As students, parents, caregivers, and professionals, we are all busy, right? We are always on the move, trying to solve problems, and figuring out the best way to complete multiple tasks simultaneously. In short, we are often disconnected from the here and now, which can lead to symptoms like stress, restlessness, concentration issues, headaches, irritability, and low levels of energy, among others.
In order for you to reconnect with your present, I’ve created a list of the 8 best apps and other tools for mindfulness and meditation.
1. Simple Habit (App)
Simple Habit was featured on Shark Tank and in Business Insider, Forbes, and many other major publications as THE meditation app for busy people. All that’s needed is 5 minutes of your time on a daily basis and you can reduce your stress levels, calm down more easily, and get better sleep. The app is available for Android + iOS
The basic package is free. However, if you want access to all meditation and mindfulness guides from world-class teachers and other experts, you’ll have to purchase the premium package for $11.99/month ($7.99/month if paid annually).
My favorite feature? The option to set mindfulness alerts.
2. The Mindfulness App
Similar to Simple Habit, The Mindfulness App helps you practice mindfulness by providing guided meditations and courses created by renowned experts. The app itself can be downloaded for free, but to get complete access to all content, a premium subscription is necessary ($59.99 for 1 year or $9.99 per month).
Android users have downloaded and installed the application more than a half-million times. The average rating in the Apple App Store is 4.7—not too bad!
The Mindfulness App also lets you track your progress to help you stay motivated. For example, you can check the total time you have spent meditating and the average time per session.
3. Headspace (App)
The last meditation app that I’d like to introduce to you is Headspace. Headspace is ideal for beginners, with a free trial version providing 10 different exercises.
For $12.99 per month ($94.99 per year), the subscription package lets you choose from more than 100 guided meditations for improving your sleep, focus, physical fitness, and more. You can track your sessions and time spent meditating and even invite your friends to meditate with you (buddy system).
For Headspace on Android, click here. If you are an Apple devotee, follow this link.
4. Calm (App)
The smartphone app Calm is a little different. Yes, you can use it as a guide to meditation, but there’s more to it, such as a whole library of music to help you calm down, a selection of sleep stories, and soothing nature sounds. In addition, master classes teach you skills such as “Living Beyond Fear,” with a new class added each month.
By the way, Calm is free to use, but as always, some features and programs are only available through a paid subscription, which comes to $12.99 on a monthly basis or $59.99 paid yearly. Number of Android installs? More than 5 million, with more than 3,500 ratings on iOS.
Link to Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.calm.android&hl=en
Link to Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/calm/id571800810[
5. Do Nothing for 2 Minutes
I stumbled upon Do Nothing for 2 Minutes while reading up on meditation at huffingtonpost.com The website donothingfor2minutes.com challenges you to do nothing for 2 minutes at a time. Whenever you move the cursor or touch your keyboard, the time resets and you have to try again.
I have to be honest: 2 minutes can feel much longer than I ever imagined.
6. How to Meditate FAQ by Tara Branch
Tara Branch has not only earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, she also found one of the largest non-residential meditation centers in the United States, the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
In addition to teaching yoga classes and conducting workshops, Tara offers a free Meditation FAQ on her website. It’s a great guide for meditation starters that covers all the basics, from how to handle leg or back pain while sitting to how to deal with boredom or restlessness.
You can download the guide here: https://www.tarabrach.com/faq-for-meditation-2/
7. Pixel Thoughts
Do you want to put a stressful thought in a star and see it vanish into the vastness of the universe? If so, you should definitely give Pixel Thoughts a try. The website reminds you that life is usually much larger than whatever thought is bothering you right now. “It can easily disappear and life can go on….”
8. Yoga Retreats and Workshops in Your Area
An 8-day yoga retreat in Costa Rica; an 11-day yoga workshop in a kitesurf camp in Brazil; 6 days of pure yoga in Olon, Ecuador—there are so many places in America and the rest of the world to practice yoga and become more mindful in your life.
BookYogaRetreats (no affiliation) is the biggest yoga travel portal there is, with thousands of retreats for you to choose from. What are you waiting for? Your next yoga retreat is awaiting you!
Time to Relax
If you are a busy bee, you should relax from time to time. As successful entrepreneurs, we all want to achieve many things in our lives. Practicing mindfulness during your day can actually help increase your productivity and efficiency. The tools listed above will help you enter into a meditative state. All that is required are a couple of minutes of your time each day.