From checking emails before bed to constant notifications from social media, our phones can often contribute to our daily stress. However there are now a range of apps which you can use to help you manage and improve your wellbeing.  

Morwenna Bugg has written us a guest blog about her experiences using two of the most popular mindfulness apps..

A little bit about my experience using a couple of mindfulness style apps. I have only used them for short periods of time and not particularly regularly but there are definitely some positive aspects of them which I liked.

Pacifica
When you first go onto Pacifica, you’ll be asked to rate your mood. You can add your feelings to help explain why you are feeling how you do. The app will then suggest activities for you based on your current mood and overall goals.

Part of the app I used a lot was the health section. During certain times at uni, I found this useful to track my day and see it more positively by ticking things off a checklist I’d set – you can change and add health habits to suit you. For example, you might want to add pets, relationships, cigarettes, meditation, menstruation etc. I added walking when I used Pacifica during uni, and if I used it now I might add yoga. You can also add medication, as a reminder each day to take it.

You can use the app in way to suit you – tick things off as green or red to match with your day for example, friends and family can mean different things – maybe it’s a phone call, maybe it’s meeting up for coffee, maybe it’s just a text. You can then look through the different days over time and see when you had better or worse days, which can be helpful when you are having a less green day!

Other sections of the app include:
goals
hopes
thoughts
meditation
guided paths.

 

Insight timer – a meditation app with a huge number of different sessions and types for free!
I’ve used Insight Timer for guided meditation. A few times I’ve used it to find meditations to listen to for sleep in order to relax if I’m having a few days struggling to sleep. I often listen to them whilst I’m trying to get to sleep, or if i wake up in the night. I also listened to a few when I was commuting on the train home after work to reduce any stress that had built up over the day or journey.
There are so many options and different meditations to explore on the app. The variety is great so you can find a style or multiple types which work for you.

Morwenna Bugg   morwennabugg@gmail.com  @morwenabb_   Blog:  / instagram: 

 

Here are a few other recommendations from our Catalyst Bootcamp Facebook Group
I’ve used the Headspace app and as a total newbie to meditation/mindfulness and really liked it! It has a 10 free sessions for beginners then you have to buy a subscription to get the rest. The founder of the app Andy puddicombe guides you through everything (he also wrote a book which I thought was really good).”

“Stop Breathe Think” is my meditation app of choice, it has a great feature where you pick how youre feeling mentally and physically (with a list of various emotions/feelings) and you get suggested a meditation based on your results. I used the free trail on headspace and loved it but just couldn’t stretch my budget to get the full version at the time, this is a great free alternative.”

“I also love Insight Timer – it has so many different types of meditation, all free. Brilliant resource.”

Join our Catalyse Change events & social media for more useful tools & tips to be a confident and resilient changemaker.

 

Want more tips?
The Best Meditation Apps of 2017 https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/top-meditation-iphone-android-apps#7
5 Best Meditation apps https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/26/five-of-the-best-meditation-apps
Free Mindfulness Apps https://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-apps-worthy-of-your-attention/
Top 20 Mindfulness apps https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mindfulness-apps/