6 Mindfulness Apps & What I Love About Them
You're a busy, badass woman who's trying to keep it all together. You've got your career, your family life, and a million other things on your plate all the time, and that's not even mentioning the stress of the world around you. If you're feeling like you could use some help with stress management, mindfulness is one of the most powerful tools for that. And you can use it whenever and wherever you are, even if you only have a few minutes to spare.
In today's world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether you're juggling a demanding job, kids, or a busy social life (or all three), you may find yourself with little mental energy left over for self-care by the end of the day. But did you know that spending time on your mental health is one of the best ways to actually reduce your stress levels? It may seem counterintuitive, but studies show that taking care of yourself first means you'll be more able to take care of others with the help of practicing mindfulness.
So what exactly is mindfulness? It's not just about meditation (although meditation is great!). Mindfulness is a practice and way of being that allows you to cultivate the ability to pay attention in a non-judgmental way. In other words, it's like developing a superpower that lets you be more aware of your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences so you can react in ways that make you feel better about yourself and your life. It's any practice that gets you out of your head for a bit and helps you focus on being present in the moment.
Mindfulness has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. It can also help with ADHD, improve sleep quality and mood, boost memory, increase focus, and even strengthen the immune system!
Sounds pretty amazing! And the best part is, it's something you can practice on your own right at home, whenever works best for you. Applying mindfulness to our daily lives, through the use of meditation and guided meditation apps, can help us successfully manage stress and anxiety and cultivate compassion, equanimity, and insight. These qualities are foundational in mindfulness, and it is helpful to begin by cultivating these qualities in our own lives.
And with all the apps available to help you any moment is the best time to give it a shot! That’s why I’m sharing my top five apps for mindfulness-based stress management! Check them out below!
1. Daylio
The Daylio app has digitized my journaling efforts in many ways. I've never been one to hold too tightly to the idea of "keeping a journal" or "diary." It felt too commitment-heavy and serious for me, even if I did enjoy writing. And yet, Daylio—a diary app that functions much like a private journal, but allows you to skip days or mark them as private—is an app perfectly tailored for my needs, and has become an indispensable part of my workflow. Since using Daylio, I've noticed improvements in my mood and outlook, and can better examine why I feel certain ways about the world, people in it, or myself.
Daylio is designed to help everyone track their daily life in a way that allows you to easily reflect on your habits, struggles, and successes. Now, rather than staring at the blank screen of your diary trying to figure out what you want to write, Daylio will present you with multiple options and allow you to choose exactly how you want to start each day. Daylio's creator has built-in plenty of relevant weekly questions and is constantly updating the app for new content and a smoother experience. There is even a Morning Ritual feature, which will give you an idea every day of what might be on your mind that day. If you need help not starting off your day slowly or staying distracted by email or social media, then Daylio might be the solution that you've been longing for.
2. Calm
Calm is an app that offers guided meditations for every occasion—from dealing with panic attacks to getting out of bed in the morning. Plus, Calm has soothing ambient music and sleep stories for when you need a good night's rest!
If the thought of guided meditation makes you roll your eyes, don't worry: Calm is not only extremely easy to use but also incredibly affordable (not to mention its fantastic reviews). The app even teaches you how to meditate if you've never done it before! Give it a try today and see if it can help you "find your inner peace."
3. Headspace
Headspace is an app with guided meditations and exercises designed to help you learn how to meditate from scratch or simply get better at it. It's great for beginners and offers everything you need to start meditating right away: the ability to choose a length of time for your meditation and hear soothing sound effects if you'd like them.
App users especially love the mood tracker on the Headspace app—you can check in throughout the day and see how meditation is helping you feel better overall. This is a great option for beginners looking for some extra support during their first few sessions.
4. The Mindfulness App
The app is designed to help you rediscover all those little moments throughout your day when you have a spare minute here or there—your daily commute, waiting in line at the grocery store, even standing in the shower. You don't need a lot of time to meditate and relax; you just need the right mindset. And that's exactly what this app offers!
Using simple tips and tricks that will help you focus on yourself and your body, The Mindfulness App helps you slip into mindfulness mode when you have a free second in your schedule. Whether it's breathing exercises or meditation techniques that you need.
5. Aura
Aura is another great app for beginners, this one gives you short (under 3 minutes) guided meditations throughout the day so that even when you're busy, you can stop and take a few moments to breathe. Aura also has a variety of meditations designed for specific needs and situations, such as anxiety or insomnia. I find it easy to use in terms of interface and design.
Another great feature of this app is that it creates a personalized mediation experience based on what's going on in your life today. If like me, you're having trouble sleeping through the night because of everything going on in our world right now, Aura has meditations specifically designed to help people who need help clearing their minds.
Bonus:
6. The Smiling Mind
The Smiling Mind app is a free meditation and mindfulness app that breaks down the process into easy, daily exercises. Taking just 10 minutes every day can help you improve your focus, calmness, and resilience. The app has several different courses you can take depending on what you're looking for—from short exercises to longer ones and a 7-day program that helps you start your life with a clear mind and focus.
It's not just sitting around doing nothing for 10 minutes (although that does sound pretty nice). There are different programs available depending on what you're looking for—from short exercises to longer ones and a 7-day program that helps you start your life with a clear mind and focus.
In the last few years, mindfulness has become a buzzword in the wellness community. While there are many definitions of mindfulness, it is often described as "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally." This means that you are to focus on your thoughts and emotions without judging yourself for having them.
In a world where there is so much uncertainty, it's reassuring to have a process we can turn to maintain a certain level of clarity. And while mindfulness has been around for ages, it seems like more and more people are discovering its value.
Drawing on that idea, we could see mindfulness becoming more and more integrated into our everyday lives as we strive to find connections between the seemingly random things that come our way.
Mindfulness apps can be a very convenient way to do mindfulness as they provide help with a lot of the things that prevent us from practicing. The best reason to try mindful meditation, aside from the aforementioned stress reduction, is to simply be more aware. You will be better able to cope with difficult situations after learning how to calm yourself down and approach life's challenges with a peaceful condition of mind. If you're looking for ways to bring mindfulness into your life, try out one or all of these five applications and practice living in the present moment. It'll be worth your while. At the end of the day, it's your own practice that is most important, so whatever situation you find yourself in, keep practicing every day and remember - just show up and be kind to yourself.
