Whether you’re a student, young professional or trying to bag that coveted #gradjob, life can be stressful. Fortunately, there’s an app for every situation and this is no exception! Here are three different meditation apps you need to help reduce your anxiety.
Pacifica uses techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy — the type of therapy predominantly used by the NHS — that lead you to question negative and/or polarised thoughts (“I am useless at this”, “situations like this never work out for me”). This trains your brain to question such thoughts automatically, rather than allowing harmful thought patterns to become ingrained. Mindfulness and hypnotherapy techniques, such as muscle relaxation and positive visualisation meditations are incorporated to provide a well-rounded anti-anxiety tool. Pacifica also acts as a mood tracker, so that you can log your anxiety triggers and coping strategies for greater self-awareness.
We tend to think of anxiety as a mental problem, and it is. But it can be reduced physically in a surprisingly simple way. Breathing is a huge part of meditation, and Breathe2Relax, as the name suggests, teaches you how to use yogic skills to improve your anxiety levels in day-to-day life. If you’re anxious you may find that your pulse is racing and you are breathing high in your chest. The good news? Breathing deeply and evenly from the belly combats stress and anxiety automatically by forcing your heartbeat to slow down. Breathe2Relax focuses on timed guided breathing exercises designed to help with this.
One reason you feel so relaxed after a massage is due to the stimulation of pressure points all over your body. These release tension and anxiety. This app is designed to teach novices how to use those skills. They display over 90 pressure point combinations for every considerable problem. This allows you to combat secondary symptoms of anxiety, like tension headaches, as well as stress itself. The app includes easy-to-read diagrams showing you where to press, as well as how often and how long. The best part is that you can practice acupressure subtly at your desk or in lectures to destress during the day — a moving meditation. Don’t worry, you don’t even need needles!
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