Mindfulness apps help stressed out students

By COLLEEN SULLIVAN

Senior Writer

There are pitch pipe apps, animation apps, makeup apps, workout apps and any other app imaginable to occupy time. The catch phrase “there’s an app for that” gets more true every day. So naturally there are apps that are aimed to assist and destress through stressful times. Here are three free apps that focus on mindfulness and relaxation.

1. Headspace:

“Headspace” focuses on Mindfulness, which is a form of meditation that helps one calmly process physical feelings and emotions without becoming overwhelmed.

This app offers a ten-day introduction and “mini’s,” which are guided meditation sessions geared towards a specific goal. Introductory sessions can be three to ten minutes each depending on one’s schedule and they help one to learn the basics. It is very realistic in terms of expectations; all you need to do is assume a relaxed position in a chair, close your eyes and listen to the recorded session. The voice of the instructor is so relaxing and soothes you instantly.

2. Calm:

As soon as one opens the “Calm” app, the relaxing sound of waves crashing upon a shoreline fills one’s ears. The app offers a variety of features including music, meditation, mindfulness and even bedtime stories.  There are different melodies for sleeping, focusing and relaxing, which are each helpful throughout the day. There are many categories for meditation, which span from breathing exercises to self-esteem boosts to a college student meditation collection. The bedtime stories can be obscure, but some classics are included, like “Sleeping Beauty.” It may take some time to know which voice will be comforting while one falls asleep. Overall, this app gives a lot of options and one can learn a lot from it.

3. Colorfly:

Relaxation coloring has become a phenomenon in the past few years and this app means never paying for another coloring book. “Colorfly” enables the user to color within the lines of mandala and animal shapes in vibrant colors. It is simple enough to zoom in and out to achieve the desired effect. After the masterpiece is all done, it can become a phone background or a wall decoration.

Each of these apps are easy to use in the busy life of a college student. If you are looking to relax all three of the apps would be a perfect addition to your life.