Let me ask you this question: after a hard day running your small business, what do you actually do to wind down? Do you have a go-to routine that supports your health and wellbeing, or do you just collapse on the couch and scroll your phone until you fall asleep?
We all wind down differently. Some people play games, others watch videos, listen to music, read, watch TV, or exercise. And since most of us are never far from our phones, there’s now an app for almost every way you might want to relax.
One major benefit of winding down each night is that it lets you recharge for the next day. It gives your mind a real rest, and that rest is what helps you make more productive choices tomorrow instead of running on fumes.
Here are 7 free apps to help you wind down quickly, organized by the type of relaxation that works for you.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Topics
Key Takeaways
- Wind down routines help recharge your mind for better productivity the next day.
- The article lists 7 free apps to wind down, including BetterSleep for sleep, Insight Timer and Calm for meditation, Breathwrk for quick resets, Finch for gamified self-care, and Colorfy for creative relaxation.
- Consistency is key; tie your app usage to existing habits and keep your routine short.
- Both Insight Timer and Finch offer excellent free versions, while others may require subscriptions for full access.
- 5 to 10 minutes of winding down significantly signals to your brain that the workday is over.
For Better Sleep: BetterSleep
If you like to fall asleep to sound, this one’s for you. You may remember this app as Relax Melodies — it rebranded to BetterSleep a few years back, but it’s the same idea: mix and match sounds and melodies until you find a combination that helps you relax.
Mobile platform available: Google Play and App Store for iPhone
Description of the App: Pick your own sounds and melodies and mix and match whatever you like together — flute and running water is still my favorite combination. There are also a sleep tracker, a sleep recorder, guided meditations, and bedtime stories built in now. You can minimize the app and the sounds keep playing in the background.
Note: The free version gives you a solid library of sounds and mixes. The paid subscription unlocks premium sounds, sleep tracking insights, and the full meditation and story library.
For Meditation: Insight Timer and Calm
If meditation helps you relax, these two cover different needs. Insight Timer has one of the largest truly free meditation libraries, with hundreds of thousands of guided sessions from various teachers, plus a simple timer for unguided sitting. Calm is the more polished, structured option — it’s especially well known for its sleep stories and short guided sessions when your schedule is unpredictable.
Mobile platform available: Insight Timer on Google Play and App Store for iPhone; Calm on Google Play and App Store for iPhone
Description of the Apps: With Insight Timer, you can browse by topic — stress, sleep, anxiety, focus — and set your own session length. Calm offers guided and unguided meditations, sleep stories, and sessions as short as 3 minutes, which is handy on the nights you only have a few minutes to spare.
Note: Insight Timer’s free tier is genuinely generous. Calm’s free version is more limited, with the bulk of its library behind a paid subscription.
For a Quick Reset: Breathwrk
If sitting still for meditation isn’t your thing, breathing exercises can do much the same in less time. Breathwrk gives your mind a concrete job — follow the rhythm — which can be easier than trying to clear your head completely. Breathwrk is now part of Peloton; learn more at this link.
Mobile platform available: Google Play and iTunes App Store
Description of the App: Choose a breathing style based on what you need — calming techniques to wind down, or energizing ones for a midday reset. Most sessions take only a few minutes, making this one easy to fit in between client calls or right before bed.
Note: Go gently with breathing exercises. If you feel lightheaded, stop and return to normal breathing.
For Gamified Self-Care: Finch
If traditional relaxation apps feel like homework, Finch turns winding down into a game. You raise a small animated bird companion by completing real self-care tasks — and unlike a lot of “free” apps, the core experience here genuinely is free.
Mobile platform available: Google Play and App Store for iPhone
Description of the App: Each day, you check in with how you’re feeling, complete small self-care tasks (drink water, stretch, journal, take a short walk), and your bird grows and explores based on your progress. The daily reflection prompts are simple and not preachy, which makes it easy to stick with the habit.
For Creative Relaxation: Colorfy
Coloring is still a great way to take your mind off your day, no crayons or pencils (affiliate) required. Colorfy was one of the original digital coloring book apps, with mandalas, florals, animals, and patterns to color at your own pace.
Mobile platform available: Google Play, App Store for iPhone, and Amazon (affiliate)
Description of the App: Pick a picture, choose your colors, and tap to fill it in. There are dozens of designs across different categories, plus a feature where you can upload your own drawings to color.
Note: Colorfy’s free tier has become more limited over the past couple of years, and many of the higher-quality images are now behind a subscription. If that’s a dealbreaker, Happy Color App is a comparable color-by-number alternative with a more generous free version.
How to Build a 10-Minute Wind-Down Routine
You don’t need to use all of these apps every night — pick the one or two that match how you actually like to relax, then turn them into a short routine instead of something you only remember to do when you’re already overtired.
