Apple Spotlights Mental Health with New Features for World Mental Health Day
In recognition of World Mental Health Day, Apple is rolling out a series of features and content across Apple Watch, iPhone, and Apple Fitness+ designed to help users proactively manage their mental wellbeing. The initiative includes a limited-edition award, new app functionalities, and a special free meditation session.
Mindful Moments with Apple Watch and iPhone
To encourage users to take a moment for themselves, Apple has introduced several new tools:
- Limited-Edition Award: Today, on 10 October, Apple Watch users can earn a special digital award by simply recording 10 minutes of mindfulness or meditation through any app that syncs with the Health app.
- Track Your State of Mind: The Health app on iPhone and the Mindfulness app on Apple Watch now allow users to log their momentary emotions and daily moods. This feature helps individuals build self-awareness and understand how lifestyle factors like exercise, sleep, and time spent in daylight correlate with their mental state.
- Mental Health Assessments: Users can now take standardised mental health assessments directly on their iPhone or iPad to better understand their current risk of depression and anxiety.
- Journaling for Reflection: The Journal app on iPhone offers a space for users to reflect on their feelings. Time spent writing can be automatically logged as mindful minutes, and scheduled notifications can help build a consistent journaling habit.
Free Meditation and Expert Tips from Apple Fitness+
Apple Fitness+ is making mental health wellness more accessible by offering a special meditation to everyone, including non-subscribers, from 6 to 12 October. The 10-minute “Breath Meditation” with trainer Christian Howard introduces the belly breathing technique to help lower stress.
Fitness+ also features a rich library of meditations focused on themes like Calm, Sleep, Focus, and Resilience. A dedicated six-episode program, “Meditations for When You Feel Stress or Anxiety,” is also available to help users prepare for and navigate challenging moments.
To further support users, Apple Fitness+ trainers shared their top tips for daily mental health care:
JoAnna Hardy on the Power of Intention: “Setting an intention every morning can be a powerful way to start your day. Think of it like a compass that helps guide your actions. For example, ‘my intention is to be kinder to others and myself.’ Bringing your awareness back to the intention you set can help you go with the flow more easily.”
Christian Howard on a Simple Breathing Tip: “It’s not always easy to feel calm. Something as simple as focusing on your breath can help. Try shifting attention away from the busy-ness in your mind by noticing the feeling of air going in and out of your nostrils. I think about letting go of any tension as I slowly breathe out.”
Jonelle Lewis on Using Meditation for Better Sleep: “When you feel rested, you have more energy. If you find it hard to unwind, try doing a meditation before bed. Repeat a word in your mind, like ‘calm,’ or try a visualisation about a peaceful place. Even a few minutes of slow, deep breathing can help you get settled.”
Pricing and Availability in Malaysia
- Apple Fitness+: Available for RM19.90 per month or RM119.90 per year via the Fitness app.
- Apple Watch SE 3: Starts at RM1,049.
- Apple Watch Series 11: Starts at RM1,799.
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: Starts at RM3,699.
