5 Apps That Help You Develop Meditation Habits

It’s no secret meditation has an incredible array of benefits, from lowering stress to curing insomnia to helping you find a sense of inner peace. But if you’ve tried to build a meditation practice, you already know it can be a challenge. Clearing your mind sounds so easy when you read about it, but as soon as you sit down, those intrusive thoughts creep in – and before you know it, you’re thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner instead of focusing on your breath.

If you’ve ever gotten frustrated by your lack of success in building a daily meditation practice, the good news is that there are apps to help you. If you are ready to bring a better balance and perspective to your life through meditation, here are five of the best apps to help you achieve that goal.

1. Calm

You may have learned about Calm from seeing their instantly soothing “Do Nothing for 30 Seconds” TV commercial, or perhaps you became familiar with this app after hearing that Apple named Calm its 2017 App of the Year. Calm is effective because it comes with a range of meditation lengths, as well as seven- and 21-day programs for people who need help developing a healthy habit. For users with insomnia, Calm offers “adult bedtime stories” that will relax you off to dreamland in no time.

2. Headspace

Headspace likens itself to having “a gym membership for your brain.” Its easy-to-follow guided meditations are categorized by theme, but there are also one-off meditations you can do whenever you need a quick break. Going through an especially rough patch in your day? The “SOS” meditation option is ideal for anyone who needs to prevent a mental meltdown. Headspace also offers meditation geared toward kids.

3. Buddhify

If you struggle with anxiety, you might want to install the Buddhify app on your iOS or Android device. Buzzfeed rated this beautifully designed app as their top meditation app to ease anxious thoughts. Buddhify differs from other apps in that its meditations are structured to fit into a busy lifestyle. With Buddhify, you can meditate on the go, no matter where you are. Even if you only have four minutes to squeeze in a meditation session, Buddhify is there for you. Choose your meditation based on what you are doing or feeling at a specific moment. Buddhify also allows you to share the good vibes by sending a meditation to brighten a friend’s day.

4. Stop, Breathe & Think

Available for both iOS and Android devices, Stop, Breathe & Think teaches users to check in with what they are doing and encourages them to take short breaks. After you tell the app where you are mentally, it will provide you with a recommended list of tailored meditations you can try. The app can also provide motivation that keeps you on track with developing your meditation habits by allowing you to view your progress.

5. 10% Happier

If you’ve been curious about meditation, but have found yourself skeptical about its benefits, 10% Happier is the app for you. An offshoot of journalist Dan Harris’ bestselling book of the same name, the app presents the facts about meditation so you can learn how to apply it in your life. This app offers guided audio meditations for coping with stress and anxiety, as well as for specific daily activities like walking and falling asleep.

Your Path to Inner Peace

At Complete Harmony, we have integrated holistic healing treatments like meditation into our hybrid addiction treatment model. Our California drug and alcohol rehab facility offers an integrated approach for clients who wish to undergo healing in a therapeutic setting that treats them as a whole person and allows them to address the roots of their addiction from a mind-body-spirit perspective. Contact us to learn more about beginning your recovery journey.

Stress Awareness Month: Finding Inner Peace

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 – and for good reason. Chronic stress can take a major toll on your physical and emotional health. Plus, it’s one of the biggest risk factors for relapse, Here’s a look at some of the long-term side effects.

• Mental health: depression, anxiety and personality disorders 
• Heart health: Cardiovascular disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks and stroke 
• Obesity and other eating disorders 
• Menstrual problems 
• Sexual dysfunction 
• Skin and hair problems: acne, psoriasis, and eczema and permanent hair loss
• Gastrointestinal problems: GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis and irritable colon 

Focus on Inner Peace to Fend Off Stress

Some experts say that a stubborn focus on your inner peace is the perfect antidote for stress. When you focus on your inner calm, you protect yourself from the stress around you. Stress is like a contagious virus that spreads from person to person. Inner peace helps you create harmony with yourself and the world around you – and it keeps you emotionally balanced so stress doesn’t interfere with your goal of lasting sobriety.

Like most things in recovery, learning to be at peace with yourself will require practice and patience; it won’t happen overnight. It will take some time and effort to forgive yourself for past, poor decisions or choices and to embrace who you are and how far you’ve come in your new sober life.

4 Steps for Finding Inner Peace

Consider incorporating the following steps in your recovery to find inner peace:

1. Seek out moments of silence. When was the last time you just unplugged – no smartphones, no laptops, no television – and just spent time with you and your thoughts? Whether you sit still on your couch or take a peaceful nature walk, carving out time for quiet reflection is a great way to look inward and discover who you are and what you need to feel calm and happy.
2. Make meditation a priority. The great thing about meditation is that it teaches you to notice your thoughts and accept them without passing judgment – and this, in turn, helps to generate inner peace. The peaceful practice of meditation can also enable you to find deeper calm as you release any built-up emotional tension.
3. Say goodbye to regret. Unfortunately, a lot of people in recovery struggle with the toxic emotion of regret. Yet holding onto your pasts mistakes will hold you back from forgiving yourself and finding inner peace. Try talking yourself out of any negative self-talk that perpetuates regret. For example, tell yourself “I’m taking steps to change or "I made mistakes but I can also make amends.”
4. Keep a journal. A great way to get back to who you really are is to write down and reflect on your feelings. Journaling is a safe and sacred way to connect with your inner dialogue and spirit. Make a habit of jotting down and reflecting on your feelings – for many, this process alone can be meditative.

Holistic Therapies for Recovery & Stress Management

Complete Harmony offers the ideal setting and programming to help you tap into your inner peace, keep stress at bay and heal your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Our model for hybrid addiction treatment includes holistic therapies like massage, meditation and yoga. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.