The Scoop: Paying attention to your mental health is important to ensure you’re living your best life. People have new resources and passionate mental health advocates ready to support them on their mental health journeys. The Wysa app is one of many resources dedicated to helping people learn and obtain a healthy lifestyle. Wysa uses clinically validated AI for people who need a safe space to speak about their worries and stressors. Singles looking for an anonymous way to express their dating struggles, or any struggle for that matter, can use Wysa.
Life is a rollercoaster that comes with many challenges along the ride. But what makes or breaks people during those challenges is how they take care of themselves. Taking time to focus on your mental health — even while juggling your other responsibilities — is important. Your mind influences how you view the world and how you move forward in your daily life.
The everyday mental health app Wysa is a great resource for people to gain control over their mental health. Wysa started after 15 people came together and used their professional backgrounds to build something that would help better people’s mental health. They wanted to create an app to help with general mental health maintenance, instead of one that focused on crisis therapy.
Wysa was created by trained coaches, both AI and human mental health professionals, who are determined to help you reach your goals. The Wysa team said it provides evidence-based tools and techniques to help people manage emotions. That allows the app to encourage mental well-being in a self-help context. Since it launched, Wysa now has over 500,000 users and counting.
Wysa currently has over 150 people from different countries as part of the team . Before Smriti Joshi — licensed Clinical Psychologist and Chief Psychologist at Wysa — joined Wysa, she was a private practitioner for 12 years. Smriti told us that during that time, she kept dreaming of reaching more people and helping them beyond her scheduled six-to-seven-hour days of clinical work.
“Wysa provided me with what I had been searching for,” said Smriti. “The product vision and organizational values were so well aligned with my vision of what I wanted to do in the mental health space. Joining Wysa allowed this vision to be actualized. I knew that AI in mental health support could be offered at a scale and address the various barriers, issues in accessibility, and stigma surrounding mental health.”
On a Mission To Solve Global Mental Health
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental illnesses are very common in the United States. Through research, it was discovered that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults suffer from a mental health disorder. Knowing that the number is unfortunately high, Wysa’s primary goal is to help come up with a solution for people to receive the mental aid they need.
Smriti told us that Wysa’s services provided by mental health professionals aren’t meant just for those experiencing a mental health condition or serious concerns. Mental health professionals are there for anyone who may be feeling stressed or not like themselves and wants to talk about it with someone.
“We’re here to help work through conflicts and work on enhancing existing strengths and relationships. Mental health support is for everyone, and I wish people knew that mental health is a spectrum spanning from daily wellness needs to those who need more intense support,” said Smriti.
One of the main things that Wysa pushes for is self-care. Through teachings and available resources, Wysa shares the importance of self-care and what that can look like for people. Self-care is different for everyone. Whether it’s going to the gym or treating yourself to a spa day, self-care is important for your mental health. Smriti shared that a lack of self-care is like abandoning one’s self to meet all other expectations and demands.
For daters to present the best of who they are, they must first find the time to take care of themselves. Dating can come with a lot of stress and not taking care of yourself can cause your dating life to suffer. Taking a few days out of the week to be intentional about taking care of yourself can go a long way.
“Like they say in planes, put on your oxygen mask before helping others. Tending to your own needs and prioritizing them as much as you prioritize charging your phone’s battery will help you feel motivated, energized, confident, and content,” said Smriti.
Adopting a Healthy Mind for a Better Life
Wysa has a large user base. People from more than 30 different countries use Wysa for their mental health needs. Wysa users vary in age and background. Wysa was designed to help those who may be experiencing a low mood, stress, or anxiety and want to do something about it. Those who want to improve their emotional resilience can do so with Wysa’s aid.
Adopting a healthy mindset is easier said than done. Thinking positively when your life is full of chaos is not a simple task. With time, people can learn how to shift their mindset for better results. When life throws problems your way, Wysa wants you to be able to process them properly and not allow them to destroy your way of thinking.
“A flexible, growth-oriented mindset can help people overcome any barriers to their goals and get to where they want to be in life,” said Smriti. “A growth-oriented mindset can be developed by embracing challenges and adjusting one’s point of view to see obstacles as a way to explore one’s strengths, identifying gaps that can be filled by learning, and seeking guidance and support from others to get through these challenges.”
Looking for a significant other when you’re struggling to understand yourself isn’t impossible, but it can be very tricky. Wysa encourages singles to first seek professional support to help identify healthy mental health practices. This will not only set you up for dating success but would help you discover what you want out of a partner as well.
“Being single can leave you feeling isolated or as if you have no one to talk to, making it increasingly difficult to seek support, especially when feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. As living beings, we are vulnerable to burn out, especially if self-care is compromised,” said Smriti.
Wysa: Meeting People Where They Are
The Wysa team is proud to have supported over 10 million lives across the mental health spectrum so far. Talking to a Wysa AI is free and includes cool chatting features for a much more enjoyable conversation. Wysa offers a premium version for those who want to experience more features, including direct access to Wysa’s Emotional Well-Being professional services.
Wysa’s team aims to meet people where they are in life. Each case and situation is different and is treated as such. For user’s comfort, when signing up people don’t have to use their real names. Wysa encourages users to use a dummy name or nickname in their conversations with either Wysa’s AI coach or an Emotional Well-Being professional. Remaining anonymous makes no difference to the process but it gives people a sense of peace that they find useful in opening up about what’s going on in their lives.
Through its work, the Wysa team has learned how powerful having a private, anonymous conversation can be. The AI-based chat platform serves as a resource for talking through problems and thinking through those deep personal questions that can keep people up at night. It’s an outlet for sharing feelings and secrets in safety. And hopefully in the process individuals become more comfortable having these types of discussions whenever they’re ready to reach out to friends, family, or a wellness professional.
