About Andy

Who Andy is for, what it helps with, how it works toward its benefits, the science behind the content, its important limits, and how it is funded.

1)Who Andy is for

Andy is for adults who want to keep track of their mood, anxiety, and stress, whether that means the occasional rough week or ongoing anxiety. It's also useful if you're working with a therapist and want a simple record to bring to sessions. Carers and health professionals may also find it useful to recommend as a complement to care.

Age: Andy is intended for people aged 16+.

2)What Andy helps with

Andy addresses the everyday management of anxiety and stress: noticing how you feel, spotting patterns over time, and building a small daily habit of checking in with yourself. Andy is a self-monitoring and wellbeing tool. It does not diagnose or treat any condition.

3)What Andy is designed to do

  • Simple self-monitoring: log your mood on a 5-level scale, tag feelings and activities, add optional notes
  • Self-management: review your timeline and weekly/monthly charts to understand your own patterns
  • Preventive habit-building: daily check-in reminders and streaks as light motivation
  • Support for professional care: export your history (PDF or data file) to share with your therapist or doctor

4)The benefits you can expect

Used regularly, Andy can help you: become more aware of your emotions and their intensity; identify patterns and triggers (which days, activities, or situations affect you); keep an accurate record instead of relying on memory; and have better-informed conversations with the professionals who support you. Andy supports your wellbeing. It is not a treatment, and results depend on your own use and circumstances.

5)How Andy works toward those benefits

Andy relies on three techniques with a long track record in psychology: self-monitoring (the daily mood log, a core tool of cognitive-behavioural approaches), paced breathing exercises (guided inhale/exhale timing to settle the body's stress response), and psychoeducation (short reads that explain how anxiety, stress, and mood work). No AI interprets your data; your charts show only what you logged.

6)The science behind the content

Andy's educational content draws on established, peer-reviewed psychology. Every path, plan day and breathing bridge in the app names the work it is based on. This is the full list, grouped by topic:

