Mental health - recommendations from the Directorate of Health

Guided meditation exercises to listen to include both mindfulness and self-compassion exercises.

Mindful moments: Users receive daily messages designed to help them connect with the present moment for short intervals. Users have control over whether and how often these messages are sent.

Exercises from positive psychology include the "three good things" exercise, strengths analysis, strengths exercise, and an exercise intended to foster gratitude and social connections.

The exercises mainly derive from positive psychology and mindfulness.

There are plans to conduct a study on the effects of HappApp in 2026. Previous research on similar exercises suggests that they can, among other things, enhance mental well-being and happiness, while also reducing stress and symptoms of depression.

The app's author is Helga Arnardóttir, who holds a master's degree in psychology and a diploma in positive psychology.

The app was developed in collaboration with public health experts from the Directorate of Health.

HappApp is also part of a European collaborative project called JA MENTOR, which involves the cooperation of eight countries, including Iceland, in user testing, development, and research regarding the app. The nations participating alongside Iceland are Norway, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and Ukraine. The app will be available in the languages of these countries, as well as in Icelandic and English.

The European project JA MENTOR.

HappApp website.