{"id":743,"date":"2025-06-09T12:21:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/?page_id=743"},"modified":"2026-08-25T13:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T12:18:10","slug":"assistive-tech-for-mental-health-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-mental-health-wellbeing\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology for Focus &amp; Wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technology can be useful when you\u2019re trying to <strong>focus, manage a busy workload, reduce distractions or look after your wellbeing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might be managing a mental health condition, going through a particularly demanding period, or simply looking for better ways to organise your time and energy. Tools such as focus modes, task managers, timers, read-aloud and relaxation apps can give you more options for managing different situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t need a diagnosis or formal support arrangement to try these tools. Explore what\u2019s useful, start small, and find approaches that work for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>You might also like our blog post on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/06\/05\/ai-resources-to-help-you-stay-well-organised-and-on-top-of-things\/\">AI resources to help you stay well, organised and on top of things<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 full of practical tips and tools<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfaf Focus &amp; Reduce Distractions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/windows\/make-it-easier-to-focus-on-tasks-0d259fd9-e9d0-702c-c027-007f0e78eaf2\"><strong>Windows Focus Assist<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 blocks notifications so you can concentrate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/iphone\/iphb2cfa052c\/ios\">Apple Background Sounds<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 built into iPhone\/iPad\/Mac. Play ocean, rain, or white noise in the <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forestapp.cc\/\">Forest <\/a>\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/focuskeeper.co\/\">Focus Keeper<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/pomofocus.io\/\">Pomodoro timers<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 simple tools to support sustained focus and give natural breaks to avoid burnout.background to reduce distractions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/iphone\/iphdc30e3b86\/ios\"><strong>Safari Reader View<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>(Mac, iPad, iPhone) \u2013 strips out ads and clutter from web pages for easier reading.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\ud83e\udde0 Manage Tasks &amp; Reduce Cognitive Load<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/02\/19\/introducing-goblin-tools-ai-powered-support-for-neurodivergent-thinkers\/\">Goblin Tools<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 free online and app-based tool that can break down tasks, check tone, and help with planning \u2014 great if you struggle with getting started on writing tasks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/microsoft-365\/microsoft-to-do-list-app?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/microsoft-365\/microsoft-to-do-list-app?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Microsoft To Do<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 free with your QUB account; make simple task lists that sync across devices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/trello.com\/?campaign=19250238417&amp;adgroup=150132215251&amp;targetid=kwd-3609071522&amp;matchtype=e&amp;network=g&amp;device=c&amp;device_model=&amp;creative=641300559579&amp;keyword=trello&amp;placement=&amp;target=&amp;ds_eid=700000001557344&amp;ds_e1=GOOGLE&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=19250238417&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADMO9YhawplP2MZr-4MzDDWx6hIx4&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwlOrFBhBaEiwAw4bYDRKk2hwNkoQregWljEOxVXR8Hm0q9xLivxXJx7HazsOqC5HAKeCdUxoCP2QQAvD_BwE\"><strong>Trello<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/a>\u2013 visual boards to organise assignments and group projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.notion.com\/product\/notion-for-education\">Notion <\/a>(free staff\/student plan)<\/strong> \u2013 flexible tool for notes, tasks, and project management. Register with @qub.ac.uk email address. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcd6 Make Information Easier to Work With<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/edge\/features\/immersive-reader?form=MA13FJ\">Microsoft Immersive Reader<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 built into Word, OneNote, Teams, Outlook, Edge browser. Reads text aloud, simplifies page layout, offers line focus and colour changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2024\/12\/19\/your-guide-to-texthelp-readwrite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Everway Read&amp;Write<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Reads text aloud, simplifies complex documents, offers screen masking to help reduce visual distractions. Available to download via browser plug-in\/ Log in\/register with @qub.ac.uk email.