, and side-to-side to guide the rain and determine its intensity. You don’t have to keep watching it to get the whole experience though – just set it next to you and it’s the perfect ambient noise for studying, sleeping, or relaxing in general.
3. Neko Atsume (ねこあつめ)
Great for: Virtual crazy cat ladies and gentlemen
Okay, I’m probably not the first person on the internet to talk about this game, but hear me out. This is the most adorable, most anxiety-melting game I’ve ever played. Neko Atsume is a Japanese app that lets you feed stray cats in your virtual backyard. You can buy toys and items with sardines being the currency. If you’re having a bad day, this is honestly one of the best apps to sit down and unwind with, even if you only have a moment. Watching little animated cats pawing toys or sticking their heads in paper bags I’ve laid out just makes my day. As of now there’s no English dubbed version of the game, but it’s so simple that reading online guides for 20 minutes will leave you set for life.