Pick a trigger. Tie your wind-down app to something you already do every night, like brushing your teeth or getting into bed. The app becomes part of the routine rather than another thing to remember.
Set a timer. Most of these apps let you set a sleep timer so they shut off automatically. This keeps you from accidentally scrolling through app menus when you should be relaxing.
Keep it consistent, not perfect. A short routine you actually do every night beats an elaborate one you only do occasionally. Even five minutes of intentional winding down is better than none.
I hope these apps help you relax, even on the stressful days. And if the real reason you can’t unwind is that your to-do list never actually ends, let’s talk about offloading some of that admin work so you get a little more of your evening back.
Frequently Asked Questions
BetterSleep is a solid starting point if sound helps you sleep — its free version includes a good library of mixable sounds. If you’d rather be guided into sleep with a story or meditation, try Insight Timer’s free sleep category first before paying for a Calm subscription.
Not necessarily. Insight Timer and Finch both have genuinely usable free tiers. BetterSleep, Calm, and Colorfy are freemium (Free and Premium), meaning the free version is useful, but the best content sits behind a subscription. Try the free version first, and upgrade only if you find yourself using it daily.
Even 5 to 10 minutes makes a difference. The goal isn’t a long ritual — it’s a consistent signal to your brain that the workday is over.
No. They’re useful for everyday stress and winding down, but they aren’t a substitute for working with a licensed therapist or other mental health professional if you’re dealing with ongoing anxiety, sleep problems, or burnout.
You’re not alone, and meditation isn’t required to relax. Breathwrk, BetterSleep’s ambient sounds, Finch’s task-based check-ins, or simply coloring with Colorfy are all meditation-free ways to wind down.
What are your favorite free apps to relax? I’d love to hear what works for you — leave a comment below.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
NOTE: AI helped me update my original post with additional information.
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Interesting. My idea of unwinding is to avoid technology altogether. It’s too easy to get sucked in. Putting my feet up with a good book is the way I do it.
Thanks for the tips, they seem like good apps to try out. 🙂
I did get those coloring books and markers to do while I wind down watching TV because I can’t just watch tv… and I can’t do the slow calming music.. I prefer my top 40 or hits/country or usual music… but I get your points.. great tips.
I like all the 3 of them! Thank you so much introducing them to us through this post.
Zaria
Both calming music and meditation are important to brain health. We are so hyped from our daily activities, that people have forgotten how to relax. Thanks for sharing these apps. Will be passing them on.
These are wonderful apps for relaxing and being calm….thanks for sharing Sabrina as I was not aware of them…..I am definately going to be checking them out…thank you!
Intrigued by Colorfy – will be trying it out tonight! I usually work right up until it’s time to go to sleep and then have a hard time winding down. Thanks for these recommendations!
Oh, really like the relaxation apps – thank you for sharing them – looking them up next. 🙂
Often, my busy mind keeps me awake in the middle of the night. These are great solutions. I always do something to “change the subject” and I have added the urls to my Handy Links stickie. Thanks.
I haven’t tried any of these, but a good friend of mine recommended a meditation app called Headspace.
Thanks for letting me know of this other app. I will check it out. =)
Sabrina – I honestly think my FAVORITE way to wind down is to have an interesting, intelligent, authentic conversation with someone about something I care about. I will have to look into the colorful app, though. Truthfully, I’m a little worried that I might waste hours at it like I can playing sudoku & such! Thanks for the suggestions:)
I agree, Joan. From my experience, with everyone’s “busy” schedule, it’s hard to do this. I do this once a week with a close cousin of mine. So, these apps are great for taking your mind off the to-dos in life. The relaxation app like Sound Melodies, allows you to set a timer, which is useful to stay within your allotted timeframe. Thanks for commenting.
I love the calm app. I haven’t tried the coloring app, but will have too soon. I did a painting class last night (with wine of course) and it was very relaxing.
That’s awesome, Christy. Thanks for commenting. =)
Hi Sabrina,
The apps sound appealing and, hopefully, biz owners see the value of using them throughout the day rather than waiting until the end of the day.
These all sound very interesting, Sabrina, especially Relax Melodies where you can mix and match the sounds. That does appeal to me. I don’t use any apps at all for these purposes. As someone who has an art therapy background, I know that actually creating the art holding paints or crayons or pencils is more of a soul experience and encourage people to engage their soul whenever possible. Because everything I listen to is still on an iPod for me, I do have a program I love called HeartSpheres, and although it is not a free program, it is well worth it because of the science behind it. Thanks for sharing these free apps you’ve found and love!
How wonderful of you to talk about these 3 apps. Most give us business apps. You are describing relaxation apps. Don’t know which one I’ll try as they all appeal to me.
Okay, I’ll definitely be trying the relaxing and calming apps! Thanks, Sabrina!