Needless to say, this is a stressful time. Many of us are still working from home and now we’ve got the kids back at school, also at home. Here are some apps to help you relax and focus!

Breathwrk 

Deep breaths are a simple, but powerful way to relieve stress! “I tried to meditate like many other people tried and I couldn’t stick with it. Breath work was something that happened immediately,” says Max Gomez, CEO and Co-founder of an app called Breathwrk. Breathwrk is a new app that features breathing exercises.

“Some are for helping you calm down, they’re great for if you’re feeling stressed or anxious,” explains Gomez. When you open the app you can choose from 1 minute to 8 minute long exercises. “When you breathe this way you actually have decreased heart rate, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of cortisol,” says Gomez.

Breathwrk is free on iOS with in-app purchases for premium access.

Aloe Bud 

Aloe Bud sends “gentle” nudges to help you keep up with self-care. Messages throughout the day remind you to take a deep breath, drink water or reflect. The best part, the notifications are encouraging and positive!

You can also keep track of personal victories in the “Activity Log.” Aloe Bud is free with in-app purchases for more reminders.

Endel

Endel uses sound to reduce stress and boost productivity! “We procedurally generate a soundscape in real-time, on the spot, on the device personalized to you based on inputs like the time of day, the weather, the heart rate, even your calendar appointments,” explains Oleg Stavitsky, CEO of Endel.

Open the app and choose between relax, focus, on-the-go or sleep. “It blends with the background and after a while, you don’t even notice that it’s there and that’s precisely the point,” says Stavitsky.

Endel has versions that work on just about every phone and device, memberships run $6 a month. “You know it’s not something you have to focus on it just stays in the background and effects your cognitive state.”