Here’s why this is the best meditation app

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by Victoria Giardina

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Mental health is a major concern throughout the year, but it’s especially important to prioritize it now. From political pressure to inflation to the lingering effects of COVID-19, it’s important to keep these external stressors at bay.

I’m a person who is highly influenced by my environment, both physically (like a messy desk) and emotionally (like when my Instagram feed has too many sad news headlines). So I recently did a personal audit to set his day up for success. Meditation is at the top of my list.

Well, I’ve heard it all before: How do you find time to meditate? How can I sit still for 30 minutes? Well, let me tell you, once you incorporate it into your morning routine, you won’t regret it. And I’d like to thank Headspace for that.

A guided platform for meditation, sleep, stress, and mindfulness that has truly changed my day in the best possible way. On the day of working from home, still I wake up at 5am, sit quietly and jump into the Headspace app (after: one of my fitness classes, before: iced coffee). The same goes for the days I commute to my New York City office. When I ride a New Jersey transit bus, my AirPods keep me in headspace (after all, easy hands-free listening + expert-led meditation = pure bliss).

“We’re best known for our meditation content, and Headspace has thousands of hours of guided mindfulness exercises, from focus to movement to sleep,” says Elina, Director of Content at Headspace. Brown told the New York Post. “Headspace offers guided meditations, eye-opening exercises (mindful walks and runs), breathing and relaxation exercises, sleepcasts, soundscapes, and more.”

What is Headspace?

Headspace aims to “improve the health and well-being of the world,” according to its site, and offers science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools to help sow the seeds of healthy habit formation. It offers. After all, you reap what you sow, and mental health is where Headspace wants you to take root and thrive.

Additionally, the platform boasts over 70 million members, over 600,000 reviews, and is used in 190 countries around the world. Whether you want to plan your daily wellness schedule in advance (featuring morning and evening meditations and courses, and an “afternoon lift”) or are interested in easy-to-follow courses like Mindful Money or Mindful Eating. Headspace serves as the top meditation app to subscribe to.

In 28 studies published in several leading mindfulness peer-reviewed journals, Headspace has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus, increase compassion, decrease aggression, increase resilience, and reduce burnout. It has been shown to result in positive outcomes of the intervention, including reductions in activity, increased positivity, and improved satisfaction. life.

At Headspace, we prioritize the consumer journey. “We meet our members in the moment and create relevant and timely content to help them navigate everyday situations, common life obstacles and moments of crisis,” Brown said. he added.

Headspace Pros and Cons: Our Review

Ahead, we have listed the pros and cons of Headspace, so you can easily check each review point one by one. After using this platform for several months, we can prove that it is valuable, helps make your days more enjoyable, and is worth considering.

Strong Points:

• Available to watch on iOS and Android devices: Headspace does not favor any particular mobile phone brand. Its mission is to provide meditation and wellness programs that can be accessed on the spot, whenever and wherever you need it.
• You can choose courses or individual meditations to follow: Headspace’s extensive library of relevant topics like dealing with cheating, managing anger, and achieving mindfulness at work will make you want to open the app at least once a day. is.
• You can track your progress: In Headspace’s stats section, you can see your average meditation time, total meditation time, and number of completed sessions since you first used the app. Additionally, monthly check-ins allow you to track stress over time (think virtual health log).
• Daily walks have become even more enjoyable: Headspace’s Walks library has well-labeled courses up to 40 minutes in length, including everything from nature walks and city walks to mindful coffee walks and intentional walks. It is.
• Daily movements have become even better: Headspace’s Move library includes impressive yoga, cardio, easy workouts, and more to get you moving, boost your confidence, and breathe consciously at any activity level.
• I’m sleeping even better: Headspace’s Sleep Cast (“ever-changing storytelling with a variety of soothing sounds”), relaxing effects to prepare your mind for sleep, and calming sleep music tracks for those struggling to fall asleep Great for browsing when. Additionally, clicking on the “Sleep” library will put everything into dark mode, making it easier to transition to sleep.
• You can not only meditate but also learn: One morning I watched a 7-minute video about how to reduce the negative effects of jet lag while traveling. Headpsace provided practical tips such as synchronizing your sleep cycle with your new time zone and sleeping effectively on a plane.
• You can calm your mind in the morning: If you’re having a stressful conversation with a loved one or see something upsetting on your phone, Headspace can help your brain free from worry and stress. The effects are very obvious, especially if you use the platform continuously.