Anxiety, panic and worry

  • Beck, A.T. & Emery, G., with Greenberg, R.L. (1985). Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-00385-3
  • Beck, A.T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects. Harper & Row (reissued 1972 as Depression: Causes and Treatment, University of Pennsylvania Press, ISBN 978-0-8122-7652-7)
  • Beck, A.T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. International Universities Press. ISBN 978-0-8236-0990-1
  • Beck, A.T. & Clark, D.A. (1997). An information processing model of anxiety: Automatic and strategic processes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(1), 49-58. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(96)00069-1
  • Clark, D.M. (1986). A cognitive approach to panic. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(4), 461-470. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(86)90011-2
  • American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
  • Barlow, D.H. (2002). Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-57230-430-7
  • Borkovec, T.D., Wilkinson, L., Folensbee, R. & Lerman, C. (1983). Stimulus control applications to the treatment of worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21(3), 247-251. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(83)90206-1
  • Borkovec, T.D. (1994). The nature, functions, and origins of worry. In G.C.L. Davey & F. Tallis (Eds.), Worrying: Perspectives on Theory, Assessment and Treatment (pp. 5-33). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-94114-5
  • Borkovec, T.D., Alcaine, O.M. & Behar, E. (2004). Avoidance theory of worry and generalized anxiety disorder. In R.G. Heimberg, C.L. Turk & D.S. Mennin (Eds.), Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Advances in Research and Practice (pp. 77-108). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-59385-039-7
  • McGowan, S.K. & Behar, E. (2013). A preliminary investigation of stimulus control training for worry: Effects on anxiety and insomnia. Behavior Modification, 37(1), 90-112. doi:10.1177/0145445512455661
  • Dugas, M.J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R. & Freeston, M.H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(97)00070-3
  • Dugas, M.J. & Robichaud, M. (2007). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: From Science to Practice. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-95211-8
  • Ladouceur, R., Dugas, M.J., Freeston, M.H., Léger, E., Gagnon, F. & Thibodeau, N. (2000). Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Evaluation in a controlled clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(6), 957-964. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.68.6.957
  • Carleton, R.N. (2016). Into the unknown: A review and synthesis of contemporary models involving uncertainty. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 39, 30-43. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.02.007
  • Foa, E.B. & Kozak, M.J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information. Psychological Bulletin, 99(1), 20-35. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.99.1.20
  • Craske, M.G., Treanor, M., Conway, C.C., Zbozinek, T. & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10-23. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
  • Craske, M.G. & Barlow, D.H. (2007). Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic: Therapist Guide (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-531134-1
  • Boettcher, H., Brake, C.A. & Barlow, D.H. (2016). Origins and outlook of interoceptive exposure. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 53, 41-51. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.10.009
  • Mowrer, O.H. (1947). On the dual nature of learning: A re-interpretation of "conditioning" and "problem-solving". Harvard Educational Review, 17, 102-148
  • LeDoux, J.E. (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-83659-1
  • Nesse, R.M. (2005). Natural selection and the regulation of defenses: A signal detection analysis of the smoke detector principle. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26(1), 88-105. doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2004.08.002
  • Arntz, A., Rauner, M. & van den Hout, M. (1995). "If I feel anxious, there must be danger": Ex-consequentia reasoning in inferring danger in anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(8), 917-925. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(95)00032-S
  • Grupe, D.W. & Nitschke, J.B. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: An integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(7), 488-501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524
  • de Berker, A.O., Rutledge, R.B., Mathys, C., Marshall, L., Cross, G.F., Dolan, R.J. & Bestmann, S. (2016). Computations of uncertainty mediate acute stress responses in humans. Nature Communications, 7, 10996. doi:10.1038/ncomms10996
  • Lieberman, M.D., Eisenberger, N.I., Crockett, M.J., Tom, S.M., Pfeifer, J.H. & Way, B.M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
  • Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-4625-1699-5
  • Hayes, S.C., Strosahl, K.D. & Wilson, K.G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-60918-962-4
  • Roemer, L., Orsillo, S.M. & Salters-Pedneault, K. (2008). Efficacy of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: Evaluation in a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(6), 1083-1089. doi:10.1037/a0012720
  • Segal, Z.V., Williams, J.M.G. & Teasdale, J.D. (2013). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-4625-0750-4
  • Wegner, D.M., Schneider, D.J., Carter, S.R. & White, T.L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1), 5-13. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.53.1.5
  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(4), 569-582. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.100.4.569
  • Watkins, E.R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163-206. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.163
  • Gotlib, I.H. & Joormann, J. (2010). Cognition and depression: Current status and future directions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 285-312. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131305
  • Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C. & Vohs, K.D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323-370. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.5.4.323
  • Rozin, P. & Royzman, E.B. (2001). Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(4), 296-320. doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0504_2

