Meditation and Reflection Resources
Transitioning to mostly staying indoors, doing our part to flatten the curve, has left us a lot of time to think. Thinking however, sometimes leads to overthinking, and overthinking sometimes leads to spiraling, anxious thoughts. Read on for relaxation tips and meditation resources that might help ease fear during this time.
Apps
- Insight Timer: This is my personal favorite meditation app. It has a ton of different types of guided
meditations, gentle music and ambience playlists, and options to create your own timed
meditations. The best part is, unlike most other popular apps, Insight Timer is completely
free. There is an option to be a “Member Plus” for $59.99 per year, but I have found
so much value in all the free options, I have never had to even consider upgrading
to the Member Plus option.
- Headspace: Headspace is probably the most popular meditation app, and for good reason! It has
a ton of different types of meditation, from sleep to 2-3 minute mini-meditations, to “SOS” sessions to help soothe you during moments of panic or
anxiety. They even have a Move Mode that leads you through quick workouts and mindful
movement. You can start with a free 10-day Basics pack, but to unlock all the options
you can choose between an auto-renewing subscription of $12.99 per month or $69.99
per year.
- Calm: Calm is also a very popular meditation app that is broken up into different categories, such as sleep, mindfulness, and music. They even have Sleep Stories, which are gentle stories meant to lull you to sleep, read by your favorite celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Nick Offerman! You can start with a free, basic trial for 7 days, after which a subscription is $14.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
Spotify Playlists
These are some of my personal favorite Spotify playlists for meditating, relaxing
in a bubble bath, or even just hanging out in a hammock in nature!
Journal Prompts
I also find that journaling often helps when I need to release emotions that I may
or may not know how to articulate verbally. Taking a few moments to write something
down on paper, whether you are super artistic and like to decorate and doodle, or
you’re like me and strictly like to write as many words as possible, using journaling
is a great outlet to release your emotions for even just a few minutes a day.
Brain Dump
Sometimes I just take a piece of paper out and start writing whatever comes to my
head. It usually ends up as sort of stream-of-consciousness without good grammar and
spelling or even complete sentences. You can put a timer on for yourself, maybe starting
with just three minutes if you are new to journaling, or allow yourself to write anything
and everything for as long as you feel.
Journal About Your Day
Some people like to write a few sentences about their day, either at the beginning
or end of the day. This is also a great way to keep track of changes throughout your
life. I love using “One Line a Day” journals, that offer you just a few lines to answer
short questions each day. Some of them even offer space for you to continue year after
year, so you can see how much (or how little) your answers change throughout your
life.
Gratitude Lists
Gratitude lists are a fantastic way to cultivate an overall happier life. Researchers from the University of California, Davis and the University of Miami conducted
a study where they asked participants to write a few sentences each week. One group was instructed
to write about things they were grateful for during the week, another group was instructed
to write things that annoyed them, and the third group wrote about general things
with not emphasis on good or bad. The group that wrote about optimistic and grateful
things in their lives were overall more happy and optimistic, and also were more likely to exercise and less likely to have to visit a physican. 1 Try writing three things you are grateful for each day, whether it is immediately
when you wake up, or right before you go to bed. Try doing it immediately before or
after a habit you already do once or twice a day, such as making your coffee or brushing
your teeth, so you are more likely to engage in this new habit.