5 apps that will help you find tranquillity during the coronavirus pandemic – breathe, meditate, sleep, relax
With all the negative news taking a toll on our sense of well-being, it’s time to find tranquillity amid the chaos by meditating and getting enough rest
One thing has become clear: we are in desperate need of peace of mind during the coronavirus pandemic. With the sheer volume of negative news our brains have to process each day, it’s time to find tranquillity amid the chaos by meditating and getting enough rest. These five apps come highly recommended by professionals after glowing reviews from users of meditation and sleeping aids.
Calm
With over 50 million downloads, Calm has many relaxing features from mindfulness meditation to sleeping stories, breathing programmes and ambient soundscapes.
Pros: Daily meditation practise with specific goals: managing stress, increasing happiness, reducing anxiety and self-esteem, ranging from two minutes to 35 minutes. The app also provides daily statistics and tracking features and has a special children’s programme with Calm Kids.
Cons: Limited free options; ideally suited to an experienced meditator.
Fee: One week free trial and US$12.99/month.
Best one: Soothing bedtime stories by actor Matthew McConaughey and a 10-minute Daily Calm programme.
Headspace
Championed by celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow and Richard Branson, Headspace is a mindful meditation and sleeping app developed by Andy Puddicombe, a well-versed monk.
Pros: Structured guided meditation on relationships, work performance, life challenges and sports injuries narrated in linear interface and fun gamifications. Restless sleepers can enjoy sleepcasts meditation, relaxing music and guided exercises before sleep.
Cons: Repetitive meditation approach; no background meditation music.
Fee: Two-week free trial and US$12.99 monthly fee.
Best one: Free basic meditation course is a user favourite.
Ten Percent Happier
Founded by ABC’s news anchor Dan Harris, Ten Percent Happier is a teacher-course meditation app with many videos from different coaches.
Pros: High-quality meditation videos for every mind, mood and experience level. It also provides cosy bedtime stories and inspiration to listen on the go. Got a question? The app lets you contact meditation coaches who reply within one day.
Cons: Limited free options.
Fee: 7-day free trial and US$14.99 per month.
Best one: Beginners course by respected meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein.
Relax Melodies
Ready to relax? This impressive app allows you to create a mix of sounds, music and meditations at the same time, as well as providing guided sleeping movements.
Pros: Plethora of ambient sounds, soothing music, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) sound and classic bedtime stories. With a user-friendly interface, it offers multi-night meditations for restless sleepers and morning meditations. The new updates include Covid-19: Radiate Love and Pause and Retreat meditation.
Cons: Limited free options.
Fee: US$59.99 yearly, or US$249 for lifetime.
Best one: Combination of nature sounds with a dash of isochronic sound waves.
White Noise
If you are not into bedtime stories or soothing music then try White Noise by TMSOFT, featuring a hefty library of ambient sounds to drown out distractions.
Pros: From colour noises, mechanical fans to ocean waves and Tibetan singing bowls – 40 mixable sounds are included in the free version without streaming or download necessary. Suitable for fussy newborns, reducing headaches and masking tinnitus. You can also record and use your own sound.
Cons: Mixes loop sounds a bit hazy.
Fee: Available in free, full (US$1.99) and pro-version (US$2.99). Also available on Mac, Windows and Kindle Fire.
Best one: Mixes of brown noise with ocean waves or heavy rain.
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