Asking for help when workload is too high
“I am struggling to manage everything on my plate right now. Could we talk about what to prioritise?”
tonenA Calm alternative that addresses the conversations causing the stress
Calm helps you manage stress once you have it. tonen helps prevent the communication stress that triggers it — by giving you the exact words for the situations you dread most before they happen.
7-day free trial. iOS only. No credit card required.
Calm vs tonen
Both apps help with anxiety — but they operate at different points in the process.
| Calm | tonen | |
|---|---|---|
| Main approach | Guided meditation and sleep content | Conversation scripts for specific situations |
| Social anxiety support | General relaxation techniques | Scripts that reduce the cognitive load of social situations |
| Built for neurodivergent adults | General wellness audience | Autistic adults, ADHD, social anxiety specifically |
| Conversation preparation | Not included | 188 scripts for real workplace and social situations |
| Tone guidance | Not included | Understand messages you receive, check yours before sending |
| Regulation tools | Meditation, breathing, sleep stories | Calm Kit — fast grounding tools for before/during/after interactions |
| iOS price | Free trial, then ~£39.99/year | 7-day free trial, then £4.99/month |
When tonen makes more sense than Calm
Your anxiety is mostly triggered by specific conversations
If the thing causing your anxiety is a difficult message, an upcoming meeting, or a conversation you have been avoiding — then the solution is addressing those conversations directly, not meditating before them. tonen is built for that layer.
You are autistic, have ADHD, or social anxiety
Calm is designed for a general wellness audience. tonen is built specifically for the communication challenges that come with neurodivergent processing — literal language, tone decoding, impulsive replies, masking fatigue.
You want situational tools, not just relaxation
Breathing exercises help regulate — but they do not tell you what to say when a colleague sends a passive aggressive message or when you need to decline something. tonen gives you the words for those moments.
You want to use both
Calm and tonen are not mutually exclusive. Calm for sleep and general stress management; tonen for the social and professional conversations that are the source of that stress. Many users find them complementary.
Scripts you get with tonen
Saying no to an additional request
“I am not going to be able to take this on right now. I want to be upfront rather than over-commit.”
Ending a conversation you find draining
“I need to get back to some things, but it has been good to talk. Let us catch up properly soon.”
Asking what someone meant without seeming difficult
“I want to make sure I understood that — did you mean it would be better if I [X]?”
Try tonen free for 7 days
188 scripts for real situations. Tone guidance. Private practice. Calm Kit. No credit card required to start.
iOS only. Android coming soon.