Mood check-ins
Rate your mood from 1 to 10, tag the feelings around and add a note. Over time you'll see patterns you'd otherwise miss.
CBT and mindfulness for everyday wellbeing
Small steps.
Small steps.
Steadier days.
SteadySelf guides you through practical skills from cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness: catching unhelpful thoughts, steadying yourself in the moment, winding down at night, and doing more of what helps.
Private by design. Encrypted entries, no ads, delete any time.
Getting started
You don't have to work out where to begin
SteadySelf opens up gradually, so you only see what's useful to you right now.
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Choose your focus
Everyday stress, worry, low mood, winding down at night, or just exploring. SteadySelf suggests the tools that fit, and you can change your mind at any time.
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Three days of first steps
A gentle warm-up that shows you around: notice how you are, come back to the here and now, then do one small thing. About five minutes a day.
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One small step each day
After that, Today suggests a single thing to try: a two-minute practice, a question to think about, or a small activity. Skip it whenever you like.
The core skills
Everything you need to practise between the hard moments
Each tool takes a few minutes and comes with a short lesson explaining why it works.
Thought records
Six guided steps take you from a first reaction to a fairer, more balanced view. Come back later to see how strongly you still believe the old thought.
Activity planning
Low mood makes us do less. Plan small activities, including ordinary things done mindfully, then rate how much you achieved and enjoyed them.
Exposure ladder
List the situations you avoid, rank them, and work up from the easiest. Log your anxiety before and after each try.
Ten mindfulness practices
Paced breathing, grounding, mindful walking, a self-compassion pause, urge surfing, leaves on a stream, a body scan, settling for sleep and an unguided timer. Rate how settled you feel before and after, and see which ones help you most.
- Recorded voice guidance, your phone's voice, or none
- Save practices to use offline, anywhere
- Gentle vibration with each breath on supported phones
Day and night
Small habits that fit around your life
No streaks and no guilt. Use SteadySelf when it helps, and let it stay quiet when it doesn't.
Wind down in the evening
Park tonight's worries until tomorrow, note three good things from your day, then settle with a gentle practice. The screen dims to a soft night palette.
Three good things
A thirty-second evening habit: write down three things that went well, however small. Looking back over them helps on harder days.
Gentle reminders
If you'd like a nudge, choose the time and days. One a day at most, skipped if you've already done it, and discreet on your lock screen.
Confidence and self-esteem
See yourself more fairly
Low self-esteem is a habit of thinking, kept going by a harsh inner critic, a mind that filters out the good, and predictions that hold you back. These tools work on each one, with a 4-week course that takes you through them in order.
No positive affirmations: for people who feel bad about themselves they can backfire. Real evidence works better.
- Answer your inner criticWrite down what the critic says, then answer it the way you would a good friend.
- Evidence logChoose a fairer belief about yourself, collect everyday evidence for it, and watch how strongly you believe it change.
- ExperimentsTest a worried prediction like "they'll think I'm stupid" and see what really happens.
- My qualities and rules for livingList your good qualities with real examples, and rewrite strict rules like "I must never make mistakes".
Keep going
See how far you've come
Skills grow with practice. These tools help you notice the difference and keep what works.
Steady foundations
An optional 8-week course: one short read, one practice, one thing to try and a question to reflect on each week. Go at your own pace.
Weekly review
Your week at a glance: mood, practice, what you did and how your thoughts shifted, plus space to note what went well and what was hard.
Insights
Your mood over time, your most common thinking traps, and which practices and activities help you most.
Staying-well plan
Write down your early warning signs, what helps, and who you can turn to, so you know what to do if things get harder.
How a thought record works
Slow the moment down, then look at it again
When your mood drops, SteadySelf walks you through the same six steps a CBT therapist would use.
- SituationWhat happened, as a camera would see it.
- ThoughtWhat went through your mind.
- FeelingName the emotion and rate it 0–100%.
- TrapsSpot patterns like catastrophising.
- EvidenceWhat supports it, and what doesn't?
