May is Mental Health Month, designed to drive awareness for positive mental health care. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), 60% of people do not seek help when they feel they need it for fear of being labeled. While the organization works to increase funding for mental health care, there are ways you can leverage tech to help. Of course, nothing replaces speaking to a registered therapist or other licensed professional should you feel that you are in a mental health crisis. But if you’re looking for ways to help ease your stress, increase calm, and feel connected, tech and TV can help.
Tech For Mental Health
It’s no surprise that exercise releases endorphins which can in turn help improve your mood. Plus, it’s good for your overall health and wellness. Using workout apps and fitness devices like smartwatches and smart rings can encourage you to workout, engage in friendly competition with friends, family members, and even like-minded individuals, and develop programs and a routine. Many companion apps include workouts like meditations and yoga, while most smartwatches have things like breathing exercises. If you own an Apple Watch, you’ll love Apple Fitness+, but there are many others available from which to choose. You can even check out a variety of apps that use AI to track your movements and/or include lots of other cool features. Don’t discount something like a VR headset and active game like boxing that combines both gaming and fitness as well.
Food is a window to the soul, and using appliances to encourage healthier eating can, in turn, improve your health and wellness. A personal blender like the Blendjet 2 is a worthwhile option since it’s simple to use for single-servings, easy to clean, and can even be used on the go. Use it for smoothies, protein shakes, even homemade dips and hummus, making the most of ingredients you have at home and ensuring you get essential vitamins, greens, and protein.
Relaxation is important for mental health and there are many ways you can use tech to help you relax. Breathing and mindfulness exercises available through smartwatches and apps are a good start. But there are physical devices, too. Use a physical body massager for everywhere from your back to your shoulders or even your eyes. Walking through the Renpho booth at CES 2025 earlier this year, that brand, which specializes in health tech, has a wide range of products to help you relax and get into your Zen zone.
Music can also be very therapeutic. A good pair of headphones can truly immerse you in a playlist, helping you block out the world around you while you re-centre yourself. If you’re going with true wireless earbuds, I would recommend the Panasonic Technics EAZ-AZ100s, which will help you melt into your favourite tunes, whether it’s soft rock or heavy metal. For over-ears, invest in a pair of JBL Live 770NC headphones, which offer tremendous value for dollar, and are wonderful for travel, too.
If you love to read, consider an eReader like the Kobo Libra Colour, which can be used for journalling and jotting down notes as well. Journalling is a calming and therapeutic activity, and with the Kobo Stylus 2, you can keep a log of your thoughts in this eReader as well as annotate, highlight book passages, and more. The eReader has a 32GB capacity that can hold up to 24,000 eBooks or 150 Audiobooks, sports weeks of battery life per charge, and has a 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display that won’t strain your eyes. There are no distracting notifications, but you will get built-in Bluetooth for listening to Audiobooks.
Great TV Shows About Mental Health
Some people love to curl up with a good book, some with music, some revel in vegging in front of the TV and watching a good movie or show to help calm their nerves and take their mind off things. If you’re into TV, here are a few great shows with mental health themes.
Ted Lasso (2020-)
Ted Lasso is one of the most heartwarming, lovely shows on television. It surprised viewers when it became apparent halfway through that this wasn’t just a fun sports comedy drama, but also a show with a message about mental health. Lead character Ted (Jason Sudeikis) puts on a jovial face and exudes joy. But he also hides a dark sadness, which manifests in anxiety and panic attacks. Watching Ted navigate his journey along with stereotypically “manly” men like Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) sends a wonderful message: men suffer from mental illness, too, and no one should ever be embarrassed or reluctant to ask for help. A wonderful show about how to truly be a team, Ted Lasso will make you smile, feel like you’re not alone, and delivers the laughs, too. The series was supposed to have ended with its third season, but it will be coming back for a fourth.
Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.
Shrinking (2023-)
From the same team behind Ted Lasso, Shrinking beautifully weaves the topic of mental health in with light-hearted humor. Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) is a therapist whose job is to help others through their trauma, but he’s having trouble dealing with his own. His wife just tragically died in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver. He has neglected his teenage daughter, he’s dolling out bad advice and using unorthodox methods, and generally failing to deal with his feelings. Through the series, however, Jimmy learns to cope, even in the face of setbacks, both with the help of others and in coming to terms with acceptance on his own. A sweet, funny, heartwarming show, Shrinking also counts Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Harrison Ford, and Ted McGinley among its cast.
Stream Shrinking on Apple TV+.
13 Reasons Why (2017-)
13 Reasons Why isn’t an easy show to watch. In fact, the series has several warnings at the beginning of certain episodes. The story is set in high school where a teenager has died by suicide. She left behind a series of cassette tapes, each one addressed to a different person she claims played a role in her coming to this tragic decision. The story continues beyond this main one in season one through three more seasons that tackle topical issues like bullying, school violence, drug use, rape, parenting challenge, and overall trauma. It’s the kind of show to watch with your own teenagers and have a conversation about the episodes at the end of each one. The material is heavy, but it’s important to talk about. It’s also a terrifying glimpse into high school life and how awful kids can be as well as how it can be so easy for even the best parents to miss signs of hurt or harm.
Stream 13 Reasons Why on Netflix.
Homeland (2011-2020)
Homeland was lauded for its portrayal of bipolar disorder, with lead character Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) suffering from the mental disorder while navigating her dangerous and highly demanding job as a CIA officer. Danes does a wonderful job of demonstrating what it’s like, as do other characters around her dealing with Carrie’s episodes and challenges. But the series also shows how Carrie is brilliant at her job, and how she overcomes, adding a different dimension to the typical espionage thriller.
Found (2023-)
Found is a network procedural that asks you to suspend belief at times given its unbelievable storylines. But beneath the surface is a powerful message about mental health. Gaby Mosely (Shanola Hampton) was the victim of a kidnapping as a child. Instead of letting the trauma control her, now as an adult, she has set up a team of others who have dealt with similar pain. Together, they help families find missing loved ones that authorities push to the back burner or don’t take seriously. From a mother whose young child was kidnapped a decade ago to a military veteran who was once held captive for years and a tech expert with agoraphobia, they all lean on one another for support and help through tough times, channeling their trauma into good. It’s inspirational but also eye-opening in that, even while all the characters seemingly have it together, they each still suffer in their own ways, simply taking it day-by-day and finding satisfaction in helping others.
Stream Found on Citytv or watch on NBC.