Meditating and meditation apps are one of the most effective yet underrated techniques to control stress and increase productivity in people. The benefits of meditating are, of course, not limited to stress and productivity, but the effects on those can be very influential. Today, we will share the six meditation apps that are perfect for those who want to try meditating or need a guide during this process.

Meditation is an ancient method of releasing anxiety, stress, and being mentally better in general. People have been relying on meditation for thousands of years across different cultures and countries. It might be challenging to comprehend the basics of meditation if you are a beginner, but it will only take some practice for you to learn it. 

It is no secret that meditation is good for you. And this “bliss” meditation brings is supported by a great deal of scientific evidence proving the benefits of meditation both physically and mentally. 

How you can start doing yoga at your home

Like in other areas of life, meditation can be done easily through the help of online sources and applications. There are lots of different meditation apps out there, offering a guide and smooth meditating experience to its users. The abundance of those meditation apps makes it a bit challenging to choose among them, but we are here to share only the best ones with you. Without further ado, let’s get started! 

Headspace

meditation app

Headspace is one of the most popular meditation apps out there, and it is probably the first app that comes to mind. Headspace is a mindfulness-focused meditation application. There are many different features present in the Headspace app, making it suitable for all kinds of people with different aims. The following are the features of Headspace: 

Free: no

Guided meditations: yes

Animations: yes

Progress tracking: yes

App community: yes

Email reminders: yes

Meditation Studio 

One of the best meditation apps for beginners is Meditation Studio. The application is known for its broad and comprehensive resources for all kinds of meditation lovers, depending on their aim. Moreover, Meditation Studio allows its users to create their own meditation plans. The following are features of Meditation Studio.

Free: no

Guided meditations: yes

Different modes: yes

App community: no 

Different meditation levels: yes

Customization options: yes

Email reminders: no 

Buddhify

Buddhify is a meditation application aimed to make meditation a part of your life, regardless of what you are going through. You can find different meditations changing from two minutes to half an hour, and there are pretty specific categories that can be fitted to every situation. The app is designed to target many different emotions and life aspects and to make them smoother. The following are some of the features of the Buddhify app:

Free: no

Guided meditations: yes

Different modes: yes

App community: no

Progress tracking: yes

Balance: Meditation & Sleep

Another wonderful meditation application is named Balance. As you can infer from the name, the app is designed for both meditation and sleeping. The application is quite easy to use and personalizable. 

The first time you open the application, you will be required to answer a couple of questions to personalize your experience and get the most optimized meditation experience you can ever get. Moreover, you will get the chance to track the physical influences of meditation on your body. The following are some of the features of the Balance app: 

Free: no

Guided meditations: yes

Different meditations: yes

App community: no

Progress tracking: yes

Customization options: yes

Insight Timer

Another popular and commonly used meditation app is Insight Timer, and this one is frequented by meditation experts. The app focuses on stress management, anxiety,  and sleep, which are common problems meditation can solve. 

The app has a big community, offering events and different ways of practicing meditation in everyday life. The sources of application are quite wide; you can find specific meditations and sleep sounds. The following are some of the features of the Insight Timer app: 

Free: yes

Guided meditations: yes

Different meditations: yes

App community: yes

Progress tracking: yes 

Courses: yes

Sleep music: yes

Calm

Another wonderful meditation app, especially for experienced meditators, is Calm. While you can find many different guided meditations in the Calm app, there is a lot of space for personalization and flexible meditation options.

If you do not like being “guided” much during your meditation, but still want the benefits of using an application, then Calm can be the right option for you. You will have the chance to join breathing visualization and ambient music meditation sessions where you can only be with yourself. Moreover, Calm has some incredible features for those who are having difficulties falling asleep. There is even a kids section in this application. The following are some of the features of the Calm app: 

Free: no

Guided meditation: yes

Different meditations: yes

App community: no

Progress tracking: no 

Kids feature: yes

Connecting with Apple Watch: yes

Sleep music: yes

Meditopia

Meditopia, one of the most preferred meditation apps, has been downloaded more than 5 million times. One of the best features of the application is that it has an interface that will allow you to track your own progress and thus motivate you. At the same time, you can choose your favorite session and customize the app according to your preferences.

Another popular feature of the app is that it has 4 different beginner courses offered completely free of charge. The free content, which includes 30 guided meditations, can be a good method to try the application before paying US$9.99 monthly / US$59.99 annually.

Free: 4 free starter courses with 30 guided meditation sessions

Guided meditation: yes

The tracking process: yes

Beginner courses: yes

Background music feature: yes

Kids feature: no

Voice sex: only female voice

How Can Meditation Help to Improve Your Productivity?

One of the main concerns about meditation is how it can improve one’s productivity. The relationship between meditation and increased productivity might not seem obvious at first glance, but as we talk more about those two aspects, you too can understand how strong a relationship there is.

The first thing we need to mention about how meditation can help to improve your productivity is stress. Unfortunately, stress is a part of many people’s lives in the modern world, and its stem can be a thousand different things. Your job, family issues, friendships, romantic relationships, pets, and basically anything can be a stressor. It goes without saying that stress is not something good for your productivity. 

The physical influences of stress alone can harm you a lot, in addition to the mental harm it can give you. With a lot of stress, your cortisol levels would go up, resulting in increased cytokines. The result of this process would leave you with a lack of sleep, anxiety, depression, and all the other bad things that would harm your happiness and mental health. And, of course, your productivity will be significantly disrupted as a result. How can you expect yourself to be creative, self-aware, calm, and happy while your stress levels are so disrupted? 

Up to now, you should have understood how crucial your stress levels are for your productivity; it is basically related to everything. The answer to the question of “how meditation can help to improve productivity” lies here: stress management. Many benefits of meditation come from decreasing your stress levels. Because decreased stress does not only mean less stress, it means less anxiety, a more organized mind, more happiness, more joy, and as a result, more productivity. 

If you meditate on a regular basis, you will be collaborating with your mind. You will learn to listen to your own voice while there are millions of other ones outside and go with the flow. You will gain the skill of regulating thoughts and emotions, which will make you mentally strong. Once you calm your soul and mind down, there will be lots of places to focus, be productive, and be creative. 

Another enemy of productivity is a distraction, and meditation can be a powerful solution to this. While you are practicing meditation, you will also learn one of the most challenging things: to focus only on one thing, which is mostly yourself. This one takes some time, but as you master it, you will see how it influences your overall focus. 

Does meditation make you more organized?

Meditation is an important contributor to being organized. You can think of meditation as a way of reprogramming your mind to have more space for what you want to focus on and release all the negative thoughts and attitudes. 

Why does meditation make you more productive?

Meditation makes you more productive because it helps to remove obstacles like stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and overthinking in front of your productivity. By practicing meditation, you can see the improvement in your overall wellbeing, which will inevitably and positively influence your productivity level. 

Does meditation increase focus?

Meditation does increase focus. In fact, meditation is one of the most common methods used to increase focus level, which can be explained as the “ability to pay attention to one thing at a time, while there are other things in the surrounding area.” This might be a difficult skill, and meditation can help you to learn it. 

For how long should I meditate to see results?

Meditating only 10 minutes per day will give you some solid results if you have not tried it before. Of course, the answer to how long I should do meditation for 10 minutes a day might change, but you can see results even after your first trial. The result after the first trial might be a short-term one, but it will give you the motivation you need to continue. 

How long should I meditate per day?

Meditation duration is quite dependent on your daily schedule and personal preferences. However, it is recommended to meditate for at least 10 minutes a day.

Originally posted on November 24, 2021 @ 9:37 pm