- Re-rateWrite a balanced thought and notice the shift.
Safety and privacy
Built carefully, because this matters
Mental health information is some of the most personal data there is. SteadySelf is designed to protect you and to point you to real help when you need it.
- Encrypted entriesWhat you write is encrypted before it's stored. Nobody else can read it.
- An app lock if you want oneAdd a passcode so nobody else can open SteadySelf on your phone, with Face ID or fingerprint in the app.
- Share on your termsMake a summary for your therapist or GP, choosing exactly what's in it. Nothing is ever shared automatically.
- You're in controlDownload all your data or delete your account permanently, any time, from inside the app.
- No ads, no selling dataYour entries are only ever used to show them back to you.
Help is always one tap away
Every screen has a Need help now? button, and the numbers work even offline. If something you write suggests you might be at risk, SteadySelf pauses and shows these services before saving anything.
- EmergencyIf you're in immediate danger or have seriously hurt yourself. You can also go to A&E.999
- NHS 111, option 2Urgent mental health support from your local NHS crisis team, 24 hours a day.111
- SamaritansTalk to someone any time, day or night. Free from any phone.116 123
- Shout: text SHOUT toText support 24/7 if you'd rather not talk. Free on major UK networks.85258
Numbers are for the UK. If tapping a number doesn't start a call, dial it from your phone.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is SteadySelf a replacement for therapy?
No. SteadySelf is a self-help tool for learning and practising CBT and mindfulness skills. It doesn't diagnose or treat any condition and nobody reviews what you write. If you're struggling, talk to your GP or, in England, refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for free CBT with a trained practitioner.
What is CBT?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a well-researched approach built on the idea that thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other. Learning to notice and question unhelpful thoughts, and to change what you do, can shift how you feel.
Is SteadySelf a meditation app?
Partly. There are ten short mindfulness practices, from one minute of paced breathing to a body scan and an unguided timer, but they're there to support the CBT skills: steadying yourself before a thought record, staying with anxiety on your exposure ladder, or noticing thoughts without being swept along by them. Mindfulness isn't right for everyone at every moment, so outward-focused practices like grounding and mindful walking are offered first when things feel intense.
Where do I start?
When you sign up, choose what you'd like to focus on: everyday stress, worry, low mood, winding down at night, or just exploring. Three short days of First steps show you around, and after that Today suggests one small step each day. When you're ready, the optional 8-week Steady foundations course takes you through every skill in order.
Who can see what I write?
Only you. Free-text answers are encrypted before they're stored, SteadySelf has no ads, and your data is never sold or shared for marketing. You can download everything or delete your account permanently from inside the app, and you can add a passcode lock so nobody else can open it on your phone.
Can I share my progress with a therapist or GP?
Yes, if you choose to. Make a summary for the dates and sections you pick, with the option to leave out anything you wrote yourself, then print it or save it as a PDF. Nothing is ever shared automatically.
Will it send me notifications?
Only if you turn reminders on. You choose the time and the days, there's never more than one a day, and none if you've already done it that day. They're discreet by default: the notification just says "A gentle reminder", so nobody glancing at your phone can tell what it's for.
Do I need to download anything?
No. SteadySelf works in any modern browser on your phone, tablet or computer. Add it to your home screen and it opens full screen like any other app. Grounding and breathing practices work even without a connection, along with any others you save to your device.
How much does it cost?
SteadySelf is free to use while it's in early access. Crisis support, the core skills and your own data will always be free.
Who is SteadySelf for?
Adults and young people aged 16 and over who'd like practical skills for everyday stress, worry and low mood, or simply want to look after their wellbeing.
What if I'm in crisis?
SteadySelf isn't designed for emergencies. Call 999 if you're in danger, call NHS 111 and choose option 2 for urgent mental health help, or call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time. The Need help now? button on every page lists these services, even offline.
Start with one small step
Create a free account, choose your focus and try your first check-in. It takes less than a minute.
Start freeWorks on any phone, tablet or computer. Add it to your home screen to use it like an app.