Do you ever have days where you need time away from studying and socializing so that you can just breathe? I had this feeling the other day, but I didn’t know how to approach the problem. I didn’t have time to take a nap, and I had to start my homework for the day in less than an hour, so I decided to scroll on my phone like I normally would. As I was scrolling, I discovered an free app called Headspace. It intrigued me and looked like a simple way to do something I have never tried before: meditation! Excited to give it a try, I jumped up on my bed and rested my head against the wall as I listened to a guided exercise.
The instructor who was talking me through my first meditation had a calming voice—he even had an accent. I closed my eyes and listened as he walked me through steps meant to help me calm my body. He told me to focus on my breathing in order to escape from the world around me. I concentrated on my breathing and managed to clear my head. By the time the meditation was done, I felt so refreshed. I chose a three-minute option, but there was a five-minute option as well.
After completing your first meditation session on Headspace, it welcomes you back with a greeting the next time you open it, asking, “How’s it going today?” To this, you can respond with either, “Feeling Great,” “Pretty Good,” “Not the Best,” or, “Rough Day.” It replies that it’s important to recognize how you are feeling each day as part of the meditation process.
In addition to choosing which topic you would like to de-stress from, it also asks which moments you would like to become aware of that day. The choices are: “How I react to stress,” “How often I use technology,” “How I speak to loved ones,” “How I spend time before bed”, “How I appreciate my surroundings”, or none of the above. Afterwards, the app reminds you that meditating two to three times a week is a good place to start.
The app offers a free 10-day session called “Basics”. This is the package that I’m trying out before I decide to purchase any other long-term packages of different sessions. There are also mini sessions you can utilize, called “Minis,” that allow you to chose from a minute of breathing, two minutes of unwinding, three minutes of restoration, a one-minute body scan, two minutes of focus, or three minutes to refresh.
The meditation packages you can purchase offer a range of topics including: health, sadness or grief, happiness, work and performance, students, or motivation and concentration. Within all these packs, a free session is offered, so you can test it before spending your money. There are 503,000 Headspace users and counting, so why not take a moment out of the day to give it a try? I guarantee you that you won’t regret it!