Mindfulness apps help you give your body and mind a much-needed break. 

These are stressful times for all of us with all the worries about the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it will have on our family and friends, and the nation at large. 

 My yoga practice is helping me manage in these difficult times. You don’t need to practice yoga though to learn how to calm your mind (though it helps). I have found that we all have natural abilities within us to calm our minds through meditation.

 You’re not alone if you want to start meditating but don’t know how to start. There are literally hundreds of mindfulness apps that can teach you how to do guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.

 Research also shows that meditation apps work.  A study in the journal Mindfulness found that 35 people who followed 10 introductory sessions on a mindfulness app—about 100 total minutes—reported having more positive emotions and less stress and irritability afterwards.  

With so many meditation apps available, where should you begin? Here are five of the best mindfulness apps I have found that offer various types of meditations and mindfulness exercises. Most offer free trial services, but also have a more detailed subscription option. Sessions last anywhere from a minute to 30 minutes, so there is a good chance you can find one that fits your needs, lifestyle, and schedule.  

Calm. This app has 16 meditation and mindful breathing exercises for free, including a seven-day beginner’s program. (It includes soothing nature sounds like rain and a mountain lake that help you relax in noisy places like on a plane.) There are also free 21-day programs that focus on managing stress and calming anxiety. They come in a variety of lengths too, from 3 to 30 minutes. Some of the more in-depth programs are only available by subscription ($60 for a year, which may be pricey for some), but cover helpful topics like adopting healthy sleep, stopping stress eating, and having a better relationship with yourself, among others. 

Headspace. Headspace has become one of the most popular apps since its launch in 2012. The guided meditations are led by the founder Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk. Besides offering simple how-to instructions, the meditations teach you simple breathing and body awareness exercises. The app offers minute-long meditations for when you need to re-energize fast, and meditations focused around specific issues like anxiety, stress, and greater focus.  I also use their guided sleep meditations at night to help me get to sleep so I have a full night’s rest. Headspace is ideal for true beginners and those who need help establishing a routine. More seasoned meditations may outgrow it after a while. It costs around $70 per month. 

Buddhify. The approach here is to match meditations based on your need at the moment. Buddhify has guided meditations designed for 14 different activities, from walking to taking a work break to dealing with a difficult situation. So no matter your current emotional state, there is probably a meditation exercise to help you get through it. Buddhify is best suited for those who already are somewhat acquainted with mindfulness and don’t need help with motivation. An annual membership is around $30.

 Stop, Breathe, and Think. This is more of a thinking person’s app for those that need more structure and motivation to meditate. It also explains how mindfulness works from a science perspective and encourages you to think how to apply what you learn from meditation in other aspects of your life. A progress page tracks how many days you’ve meditated and records your emotional state before and after each session. (This also helps match specific meditations with your current feelings.) They also have a version for kids, which could help them too during these irregular times. It’s not surprising then that you earn stickers as you progress, which is a fun way to stay motivated. It is probably not ideal for those who like apps that are simple and straightforward. It costs $70.99 per year. 

 Aura. focuses on short bursts of meditation (programs last three, seven, or ten minutes) that are ideal for people on the go. Aura is also great for people who enjoy analytics. After each session, the app asks short questions about your current mood in order to build a graph that tracks your mood from day to day. Aura also sends meditation reminders during the day. Aura’s free meditations are a bit limited (and short at only three-minutes in length), so you may have to invest in the subscription to truly utilize what it can offer. One year is $60, and a lifetime subscription is $400. 

These are the best mindfulness apps that I have found and I hope that this list helps you determine the right one for your needs. To start, I recommend that you schedule into your day 5 to 10 minutes to meditate and gradually increase this time to 15 or 20 minutes. Just like going to the gym, meditation takes practice to grow stronger. You will find though that it is a wonderful way to calm your nervous system in these uncertain times so that you can be more present and compassionate for yourself and the people around you.