Feeling stressed and finding it difficult to fit everything into the day? Perhaps it’s time to join the mindfulness revolution.
CBR looks at five apps for stress relief and greater clarity of thought to help you cope with the hustle and bustle of modern day life.
1. Headspace
The second version of Headspace, unveiled last month, claims to make it even easier for humans to switch off and reduce anxiety.
Co-founder Andy Puddicombe, who lived for 10 years as a monk in the Himalayas, said the app better fits into the modern, busy lifestyle after taking on board suggestions of hundreds of users.
The updated version is divided into areas that people said they needed help with including addiction to eating, anxiety and health.
Users can also choose how long they want to do a session for, which wasn’t available in the older version.
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Another key feature is the SOS section, which aims to help people who need immediate help from a crisis or a bad day.
Emma Watson is reportedly a fan of the app.
2. Owaves
Owaves, for the iPad, is one of the latest wellness planning apps that aims to help users reduce stress by visualising how they will spend their day.
The free app comes with a 24-hour clock that lets users drag and drop activities essential to health, such as exercise, sleep, relaxation and nutrition, into the day planner.
"Day planning is a very important and under-appreciated piece of achieving wellness. It gives you a roadmap," said Royan Kamyar, founder and CEO of San Diego-based Owaves.
"Being cognizant of how you spend time is a fundamental first step towards improving health and wellness."
3. Simply Being
Recommended by The New York Times, Self Magazine and The Huffington Post, this easy-to-use app allows users to choose from four different meditation times, giving them the option to listen with or without music or nature sounds.
Costing 60p, the app also comes loaded with voice guides and meditation tips.
4. Omvana
The easy-to-use app allows you to customise your meditation sessions with sounds, noises and quotes that inspire and relax you.
Founded by wellness company Mind Valley, the free app includes a library of thousands of audio tracks and sounds that allows users to blend together in the app’s mixing board.
Users can also record their own voice and use it to guide their meditation sessions instead. Tracks start from $1.99.
5. Breathe2Relax
Breathing control is key to helping you deal with stress. This app includes a guide for diaphragmatic breathing exercises, teaching you how to decrease stress levels, stabilise your mood, anger control and anxiety.
Users can record their stress level on a visual analogue scale by swiping a small bar to the left or to the right. Other features include graphics, animation, narration and videos.