Cons:

• cost: $70 for a yearly subscription isn’t terrible, but it’s still a steep price considering you can add a free meditation app and hundreds of guided YouTube videos to your queue. However, given the generous benefits, it’s worth it even if you only want to start for a month.
• Overwhelming offerings: Ironically, for a meditation app, it has such a huge catalog of courses that it’s a little hard to categorize. However, if you’re like me and want to try everything on offer, you can plan your meditation in advance to cover all of its options.
• repeat course: If you use Headspace every day (or every few days) to maximize your membership, for example, if you’re trying to align your health goals with a specific topic (like conscious budgeting); Some of its services can be a bit repetitive. If you have never struggled financially or are currently in a good place, you may not be drawn to this kind of meditation. So if you’re only focused on one particular topic (like general stress relief, for example), some of what you’re offered may seem like a broken record. Personally, I enjoy this variety, but some people may find it lonely.
• Video components may be missing: If you like the idea of ​​podcasts, Headspace is 100% for you. If you want to watch a video of someone meditating or explaining meditation, Headspace’s video lessons leave a little to be desired. But that’s offset by her less than 10-minute videos that lighten the mood (I’ve seen videos of hairdressers who helped homeless people look and feel their best) ). It was uplifting to watch, but it wasn’t actual meditation.

How much does Headspace cost?

Headspace costs $5.83 per month if you choose an annual subscription ($69.96) or $12.99 per month if you choose a monthly membership ($155.88). That said, it’s more worthwhile to sign up for an annual subscription, especially if you want to up your wellness game and stick with it.

Conveniently, the app offers a 14-day free trial if you choose the annual subscription, and a 7-day free trial if you choose the monthly option, so you can decide whether you like it or not (and You can check whether you can continue using it. Up to 2 weeks — that’s dedication!)

Is Calm better than Headspace?

Calm is another app with a mission to “improve health and well-being,” according to its site, and is commonly compared side-by-side with Headspace. why? It doesn’t have the full-fledged features that Headspace is known for, but it’s free.

I also tried Calm and found it similar to typing in “easy meditation” on YouTube, getting instant gratification, and checking it off from your daily schedule. However, I found his Headspace approach to be more rewarding because you can (1) follow a specific program, (2) track your progress, and (3) customize your meditation the way you want it. .

While all forms of meditation are beneficial and (sometimes) life-giving, I recommend Headspace’s free trial over Calm’s. Headspace offers a number of courses for beginners, even if you’ve never used the full power of Namaste (or at all). Therefore, you will be fully equipped with all the features that the orange embossed app has to offer.

Does Headspace help with anxiety?

I haven’t seen a therapist or been diagnosed with anxiety, but I can attest that Headspace has calmed my anxiety-oriented thoughts. If you’re someone who overthinks and sometimes gets irritated over the smallest things or says out loud about intrusive thoughts, Headspace is the perfect place to escape from your brain that needs rest.

However, if you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health-related symptoms, seek psychological assistance or call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hotline at 1-800-950-NAMI. please.

However, Headspace is a good precursor to stress-related emotions (for example, before feelings of anxiety arise). I found this to be especially true when I was reviewing my budget and taking a “Managing Financial Stress” course. I was grateful that it still led me to take a deep breath and taught me about managing money in a mentally healthy way.

Additionally, Headspace’s sleep library was similar to my favorite white noise podcast, but better. This app supports your health from head to toe, morning to night, so you can be the best version of yourself, and in turn, encourage others to be the best version of themselves. can.

It’s like a happy domino effect. It’s an effect we stand behind and recommend 100%.

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