Social anxiety

  • Clark, D.M. & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R.G. Heimberg, M.R. Liebowitz, D.A. Hope & F.R. Schneier (Eds.), Social Phobia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment (pp. 69-93). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-57230-012-5
  • Rapee, R.M. & Heimberg, R.G. (1997). A cognitive-behavioral model of anxiety in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(8), 741-756. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(97)00022-3
  • Heimberg, R.G. & Becker, R.E. (2002). Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Strategies. Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-57230-770-4
  • Heimberg, R.G., Liebowitz, M.R., Hope, D.A., Schneier, F.R., Holt, C.S., Welkowitz, L.A., Juster, H.R., Campeas, R., Bruch, M.A., Cloitre, M., Fallon, B. & Klein, D.F. (1998). Cognitive behavioral group therapy vs phenelzine therapy for social phobia: 12-week outcome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(12), 1133-1141. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.55.12.1133
  • Hope, D.A., Heimberg, R.G. & Turk, C.L. (2010). Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach, Workbook (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533669-6
  • Hofmann, S.G. & Smits, J.A.J. (2008). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(4), 621-632. doi:10.4088/JCP.v69n0415
  • Gilovich, T., Medvec, V.H. & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one's own actions and appearance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(2), 211-222. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.211
  • Savitsky, K., Epley, N. & Gilovich, T. (2001). Do others judge us as harshly as we think? Overestimating the impact of our failures, shortcomings, and mishaps. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(1), 44-56. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.81.1.44
  • Brozovich, F. & Heimberg, R.G. (2008). An analysis of post-event processing in social anxiety disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(6), 891-903. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2008.01.002
  • Hirsch, C.R., Clark, D.M., Mathews, A. & Williams, R. (2003). Self-images play a causal role in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41(8), 909-921. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00103-1
  • Spurr, J.M. & Stopa, L. (2002). Self-focused attention in social phobia and social anxiety. Clinical Psychology Review, 22(7), 947-975. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(02)00107-1
  • Wells, A., White, J. & Carter, K. (1997). Attention training: Effects on anxiety and beliefs in panic and social phobia. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 4(4), 226-232
  • Wells, A. (1990). Panic disorder in association with relaxation induced anxiety: An attentional training approach to treatment. Behavior Therapy, 21(3), 273-280. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80330-2
  • Bögels, S.M. & Mansell, W. (2004). Attention processes in the maintenance and treatment of social phobia: Hypervigilance, avoidance and self-focused attention. Clinical Psychology Review, 24(7), 827-856. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2004.06.005
  • Alden, L.E. & Taylor, C.T. (2004). Interpersonal processes in social phobia. Clinical Psychology Review, 24(7), 857-882. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2004.07.006
  • Wallace, S.T. & Alden, L.E. (1991). A comparison of social standards and perceived ability in anxious and nonanxious men. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 15(3), 237-254. doi:10.1007/BF01173016
  • Carleton, R.N., Collimore, K.C. & Asmundson, G.J.G. (2010). "It's not just the judgements, it's that I don't know": Intolerance of uncertainty as a predictor of social anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24(2), 189-195. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2009.10.007
  • Salkovskis, P.M. (1991). The importance of behaviour in the maintenance of anxiety and panic: A cognitive account. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 19(1), 6-19. doi:10.1017/S0141347300011472
  • McManus, F., Sacadura, C. & Clark, D.M. (2008). Why social anxiety persists: An experimental investigation of the role of safety behaviours as a maintaining factor. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 39(2), 147-161. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2006.12.002
  • Helbig-Lang, S. & Petermann, F. (2010). Tolerate or eliminate? A systematic review on the effects of safety behavior across anxiety disorders. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17(3), 218-233. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2010.01213.x

