Mood Mint – Boost Your Mood [iPhone]

Mood Mint combines a variety of psychological techniques to help boost your mood, and reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

There are 4 main components to Mood Mint (all backed by hard science):

1) COGNITIVE BIAS MODIFICATION
Attentional Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) is a computer-based therapy that gets the user to repeatedly select positive information over negative information. The aim of the game is to tap the positive image as quickly as possible. In this way, CBM helps train your brain to automatically focus more on positive information in your everyday life.The result: less stress and a happier you.

Studies show that Bias Modification can effectively lower anxiety with as little as 2 hours of treatment. A number of studies have shown that CBM can also help to alleviate depression. After several weeks of CBM, participants showed increased activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain associated with more positive, happier thinking.

Mood Mint allows you to fully customize the Cognitive Bias Modification game – edit, delete, or add your own images for a personalized CBM experience. Add pictures of things you are grateful for, happy events and people that are special to you and give them a positive charge. These will also help to trigger the release of ‘feel-good’ chemicals during each training session.

If you would like to find out more about Atttentional Cognitive Bias Modification (ACBM), and how it is being used to treat anxiety and depression, please visit BiasModification.com

2) HAPPY NOTES
Slides will appear during the cognitive bias modification session. These are loaded with bite-sized mental health tips, facts, stats, techniques and exercises to help boost your mood. You can take your time reading the slides and carrying out the exercises as the timer will stop while they are on screen.

All of the 'Happy Notes' are based on leading research and theory in psychology and neuroscience fields. Each and every one of them can help to lower stress and anxiety, and improve overall mental health and wellbeing.

Go to Settings to edit and add your own happy notes to the program.

3) POSITIVE WORD SEARCH
Just as focusing your attention on negative or threatening information can trigger the release of stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline, so focusing on positive information can trigger the release of ‘feel-good’ chemicals like serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins.

Research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience have shown that our brains automatically releases feel-good neurochemicals whenever we focus on a positive word.

The word search is designed to trigger these ‘feel-good’ chemicals by getting you to focus on positive words. You need to find all 4 of the words listed below the letter grid to complete the word search. Drag your finger over the letters in the grid to highlight each of the words listed.

To maximise the positive psychological effect, try to think of all the positive things you associate with each word as you search for it.

4) BREATHING EXERCISE
There is a guided breathing exercise at the end of each training session. Focusing on your breathing helps to ground you in the present, and triggers the parasympathetic (‘rest and digest’) response, helping you to instantly feel a little calmer. Focused breathing is an important element of mindful meditation, and it comes with a long list of mental health benefits.

Multiple studies have shown that focused breathing meditation alone can help to lower stress, reduce anxiety and depression.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU TRAIN?
The short answer – as often as you need to. For optimal results, you should aim to train for around 5 to 10 minutes per day, and anytime in between if you're feeling stressed, anxious or upset.

To complete the program, you need to earn 10 000 points.