![]() ![]() Your mind will trot off, thinking about your laundry or wondering whether that sound means you need to change the battery in the smoke detector-you’re actually making progress when you notice that’s happening and then gently come back to the present. Meditating is the practice of being mindful, or training yourself to pay attention to the present moment. If you’ve given that as reason you’re just not into it, here’s some breaking news: being “bad” at meditation is not a thing. “If you’re new to the concept of meditation, apps can help you learn without feeling like you have to second-guess the process.”Īs for whether I’ll keep up the Headspace habit? It’s proven to be a far more beneficial habit than falling into a shallow sleep from the glow of my blue-lit screen only to wake up a few hours later panicking about something embarrassing I said four years ago.I suck at meditation. It’s affordable, simple and easy to use,” says Frederick, adding that seasoned meditation users can take their practice to the next level by meditating with their untimed sessions or wandering through fictional lands during sleepcasts (or sleep podcasts). “Headspace can be an excellent choice for anyone looking to try meditation for the first time. It makes for a great pharmaceutical-free alternative to sleep aids and a viable supplement to therapy (Headspace is by no means a therapy replacement, but given that our experts tout meditation as a viable way to calm your thoughts, it may help round out your existing mental health care treatment plan with few - if any - contraindications). Given that sleep and stress levels impact nearly every facet of our lives (mine included!), Headspace is worth it, full stop, since it can help you manage those areas. “People with several questions about mindfulness may find the apps frustratingly limited and may want to take classes that are more interactive,” she says. Meditation apps like Headspace simply aren’t for everyone, according to Frederick. The inventory of over 500 sessions is unbeatable with its dozens of subcategories on top of the four main ones, but in a moment of semi-crisis (which is when I am most likely to reach for the app), I want a more curated selection to choose from. When you’re stressed, the last thing you want to do is browse through thousands of options (it’s like being hangry at a restaurant and expected to make a thoughtful decision about what to order). The caveat is that “this does not mean other apps don’t work, they just haven’t been studied,” says Perlus. The study examined the 280 most popular mindfulness apps on iTunes, narrowed them down to the 16 apps with the highest reviews and found that only one of the lot - you guessed it, Headspace - was experimentally studied and proven to decrease depression and increase positive emotions after 10 days of use (why not try it out for yourself during its free trial?). Perlus cites recent research from Lancaster University that cemented her trust in Headspace. I like being able to measure my stress (I try to quantify it, give it a number and put it in a “box” to more tangibly manage it), so I greatly appreciated the Reflect section, which provides a detailed monthly check-in of your current mental health (I scored 19 on 40 on its stress scale - let’s see how I stack up a month from now!), a “mindful moment” featuring one brief yet meaningful quote and stats including minutes meditated and average session length. I appreciate that it prominently features favorited and recent classes so I don’t have to sift through ones I want to try again (this never happened, FYI - there are virtually too many sessions to ever feel the need to repeat any). ![]() The app tracks sessions and progress well. Here’s a breakdown of its strengths and where it fell short: But until it can make my bed and do my taxes, it will not be a perfect app. Headspace almost instantly improves my headspace within minutes of use, whether I’m feeling anxious, sad or both (it’s my specialty, really). Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account ![]()
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