Many people talk about meditation. Arguments in favour of meditation include that it may help you to:

  • Have better focus and concentration.
  • Improve self-esteem and self-awareness.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Manage anxiety and depression.
  • Minimise poor habits.

COVID-19 creates a lot of stress and anxiety for many. People can feel lost and may even have formed some addictions. If the current circumstances have hit you hard, you could consider meditation as possible help to improve your wellbeing.

Below are some popular meditation apps. They are free to start you on the path of discovery of what meditation is and what it can do for you.

HEADSPACE

Headspace has one stated mission: to improve the health and happiness of the world. You can try Headspace for yourself and learn the essentials of meditation and mindfulness with their free Basics course. There are also articles on the website to help you to improve your mental health.

CALM

You can select what your goal and your preferred theme are once you start the app. You can then browse through hundreds of soothing podcasts that will guide you through various types of meditation, classified by goals. There are also plenty of articles and free resources on the Calm website.

SMILING MIND

Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into the life of its users. The app has simple 10-minute daily meditations, which are broken into categories by age group. Unlike most apps, Smiling Mind is completely free with all functions accessible.

10% HAPPIER

Mediation may not change your life immediately. 10% Happier focuses on the small improvement you get when you start meditating. It helps persevere. Based on the book by the same name, by ABC news correspondent Dan Harris, the 10% Happier app is a good starting point “for the sceptic who is not sure what they want to meditate for”.

INSIGHT TIMER

This is another app that does not have any in-app to be purchased. You can access all the functions for free. The Insight Timer app has a lot to offer. It has guided meditations, classes, courses, and even a section that lets you create your own meditations.

Beside the five apps mentioned in this article, there are many more apps for you to discover. Different people have different tastes. Do not give up on the first try. You deserve a happier and healthier you!

You might also be interested in the article “Student Welfare – Healthy Diet during COVID-19“.