If you're someone like me, your mind is racing with thoughts every second of the day. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it indicates a very active mind, it's hard to deny that it does get overwhelming at times. This is especially true when I am having an unusually anxious day. In order to help combat and control what goes on in my mind, I have taken it upon myself to incorporate mediation into my daily routine. I've been using the app HeadSpace recently, and I know that others will find it as beneficial as I have.
HeadSpace is an app with guided meditation. You are given ten free, ten-minute meditation session, and if you would like to continue after that, you can purchase a monthly subscription. The subscription opens up more focused guided meditations, such as relationships, health, and creativity.
When you begin your first free session, the app starts you off with an animation video. It's a short, two minute video, explaining how it is completely normal that your mind is always buzzing with thoughts. Then, you begin the ten minute session. Each one starting the same, the voice telling you to find a comfortable place with no distractions. You are told to sit up right, either on the floor or on a chair, and start by taking deep breaths. About a minute in, you are instructed to close your eyes, and you leave them closed through the rest of the ten minutes.
Over the next ten sessions, you learn that just because you get stressed out easily or can't seem to catch a break from your mind, you are not a lost cause. The animations explain how our thoughts are like cars in traffic and our neural pathways are the roads. There are billions of cars following the highway of the mind. The app's main goal is to help you master the art of allowing cars, or thoughts, to enter and exit your mind, with minimal interference. This allows just what the title says, HeadSpace. When you stop chasing every car, it frees up your mind to focus on what's important. It also allows your day to run smoother, as you can allow yourself to focus on what is right in front of you.
Overall, I would recommend guided meditation through this app as a way to help you free your mind. I feel so relaxed after those ten minute sessions. I find it most beneficial to do it early in the morning, as I can plan how I want to conduct my day. I found that after just a few sessions, I incorporated the lessons I'm learning into the way I handle myself throughout the day. Meditation had made such a positive impact on my life, and I know it can for others, as well.