Health anxiety

  • Salkovskis, P.M. & Warwick, H.M.C. (1986). Morbid preoccupations, health anxiety and reassurance: A cognitive-behavioural approach to hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(5), 597-602. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(86)90041-0
  • Warwick, H.M.C. & Salkovskis, P.M. (1990). Hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(2), 105-117. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(90)90023-C
  • Salkovskis, P.M. (1989). Somatic problems. In K. Hawton, P.M. Salkovskis, J. Kirk & D.M. Clark (Eds.), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychiatric Problems: A Practical Guide (pp. 235-276). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-261587-9
  • Salkovskis, P.M., Warwick, H.M.C. & Deale, A.C. (2003). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for severe and persistent health anxiety (hypochondriasis). Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 3(3), 353-368. doi:10.1093/brief-treatment/mhg026
  • Barsky, A.J., Wyshak, G. & Klerman, G.L. (1990). The Somatosensory Amplification Scale and its relationship to hypochondriasis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 24(4), 323-334. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(90)90004-A
  • Barsky, A.J. & Ahern, D.K. (2004). Cognitive behavior therapy for hypochondriasis: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 291(12), 1464-1470. doi:10.1001/jama.291.12.1464
  • Asmundson, G.J.G., Abramowitz, J.S., Richter, A.A. & Whedon, M. (2010). Health anxiety: Current perspectives and future directions. Current Psychiatry Reports, 12(4), 306-312. doi:10.1007/s11920-010-0123-9
  • Taylor, S. & Asmundson, G.J.G. (2004). Treating Health Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach. Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-57230-998-2
  • Abramowitz, J.S., Olatunji, B.O. & Deacon, B.J. (2007). Health anxiety, hypochondriasis, and the anxiety disorders. Behavior Therapy, 38(1), 86-94. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2006.05.001
  • Abramowitz, J.S. & Moore, E.L. (2007). An experimental analysis of hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(3), 413-424. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.04.005
  • Deacon, B. & Abramowitz, J.S. (2008). Is hypochondriasis related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, or both? An empirical evaluation. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 22(2), 115-127. doi:10.1891/0889-8391.22.2.115
  • Olatunji, B.O., Kauffman, B.Y., Meltzer, S., Davis, M.L., Smits, J.A.J. & Powers, M.B. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for hypochondriasis/health anxiety: A meta-analysis of treatment outcome and moderators. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 65-74. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.05.002
  • Wright, K.D., Lebell, M.A.N.A. & Carleton, R.N. (2016). Intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, health anxiety, and anxiety disorder symptoms in youth. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 41, 35-42. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.011
  • Bouman, T.K. & Visser, S. (1998). Cognitive and behavioural treatment of hypochondriasis. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 67(4-5), 214-221. doi:10.1159/000012283
  • Lucock, M.P., Morley, S., White, C. & Peake, M.D. (1997). Responses of consecutive patients to reassurance after gastroscopy: Results of self administered questionnaire survey. BMJ, 315(7108), 572-575. doi:10.1136/bmj.315.7108.572
  • Marcus, D.K., Gurley, J.R., Marchi, M.M. & Bauer, C. (2007). Cognitive and perceptual variables in hypochondriasis and health anxiety: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 27(2), 127-139. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2006.09.003
  • Wells, A. & Hackmann, A. (1993). Imagery and core beliefs in health anxiety: Content and origins. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 21(3), 265-273
  • Papageorgiou, C. & Wells, A. (1998). Effects of attention training on hypochondriasis: A brief case series. Psychological Medicine, 28(1), 193-200. doi:10.1017/S0033291797005825
  • Starcevic, V. & Berle, D. (2013). Cyberchondria: Towards a better understanding of excessive health-related Internet use. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 13(2), 205-213. doi:10.1586/ern.12.162
  • Fergus, T.A. (2013). Cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty: Examining when individuals experience health anxiety in response to Internet searches for medical information. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(10), 735-739. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0671

