Imagine that this app is like a belt that you wear around your waist and it has pouches to carry some of your tools. Add tools to the belt, move around with it on, and you are ready for action. Although not an actual belt, having this app on your phone provides anxiety Tools that you will have with you whenever you feel anxious.
So the app has Tools, what do they do? A Tool simply provides instructions for dealing with anxiety as it occurs if you find that appropriate. If you are new to using Tools for anxiety, the app provides several of them for you to try. Each of these Tools has a name and comes with its own usage instructions. Also, the Tool feature is customizable. For example, you can always add a new Tool that you learn about from a therapist or a self-help resource. As you get familiar with the usage instructions for each Tool in the Anxiety Tool Belt, you are preparing to take action when anxiety occurs in the future.
Your Tools are easy to review starting from the Tools list. Each row is a different Tool and has a name and a color theme. The usage instructions of an individual Tool are be accessed from here, and you can change its color theme setting. A new Tool can be added after pressing the Add button. You will be prompted to name it, select a color theme, provide usage instructions, and then press the Add button. That’s it! Your new Tool appears in the Tools list and is ready for action.
In addition to Tools, this app has a Log feature. Here is how it works. You will start to create a Log as anxiety occurs if you find that appropriate. The Log you create provides a record on your phone that you can review later. This allows you to track progress over time, and later share your Logs with a therapist or someone else. Here are the details of creating a Log. From the Logs list (which is empty the first time you use the app) press the Add button, and you are directed to a single app form where you enter your new Log data. First rate your anxiety from 1 the lowest, to 9 the highest, and write your negative thoughts that underlie the anxious feelings. Then select a Tool, follow its instructions, and write your insights. Finally rate your anxiety after using the Tool and press the Add button. That’s it! Your new Log is done, and you will see it at the top of the Logs list.
Your Logs are easy to review from the Logs list. The color of a Log indicates the theme of the selected Tool for that Log. Each Log in the Logs list shows the level of anxiety before and after using the selected Tool (separated by an arrow), the date of Log creation and the name of the Tool selected, and in some cases a Favorites star to highlight an individual Log in your growing list of Logs. Individual Log details are easy to access from there and can be edited, including its Favorites button setting.
Privacy Policy
The data you enter in the app is only yours and it is not collected for anyone else. Also, the actual app data, consisting of your Tools and Logs, is only stored on your phone. You can delete the app and your data at any time.
Is Anxiety Tool Belt Appropriate For You?
Here are some things to consider, when evaluating if this app is appropriate for you. This app is not intended as an introductory resource for anxiety, and it is not to be used for mental health advice. Although this app provides several well-established default Tools, they are not novel, and they may or may not be appropriate for your situation. Finally, Tools that you get from outside this app also may or may not be appropriate for your situation.