Mindfulness Tools Meditation Apps That Can Make a Difference

One of the key go-to exercises in mindfulness is the practice of deep breathing. It is a highly effective tool that can help provide rapid relief from stress, anxiety, or worry. The great news is that there are many other ways to integrate mindfulness into a busy day. 

Why practice mindfulness? Because it can help us reach a nonjudgmental state where we are truly aware of our thoughts, emotions, or experiences in real time. In a recent New York Times article, their Sleep Editor Caira Blackwell listed the following meditation apps as the best ones on the market. So a little more about the top picks: 

Headspace

The top rated app, Headspace offers diverse tools as well as meditations. One of the best aspects of this app is that it acts as a teaching tool. Their accessible courses guide you through the basics of meditation. Strategies such as body scans, focused attention, noting, and visualization are shared in an easy, conversational style. Headspace also offers sleep music and soundscapes for those trying to sleep better.

One of the most interesting aspects of Headspace is that it curates its courses and meditations in collections of life events or worries. Some of the collections include “Support for Your Fertility Journey,” “Mental Health Matters, and “Mindful Eating,” just to name a few. This may be a good choice if you are looking for a more structured and educational way of practicing mindfulness. (Around $70 per year)

Calm 

If you already have meditation experience, Calm offers a more free-form approach. So in addition to offering guided meditations it provides more flexibility and a strong music section.

Blackwell found  that Calm lets users track their mood over time more often than Headspace. In the App Store, one user described the mood-supporting aspect of Calm: “The mood check-in helps me express and release good and bad feelings and thoughts.
Enjoy the good ones and let go of the bad ones. It even gives you a chance to write a little about them.” (Around $70 per year)

Healthy Minds Program

One of the better reviewed free apps was Healthy Minds Program. Found to be a “no-frills” app that focuses on awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. Some of its strengths are being user friendly and goal-driven. (Free)

Smiling Mind

The target audience is children and young adults. It uses animations and is clearly organized. Allows users to take a beginner course, choose teachers, and track their progress. (Free)

While our phones are not the best guardians of mindfulness goals, they offer a great place to access helpful apps on the go!