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/04\/01\/two-ai-tools-every-student-should-know-reclaimai-notebooklm\/\">NotebookLM<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 AI tool to summarise reading materials and help organise notes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/edge\/learning-center\/how-to-use-pdf-reader-in-microsoft-edge?form=MA13I2\">Edge PDF Reader with Copilot<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 reads PDFs aloud, summarises and simplifies documents in the browser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udf3f Rest &amp; Wellbeing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pzizz.com\/\"><strong>Pzizz<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 soundscapes for relaxation, sleep, and focus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5mGifCwig8I\">Calm Sleep Stories<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 free bedtime stories and soundtracks to help you switch off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk\/healthyminds\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2019\/10\/Sleepio-info-for-clients.pdf\"><strong>Sleepio<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 NHS-linked CBT app for better sleep habits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/android\/answer\/9887159?hl=en-GB\">Android Bedtime Mode<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 part of Digital Wellbeing, helps you wind down by muting notifications and turning the screen to grayscale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.calm.com\/ua-homepage?pid=googleadwords_int&amp;af_channel=googlesem&amp;af_c_id=17318560031&amp;af_adset_id=136950217876&amp;af_ad_id=719797496289&amp;af_siteid=g&amp;af_sub_siteid=&amp;af_keyword=kwd-100623440&amp;af_sub3=c&amp;af_sub4=CjwKCAjw_fnFBhB0EiwAH_MfZi0Nr_X9zHaM1Suj64k7B2HEd9Nx5_-0C2jf_ptMjoCIHfK4YdVkihoCO74QAvD_BwE&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=googlesem&amp;utm_campaign=17318560031&amp;utm_content=ua-homepage&amp;utm_term=kwd-100623440&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=17318560031&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAC6g0qclvX2Vyqm5KI26EHjna1niT&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw_fnFBhB0EiwAH_MfZi0Nr_X9zHaM1Suj64k7B2HEd9Nx5_-0C2jf_ptMjoCIHfK4YdVkihoCO74QAvD_BwE\">Calm <\/a>\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.headspace.com\/app?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=search&amp;utm_campaign=HS_Headspace_NB-Conquesting-Exact_Search_UK-INT_Google_NA&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=calm&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=17057541001&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADLlnJ3npRC2l9vFeFieDufybPol2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw_fnFBhB0EiwAH_MfZo2hJ_thefUqtiNJ7N70feGFsLF2dFPY2El_WtBqKqBC7b0SPMy-ZxoCtLwQAvD_BwE\">Headspace <\/a>\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/insighttimer.com\/\">Insight Timer<\/a> (free versions)<\/strong> \u2013 mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breathwrk.com\/\">Breathwrk <\/a>\/ <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/ibreathe-relax-and-breathe\/id1296605806\"><strong>iBreathe<\/strong> <\/a>\u2013 simple breathing exercises for stress and anxiety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2705 Use <strong>Dictate<\/strong> when speaking your ideas is more convenient than typing.<br>\u2705 Try <strong>Immersive Reader or Read&amp;Write<\/strong> to listen to text or change how information appears on screen.<br>\u2705 Use <strong>Goblin Tools<\/strong> to break a large or unclear task into smaller steps.<br>\u2705 Use <strong>Focus Modes<\/strong> to temporarily reduce notifications and distractions.<br>\u2705 Try a <strong>Pomodoro timer<\/strong> to structure periods of focused work and regular breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddf0 Not Sure Where to Start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t need to find the perfect app or completely change the way you work.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start with the task<\/strong> \u2013 What are you trying to make easier: reading, focusing, planning, writing or something else?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Explore your options<\/strong> \u2013 There may be several different tools or features that can help with the same task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Start small<\/strong> \u2013 Try one tool or feature before adding more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check what you already have<\/strong> \u2013 Your phone, computer and QUB Microsoft 365 account already include lots of useful accessibility and productivity features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep what works<\/strong> \u2013 Different tools will be useful for different people and situations. You don&#8217;t need to use everything.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf Try this:&nbsp;<strong>AHEAD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahead.ie\/Discover-your-AT\">\u201cDiscover your AT\u201d tool<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp; helps match tools to your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/view.genially.com\/67c966440a6fe4a101653b97\/interactive-content-ai-and-accessibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI and Accessibility Interactive Guide<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/view.genially.com\/67c966440a6fe4a101653b97\/interactive-content-ai-and-accessibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> \u2013 explore AI tools that support different ways of working<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2401,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-743","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","comments-off"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1896,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/743\/revisions\/1896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}