Telus today launched a new app called thinkFull designed to help Canadians, particularly adolescents and young adults spending hours each day on their smartphones, to better track and develop coping strategies for their stress.
Designed alongside the Canadian Mental Health Association and Mind Your Mind, two Canadian non-profits aimed at educating and providing treatment for people trying to better understand their own treatment, or those of their family members, thinkFull employs mindfulness techniques to interrupt anxiety and alleviate stress in a number of proven ways.
Available as an iPhone app, with an Android version to come, thinkFull is both a resource and a repository, allowing users to rate their anxiety levels from one to seven, and write accompanying journal entries that can be kept private or reviewed and discussed with a mental health professional.
“Using this App is like having a personal ‘coach’ that you can use to help you learn to smooth the peaks and valleys of life’s journey,” said Dr. Stan Kutcher, Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health. Working with both CMHA and Mind Your Mind, thinkFull also contains tips and resources for better dealing with stress and anxiety, from mindfulness techniques like breathing exercises, to reminders to take a break from work to walk or stretch.
The app came to be through a social enterprise competition held for employees, whereby a group had to propose a plan for a “product or service to help improve the health and wellness of Canadians.” According to Telus, the winning group was given $50,000 and six months away from their regular jobs to bring thinkFull to life.
Aimed particularly at young Canadians, many of whom require additional coaching and copy strategies during exams and the holidays in general, thinkFull’s scope may be modest, but it’s a vital resource we’re hoping people will use.
The app comes two months after ustwo, the well-known UK developer behind hit game Monument Valley, partnered with a mindfulness company to create Pause, an app meant to help people deal with anxiety and stress in the moment.
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