Sleep

  • Bootzin, R.R. (1972). Stimulus control treatment for insomnia. Proceedings of the 80th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, 7, 395-396
  • Bootzin, R.R. & Epstein, D.R. (2011). Understanding and treating insomnia. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 435-458. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.3.022806.091516
  • Espie, C.A. (2002). Insomnia: Conceptual issues in the development, persistence, and treatment of sleep disorder in adults. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 215-243. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135243
  • Espie, C.A., Broomfield, N.M., MacMahon, K.M.A., Macphee, L.M. & Taylor, L.M. (2006). The attention-intention-effort pathway in the development of psychophysiologic insomnia: A theoretical review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 10(4), 215-245. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2006.03.002
  • Espie, C.A. (2006). Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. Robinson. ISBN 978-1-84529-070-2
  • Harvey, A.G. (2002). A cognitive model of insomnia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40(8), 869-893. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00061-4
  • Morin, C.M., Bootzin, R.R., Buysse, D.J., Edinger, J.D., Espie, C.A. & Lichstein, K.L. (2006). Psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia: Update of the recent evidence (1998-2004). Sleep, 29(11), 1398-1414. doi:10.1093/sleep/29.11.1398
  • Morin, C.M., Vallières, A. & Ivers, H. (2007). Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS): Validation of a brief version (DBAS-16). Sleep, 30(11), 1547-1554. doi:10.1093/sleep/30.11.1547
  • Perlis, M.L., Giles, D.E., Mendelson, W.B., Bootzin, R.R. & Wyatt, J.K. (1997). Psychophysiological insomnia: The behavioural model and a neurocognitive perspective. Journal of Sleep Research, 6(3), 179-188. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2869.1997.00045.x
  • Perlis, M.L., Jungquist, C., Smith, M.T. & Posner, D. (2005). Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia: A Session-by-Session Guide. Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-22252-3
  • Riemann, D., Spiegelhalder, K., Feige, B., Voderholzer, U., Berger, M., Perlis, M. & Nissen, C. (2010). The hyperarousal model of insomnia: A review of the concept and its evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 14(1), 19-31. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2009.04.002
  • Spielman, A.J., Caruso, L.S. & Glovinsky, P.B. (1987). A behavioral perspective on insomnia treatment. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 10(4), 541-553. doi:10.1016/S0193-953X(18)30532-X
  • Broomfield, N.M. & Espie, C.A. (2003). Initial insomnia and paradoxical intention: An experimental investigation of putative mechanisms using subjective and actigraphic measurement of sleep. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 31(3), 313-324. doi:10.1017/S1352465803003060
  • Broomfield, N.M. & Espie, C.A. (2005). Towards a valid, reliable measure of sleep effort. Journal of Sleep Research, 14(4), 401-407. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2005.00481.x
  • Carney, C.E. & Waters, W.F. (2006). Effects of a structured problem-solving procedure on pre-sleep cognitive arousal in college students with insomnia. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 4(1), 13-28. doi:10.1207/s15402010bsm0401_2
  • Scullin, M.K., Krueger, M.L., Ballard, H.K., Pruett, N. & Bliwise, D.L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139-146. doi:10.1037/xge0000374
  • Borbély, A.A. (1982). A two process model of sleep regulation. Human Neurobiology, 1(3), 195-204. PMID 7185792
  • Edgar, D.M., Dement, W.C. & Fuller, C.A. (1993). Effect of SCN lesions on sleep in squirrel monkeys: Evidence for opponent processes in sleep-wake regulation. Journal of Neuroscience, 13(3), 1065-1079. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.13-03-01065.1993
  • Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J. & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170
  • Landolt, H.-P. (2008). Sleep homeostasis: A role for adenosine in humans? Biochemical Pharmacology, 75(11), 2070-2079. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2008.02.024
  • Lacks, P. & Rotert, M. (1986). Knowledge and practice of sleep hygiene techniques in insomniacs and good sleepers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(3), 365-368. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(86)90197-X
  • Stepanski, E.J. & Wyatt, J.K. (2003). Use of sleep hygiene in the treatment of insomnia. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 7(3), 215-225. doi:10.1053/smrv.2001.0246
  • Ong, J.C., Manber, R., Segal, Z., Xia, Y., Shapiro, S. & Wyatt, J.K. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for chronic insomnia. Sleep, 37(9), 1553-1563. doi:10.5665/sleep.4010
  • Ellis, J.G., Gehrman, P., Espie, C.A., Riemann, D. & Perlis, M.L. (2012). Acute insomnia: Current conceptualizations and future directions. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 16(1), 5-14. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2011.02.002

Stress, work and burnout

  • Maslach, C. & Jackson, S.E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99-113. doi:10.1002/job.4030020205
  • Demerouti, E., Bakker, A.B., Nachreiner, F. & Schaufeli, W.B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499-512. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
  • Karasek, R.A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285-308. doi:10.2307/2392498
  • Siegrist, J. (1996). Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 1(1), 27-41. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.1.1.27
  • Sonnentag, S. & Bayer, U.-V. (2005). Switching off mentally: Predictors and consequences of psychological detachment from work during off-job time. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10(4), 393-414. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.10.4.393
  • Sonnentag, S. & Fritz, C. (2015). Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72-S103. doi:10.1002/job.1924
  • Westman, M. (2001). Stress and strain crossover. Human Relations, 54(6), 717-751. doi:10.1177/0018726701546002
  • McEwen, B.S. & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153(18), 2093-2101. doi:10.1001/archinte.1993.00410180039004
  • Sapolsky, R.M. (2004). Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (3rd ed.). Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-7369-0
  • Frankenhaeuser, M. (1991). The psychophysiology of workload, stress, and health: Comparison between the sexes. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 13(4), 197-204. doi:10.1093/abm/13.4.197
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  • Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4555-8669-1
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  • Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 134-140. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00028-7
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  • Ferster, C.B. & Skinner, B.F. (1957). Schedules of Reinforcement. Appleton-Century-Crofts

