5 apps to help you practice mindfulness

Here are our favorite apps for when you need a moment of peace in your busy life

The purpose of mindfulness is to be in a state of relaxed focus, blocking out negative thoughts or worries you may be feeling. The practice of mindfulness has been around for thousands of years however it has become more and more popular in the last decade. There are many ways to practice mindfulness in your everyday life. For example, setting an intention when right as you wake up will help you focus on a purpose for your day, allowing you to be more mindful and compassionate. The best time to do this is before you look at any mobile phones or devices. Another way to practice mindfulness is to do guided meditations. This will bring awareness to your body and mind and can be done during lunchtime, on your daily lockdown walks or even at night before you go to sleep. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious from time to time, especially after the year we’ve all had. However, practicing mindfulness is an easy way to ground yourself and boost your energy. These apps are easy to navigate and handy for on-the-go use. Achieving mindfulness has never been so simple.

1. Headspace

Headspace offers users a range of mindfulness tools such as meditation, workouts, music playlists, and even sounds to lull you to sleep. They have great meditations as short as 3 minutes in case you need that ‘SOS’ boost during the day. It’s an easy way to stay focused even if you have limited time.

2. Insight Timer

Insight Timer has endless practices for mindfulness and the tools you need. There are guided meditations, led by celebrities such as Russell Brand and Elizabeth Gilbert, for when you want someone else to take the reins for your meditation. The playlists available on the app are amazing for opening up and releasing any negative emotions you may be feeling.

3. Calm

If you struggle with sleep, you know how long nights can feel. The Calm app has a mixture of meditations for you to choose from however the apps sleep meditations are second to none. You can drift off to sleep with the sounds of the rainforest in your ears or indulge in a bedtime story voiced by Stephen Fry.

4. The Head Plan The Head Plan app is dedicated to positivity, inspiration, and goal setting. The app includes positive daily affirmations which give users a much-needed motivation boost throughout the day. It also includes journaling prompts (fab if you are a proud owner of the Head Plan journal) and a range of workshops hosted by qualified professionals.

5. Breethe

The Breethe app is great for usual mindfulness practices and it has different meditations for categories such as kids and family or life situations. However, Breethe also offers a 12-week meditation course. This is useful for users who have no experience in meditation and wish to immerse themselves at their own pace.