Mindfulness

Many people use apps to de-stress – but they might not be using the right tools for the job. In today’s digital world, creators have dedicated research specifically towards designing apps that can help you relax after a long day. Take a look at these 3 apps geared towards mindfulness and stress management.

1. The Mindfulness App

This app is designed to encourage users to engage in mindful behaviors through guided meditation. These meditations aim to ground you and help you connect with your inner peace. 

After installation, users are guided through five days of beginner-friendly meditations. The app offers several customizable features, such as choosing the duration of your session, voice guidance, and background noise. Users may choose to enable meditation reminders on their device, and the app compiles data regarding the average meditation time, numbers of sessions and courses. It provides over 300 options for meditation, ranging from beginner to advanced. It is free to download, but it includes a premium subscription option. 

2. Personal Zen

Developed by a neuroscience researcher, this app includes games created from anxiety reduction and resilience development research. This app is backed by 20 years of clinical research and has studies attesting to the effectiveness of its stress reducing qualities. 

Through the app, users may set daily and weekly goals regarding their playtime and desired outcome (i.e. “maintain a positive outlook” or “stress busting”). The app does require a subscription but offers a 30-day free trial. 

3. Headspace

Headspace markets itself as a “gym membership for the mind.” It offers several meditation classes ranging in duration. It even includes “SOS activities” for users that feel particularly overwhelmed. 

The app begins with a series of introductory videos demonstrating its core concepts (letting go or stepping away), and has 4 categories: Meditate, Sleep, Move, and Focus. The app is free to download with several free features, but it does offer a membership.