We are currently facing one of the toughest times mentally, and economically in our lives. Due to COVID-19, many people are stuck indoors, without their usual social outings. As a result, it is not uncommon for feelings of increased loneliness, anxiety, depression and other mental health detriments to occur during this time. Meditation is one of the best ways to combat this. In this post, we will outline the benefits of meditation and which apps can help you get started.
One of the largest issues we face with the COVID-19 pandemic is psychological issues that may arise from the isolation. Additionally, the stress of having the virus either yourself or grieving for a loved one who has had it can be taxing. CNN’s Jacqueline Howard reported recently that since the pandemic, 47% of healthcare workers in China are facing depression, and 50% of Canadian healthcare workers expressed a need for mental health support. As many as 70% of children are demonstrating difficulty concentrating during this pandemic. Meditation can help in a number of ways, including improving focus and concentration, and relieving stress and anxiety.
3 Best Meditation Apps to Combat Quarantine Stress
Headspace
Headspace takes the top in this list. Headspace has a variety of meditation techniques to help you get started. It has the most structured courses of all the meditation apps, which help beginners get started and build a habit. You can select different topics like stress, focus, gratitude, or performance. The courses are easy to follow and there are shorter meditations available based on your needs. Is sleep an issue? Headspace has you covered with meditations and stories to help you fall asleep in no time.
Headspace has an open community, where you are encouraged to share your meditations and can join in with thousands of other users on a live meditation at any time. Their guided daily meditation can save you time on searching as well. Finally, one of the greatest perks of Headspace is the ability to download meditations right to your phone, preventing the need for Wifi and allowing easy, on the go use.
Price-$70 per year, FREE for those with a Spotify Student subscription and a FREE subscription for the rest of 2020 for all healthcare workers can be found here https://www.headspace.com/covid-19
Calm
Calm shares similar features to Headspace. You can explore the app and pick meditations based on your moods and needs. It also offers more courses than headspace, including sleep courses to help improve your nightly rest. Calm is also more customizable, you can increase meditation time in one-minute intervals, as opposed to the three-five minute intervals with Headspace. Calm is less geared towards beginners, and while it offers a larger portion of meditations than Headspace, it can be a little overwhelming if you are new to meditation. If you are more experienced in meditation, Calm may be perfectly suited for you. Similar to headspace, a daily meditation is offered to help those who don’t want to spend time searching. Calm also includes ambient music offerings to help ease your angst.
Price-$70 per year. Calm offers select FREE meditations here https://www.calm.com/blog/take-a-deep-breath or sign up for a subscription at https://www.calm.com
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a very effective FREE platform. Similar to the other apps, you can browse based on what you are looking for and choose specific guided meditations. It also has a timer for self-directed meditations, and all meditations are customizable for time. The largest difference is that the vast majority of meditations are user-submitted, meaning anyone can submit meditations regardless of teaching experience. That being said, there are still highly educated meditation teachers on the app, including Wim Hoff. The app also tracks stats, including time spent and your personal meditation trends. Buying a subscription will get you access to similar courses provided by Calm and Headspace.
Price-$60 per year, but most of the content is FREE. Start a subscription here https://insighttimer.com/member-plus
Meditation can go a long way towards helping you deal with this unprecedented isolation. Committing to meditation, even for just one minute a day, can start to make a difference in your mental health, reducing loneliness, depression, anxiety, and even pain. Get started today!
If you have any questions about this post or would like to speak with a physical therapist about an injury, give us a call at (978) 263-0007 or, use the contact form on our website. We would be happy to answer any questions and discuss possible next steps.
Achieve Physical Therapy is currently open in Acton, Bedford, and Sudbury MA. We can see you in the office or by video treatment. If you choose to come into the office, we are following all CDC guidelines including the use of face coverings, cleaning, personal hygiene, and staggering patient appointments to limit how many people are in the office.