Money worries

  • Karlsson, N., Loewenstein, G. & Seppi, D. (2009). The ostrich effect: Selective attention to information. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 38(2), 95-115. doi:10.1007/s11166-009-9060-6
  • Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E. & Zhao, J. (2013). Poverty impedes cognitive function. Science, 341(6149), 976-980. doi:10.1126/science.1238041
  • Guan, N., Guariglia, A., Moore, P., Xu, F. & Al-Janabi, H. (2022). Financial stress and depression in adults: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 17(2), e0264041. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0264041
  • Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (2016). Money on Your Mind. MMHPI report, London
  • Thaler, R.H. & Benartzi, S. (2004). Save More Tomorrow: Using behavioral economics to increase employee saving. Journal of Political Economy, 112(S1), S164-S187. doi:10.1086/380085
  • Madrian, B.C. & Shea, D.F. (2001). The power of suggestion: Inertia in 401(k) participation and savings behavior. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 116(4), 1149-1187. doi:10.1162/003355301753265543
  • Thaler, R.H. & Sunstein, C.R. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12223-7
  • Gollwitzer, P.M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493-503. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493

Low mood and energy

  • Lewinsohn, P.M. (1974). A behavioral approach to depression. In R.J. Friedman & M.M. Katz (Eds.), The Psychology of Depression: Contemporary Theory and Research (pp. 157-178). Winston-Wiley
  • Martell, C.R., Dimidjian, S. & Herman-Dunn, R. (2010). Behavioral Activation for Depression: A Clinician's Guide. Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-60623-515-7
  • Treadway, M.T. & Zald, D.H. (2011). Reconsidering anhedonia in depression: Lessons from translational neuroscience. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(3), 537-555. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.06.006

Perfectionism, decisions and self-criticism

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  • Frost, R.O. & Shows, D.L. (1993). The nature and measurement of compulsive indecisiveness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31(7), 683-692. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(93)90121-A
  • Flett, G.L., Hewitt, P.L., Blankstein, K.R. & Gray, L. (1998). Psychological distress and the frequency of perfectionistic thinking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(5), 1363-1381. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.75.5.1363
  • Shafran, R., Cooper, Z. & Fairburn, C.G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism: A cognitive-behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40(7), 773-791. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00059-6
  • Stoeber, J. & Otto, K. (2006). Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10(4), 295-319. doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr1004_2
  • Sirois, F. & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115-127. doi:10.1111/spc3.12011
  • Sirois, F.M., Molnar, D.S. & Hirsch, J.K. (2017). A meta-analytic and conceptual update on the associations between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. European Journal of Personality, 31(2), 137-159. doi:10.1002/per.2098
  • Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M. & Tice, D.M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252-1265. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1252
  • Vohs, K.D., Baumeister, R.F., Schmeichel, B.J., Twenge, J.M., Nelson, N.M. & Tice, D.M. (2008). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(5), 883-898. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.883
  • Iyengar, S.S. & Lepper, M.R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995-1006. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995
  • Hagger, M.S. et al. (2016). A multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion effect. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(4), 546-573. doi:10.1177/1745691616652873
  • Schwartz, B. (2004). The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. Ecco. ISBN 978-0-06-000568-9
  • Neff, K.D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85-101. doi:10.1080/15298860309032
  • Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-173351-2
  • Neff, K.D. & Germer, C.K. (2013). A pilot randomized controlled trial of a mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44. doi:10.1002/jclp.21923
  • Gilbert, P. (2009). The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life's Challenges. Constable & Robinson. ISBN 978-1-84529-713-8
  • Gilbert, P. & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13(6), 353-379. doi:10.1002/cpp.507
  • Tangney, J.P., Wagner, P. & Gramzow, R. (1992). Proneness to shame, proneness to guilt, and psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(3), 469-478. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.101.3.469
  • Brewin, C.R., Firth-Cozens, J., Furnham, A. & McManus, C. (1992). Self-criticism in adulthood and recalled childhood experience. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(3), 561-566. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.101.3.561

