Life can be super stressful and unpredictable. It can often be hard to find balance throughout the day, and focus can fly out the window right from the very first sip of your morning coffee. However, there may be a way to bring that focus back to your life and center yourself in the barrage of daily life. Check out these six great meditation apps that can help bring some of that calm back to your world.
6. Breathe
Starting our list of meditation apps is Breathe. If you own an Apple Watch and wear it consistently, it may be worth checking out the app that’s built into the watch. The app is designed for shorter periods of meditation, and can help you center yourself if you’re too stressed to meditate at that moment. The app “nudges” you to breathe in and out, helping to regulate breathing and settle wild thoughts.
5. Healthy Minds
Fifth on our list of meditation apps is Healthy Minds. Run by a nonprofit, the app is free to use, but does accept donations. Right as you sign in, the app provides a quiz to gauge where you are in the four key pillars: Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. After you get ratings for each, the app sets up a course for each pillar, with meditations ranging in length, type, and instructor voice. It’s a perfect start for a beginner or even an experienced meditator.
4. Insight Timer
Next on our list of meditation apps is Insight Timer. Offering both paid and unpaid options, the app provides a vast library of meditation styles, taught by a diverse slate of instructors. The free version includes 90% of the tracks within the full library of more than 275,000 total titles. This means you don’t need to get the paid version to access most of the content. Plus, even with all the content on the app, it’s quite easy to navigate and sometimes offers live events to create a sense of community within meditation.
3. Calm
Rounding out the top three meditation apps is Calm. While you do need to pay for the app to access the full library, it pays off if you use the app regularly. The app provides short and long meditations, but also more story-driven content, daily programs around designated themes, and quick “lessons” for specific moments of high stress and anxiety. The best part? They have a section of meditations aimed at kids for those parents who want the whole family to be mindful.
2. Waking Up
Second on our list of meditation apps is Waking Up. Unlike other apps, this one only has a paid version. However, it does offer a structured approach to understanding the nature of your mind. The app begins with a 28-day introductory course, providing a framework to build upon with guided lessons. The aim of the app is not only to make you feel better about yourself but also to be free from yourself.
1. Headspace
Last but not least on our list of great meditation apps is Headspace. Another paid app, Headspace, is ideal for those who want guided meditation programs and structure. The app is easy to use and has the ability to turn off community features and avoid endless notifications. There are short and long meditations on the app that fit into four main categories: meditate, sleep, move, and music. Headspace even has themed collections, so you can target your meditation needs to daily life.