It is sometimes forgotten, but apps are also available for your mental health. We used Headspace for a year, and today we share our experiences.
One year of Headspace: meditate with an app
With a healthier life we quickly think of physical health, such as more exercise, better food and ensuring that you get enough sleep. What we then forget is the importance of mental health. Nowadays you can also work on this with various apps in the App Store. The best known is Headspace and we have used it in the past year.
The idea behind Headspace and the comparable apps is that you are guided in short meditation sessions. That may sound a bit woolly, but that is absolutely not the case. The idea is that you put your focus completely on your breathing for a short period of time so that your head comes to rest. Just think how seldom you give your head room to do nothing for a while. There is always something on your iPhone, on the television, or someone talking to you.
Seek peace
I only became aware of this after my first sessions with Headspace. After a meditation you are asked to let your thoughts run wild and only then did I notice how busy my head is all day long. In this busy world, training your head is just as important to staying fit as exercising.
Headspace immediately pleased. Meditation will probably not be for everyone, but if you want to try it, this app will make it concrete and practical. The clear explanation makes it always clear what to do. For example, supervisor Andy explains that it is very normal when your mind wanders. You don’t have to push those thoughts away either, just be aware that you have them and focus on the breath again.
Ten minutes
You choose how long you want to sit per session. Ten minutes is the shortest option and can be done in between. I even regularly did a session in the silent compartment of a train. You have to time well that the train does not arrive at a station within ten minutes and hope that the conductor does not come by in the meantime, because otherwise your concentration will disappear in no time.
The app has different ‘packs’ to follow, such as ‘anxiety’, ‘creativity’ and ‘focus’. Each pack is divided into lessons. In practice, this means that you very slowly learn new things to use in your meditation. For example, one pack uses visualization techniques for this, while in the other pack you are mainly concerned with the thoughts that arise while focusing on the breath.
Ready after a year
Headspace was indispensable in the year that I used the app. I have found that meditation is indispensable and I have learned more about myself. That is why I will certainly continue to meditate, but without Headspace. I did the packs I wanted to do. Especially the pro packs, in which the pleasant accompanying voice only starts and ends the session, prepare you to continue solo and that’s what I’m doing now.
Also read: How Meditation Apps on iPhone Help You Get Zen
That is why you should think carefully whether you immediately take out a subscription for life to Headspace, because there is a chance that you will no longer need the app at some point. However, these and similar meditation apps are something we definitely recommend if you want to be healthier in the new year. Just don’t think this is an easy way to score some zen points. Just like training your body, this takes work. You have to stick with it and regularly take moments where you put everything aside.
Healthy body
There are tons of apps in the App Store that help you get healthier. We give you a hand by picking out the best. We have listed the best calorie counter apps, sleep apps and pedometer apps for you. Read more about meditation apps and how they can play a role in your life in the article below.
Also read: How Meditation Apps on iPhone Help You Get Zen