Anger

  • Novaco, R.W. (1975). Anger Control: The Development and Evaluation of an Experimental Treatment. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-669-99093-5
  • Novaco, R.W. (1977). Stress inoculation: A cognitive therapy for anger and its application to a case of depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45(4), 600-608. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.45.4.600
  • Beck, R. & Fernandez, E. (1998). Cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of anger: A meta-analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22(1), 63-74. doi:10.1023/A:1018763902991
  • Berkowitz, L. (1990). On the formation and regulation of anger and aggression: A cognitive-neoassociationistic analysis. American Psychologist, 45(4), 494-503. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.45.4.494
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  • DiGiuseppe, R. & Tafrate, R.C. (2007). Understanding Anger Disorders. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-517079-5
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  • Gottman, J.M. & Silver, N. (1999). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Crown. ISBN 978-0-609-80579-4

Gratitude

  • Hazlett, L.I., Moieni, M., Irwin, M.R., Haltom, K.E.B., Jevtic, I., Meyer, M.L., Breen, E.C., Cole, S.W. & Eisenberger, N.I. (2021). Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 95, 444-453. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.019
  • Kini, P., Wong, J., McInnis, S., Gabana, N. & Brown, J.W. (2016). The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity. NeuroImage, 128, 1-10. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.040
  • Lau, R.W.L. & Cheng, S.-T. (2011). Gratitude lessens death anxiety. European Journal of Ageing, 8(3), 169-175. doi:10.1007/s10433-011-0195-3

Breathing and relaxation

  • Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B. & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
  • Lehrer, P.M. & Gevirtz, R. (2014). Heart rate variability biofeedback: How and why does it work? Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 756. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756
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Self-monitoring, screening and digital tools

  • Cohen, J.S., Edmunds, J.M., Brodman, D.M., Benjamin, C.L. & Kendall, P.C. (2013). Using self-monitoring: Implementation of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 20(4), 419-428
  • Stone, A.A., Shiffman, S., Schwartz, J.E., Broderick, J.E. & Hufford, M.R. (2003). Patient compliance with paper and electronic diaries. Controlled Clinical Trials, 24(2), 182-199. doi:10.1016/S0197-2456(02)00320-3
  • Mohr, D.C., Schueller, S.M., Montague, E., Burns, M.N. & Rashidi, P. (2014). The behavioral intervention technology model: An integrated conceptual and technological framework for eHealth and mHealth interventions. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(6), e146. doi:10.2196/jmir.3077
  • Spitzer, R.L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J.B.W. & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092

Content last reviewed: July 2026 by Macu Studio.

7)Important limits

Andy does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not replace care from a health professional. If you're struggling, a qualified professional is the right place to get help. Andy works best alongside that care, not instead of it.

No professional approval is needed to use Andy. If you have a diagnosed mental health condition, we recommend using Andy as a complement to your treatment and mentioning it to your clinician.

Andy is not a crisis tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, contact your local emergency services (112 in Europe), the 024 suicide prevention line in Spain, or your local crisis service now. The app also detects crisis-related content in entries and shows immediate support resources.

Known limitations: logging frequently is helpful for most people, but if you find that tracking increases your focus on symptoms or distress, ease off or discuss it with a professional. Charts are descriptive only, not clinical scores.

8)Cost and funding

Andy is free to try. Logging your mood, every breathing exercise, the two Start here guides, day one of every other guide, your last seven days of insights and the report you can send a therapist all cost nothing. A Pro subscription adds the remaining guide days, your full history and the Apple Health correlations. No ads. Andy is self-funded and independently developed by Macu Studio (Barcelona). We have no sponsors, no advertisers, and we never sell your data.