In 2017, I downloaded the Headspace app to help get me into the habit of meditating again. I had not been successful in maintaining a practice on my own, and I thought this app could keep me motivated. Sadly, the habit didn’t stick until 2019. In that time I went through long periods of not meditating and then trying to start again. Over the summer I decided I needed a change, something to help with my anxiety and lack of sleep. I committed to meditating every night if possible. Since then it’s become a part of my nighttime routine to help me relax and destress before bed. I’ve had two 30-day streaks, including my current one of 34 days!
The keys to getting Headspace to work for me have been:
- Incorporating meditation at night vs. the morning, when I have a lot more to do. Mornings are rushed in my house, while nights are easier because both girls are sleeping and I have some time to myself before bed.
- Doing everything I need to do for bed before meditating so it can get me the rest of the way toward sleep.
- Sharing my progress and meditations on social media. Headspace lets you share the theme of the meditation with friends on your favorite sites. My social media friends seem to enjoy these shares.
- Varying my meditation times and topics. Meditation sessions on Headspace start at just three minutes and go to over an hour of sleep music. Sometimes I want to do a quick meditation, and sometimes I need a longer session. I take what I need.
What I like about Headspace:
- You can choose a male or female voice. Both are soothing.
- You can choose the length of meditation. One note: Sometimes I choose a 3-minute meditation but the recording is actually 10 minutes because of the intro and other guidance.
- You can download meditations for when you won’t have good service/WiFi.
- The sleep music is relaxing and helps put me to sleep.
- Each day there is a new meditation on a different topic. Example: Commitment, being present, letting go, sadness.
- You can take courses on topics such as anxiety, happiness, meditation basics, and sleeping.
- There are intro meditations and videos that make it easy to get started.
- You can join a group meditation. Every day there are meditations that anyone can join together. It tells you how many people are meditating with you.
- You can keep track of your journey, including sessions and minutes meditated on the app.
What I don’t like:
- You can’t revisit certain daily meditations because they are constantly refreshed.
I paid about $57.53 (on sale) for a yearlong subscription to Headspace. A monthly membership is also available, though you get a better deal per month when you subscribe for a year. Overall I’ve had a pleasant and rewarding experience meditating with Headspace. I find that it can help me calm down when my other self-care methods aren’t enough. I’d recommend it to anyone who needs guidance to start meditating or those who want different topics to meditate on. Have you tried Headspace? Do you meditate?
