Leaply programme

This programme has been designed by a team of US- and Europe-based scientists and entrepreneurs, who wanted to make valuable research findings available to the public in easy, actionable steps. It provides tailor-made plans teaching you science-based techniques to improve well-being, with the aim of turning them into lasting healthy habits.

The programme aims to soothe and stimulate the vagus nerve, which is like the superhighway connecting your brain to many important organs. When it's not functioning properly, it can contribute to things like stress, fatigue, brain fog and digestive issues. The aim is to return your body to reset mode.

You begin by completing a 1-minute online questionnaire entering your gender and age, followed by a series of questions relating to your wellbeing and what you'd like to work on, and for how long each day.  Results are provided indicating your stress levels, and a graph demonstrating benefits of using the programme showing a reduction of stress and timeframe to reach goals. To access your individual plan, you're then required to make payment for the duration of the plan selected, starting at 4 weeks.

You can then start the program, learning daily techniques via video demonstration and text, with the first week focussing on activating your vagus nerve. These include exercises like breathing, self massage and body scan.

Each week has a different focus including topics like Enhancing Sleep Quality, Boosting Energy Levels and Enhancing Cognitive Function.

At time of payment, there is an option to upgrade to include the following plans:

• The Stress Relief First Aid Kit
• Deep Sleep
• Nutrition Guide.

For the complete app description, go to the course website(external link) or, for a more detailed review, see Reviews.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Rachel Massey, Registered Psychologist
Date of review: August 2025
Platform: Desktop
Comments: This is an easy to use programme, offering science-based practical skills to improve resilience to stress. It has a strong focus on ‘the doing’, supported by information broken down into simple explanations.
It provides a personalised plan and you can choose how long you want to spend each day using the programme.  It starts with teaching basis skills to establish as habits, building to more advanced skills. To get the most benefit from the plan, you'll need to learn the techniques demonstrated, and then practise in daily life, and continue using for a period.
Given it offers a low level of commitment starting at 5 minutes a day, this lends towards it being achievable to complete, with the option of increasing the time spent daily. Currently offered as an online programme only, this may be less appealing for those who have a preference for accessing apps via their mobile device.
Overall, a good programme teaching evidence-based skills that are appealing and accessible to a wide-ranging audience given its easy to use, flexible and designed to fit into daily life.
Safety concerns: Nil
New Zealand relevance: Yes