Mental health, though a primary concern year-round, is especially important to prioritize now.
From civil unrest to inflation, it’s critical to keep these external stressors at bay.
I’m someone who’s largely influenced by my environment, in both the physical form (like a cluttered desk) and the emotional form (if there are too many sorrowful news headlines on my Instagram feed). So, I recently did a personal audit of setting my day up for success — and meditation is at the top of my list.
Now, I’ve heard it all before: How do you have time to meditate? How can you sit still for thirty minutes? Well, let me tell you — once you get into the groove of adding it to your morning routine, you won’t be sorry. And, I have Headspace to thank for that.
The guided platform for meditation, sleep, stress and mindfulness has wholeheartedly altered my days in the best way possible. On days when I’m working from home, I’ll still wake up at 5 a.m. to quietly sit and dive into my Headspace app (after: one of my obé Fitness classes, before: my iced coffee). The same holds on days when I’m commuting to my NYC office — when I’m on the NJ Transit bus, Headspace is on thanks to my AirPods (after all, easy, hands-free listening + expert-led meditation = pure bliss).
“While we are well known for our meditation content, Headspace has thousands of hours of guided mindfulness exercises, on anything from focus to movement to sleep,” Elina Brown, content director at Headspace, told the New York Post. “Headspace offers guided meditations, eyes-open exercises (mindful walks and runs), breathing and wind-down exercises, Sleepcasts, soundscapes and more.”
What is Headspace?
Headspace, which was designed to “improve the health and happiness of the world,” per its site, provides science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools to help plant the seeds of healthy habit formation. You reap what you sow, after all, and mental health is what Headspace wants you to take root of and flourish.
What’s more, the platform boasts more than 70 million members, has more than 600K reviews and is used in 190 countries worldwide. Whether you’re looking to have a pre-planned daily wellness schedule (featuring morning and evening meditations and courses, along with an “afternoon lift”) or are interested in exploring easy-to-follow courses — like mindful money and mindful eating — Headspace serves as a top-tier meditation app to subscribe to.
“Headspace is a mental health app with guided meditations and mindfulness content helping people stress less, sleep soundly, develop healthy habits and feel better,” Dora Kamau, mindfulness and meditation teacher at Headspace, exclusively shared with the New York Post. “Earlier this year, Headspace started offering mental health coaching to new and existing members, which includes three 30-minute sessions with a mental health coach for $99.99 per month, located in the beloved Headspace app.”
For context, mental health coaches are trained professionals who empower you in achieving your health and wellness goals such as feeling less alone, less worried, more well-rested, and more in control of your life.
At Headspace, the consumer’s journey comes first. “We meet members in the moment, producing relevant and timely content to get them through everyday situations, common life obstacles, and in moments of crises,” Brown added.
What are the benefits of Headspace?
Headspace has the largest body of peer-reviewed evidence in digital mental health with more than 50 peer-reviewed studies, 50+ additional studies in progress, and 65+ research collaborators.
“In fact, Headspace has been shown to have favorable outcomes of interventions including reduced stress, improved focus, increased compassion, decreased aggression, increased resilience, reduced burnout, increased positivity and improved satisfaction with life,” Kamau added.
Pros & Cons of Headspace: Our Review
Ahead, we listed out the pros and cons of Headspace so you can easily go through each of our review points one by one. After using the platform for months now, we can attest it’s worth it, it helps bring more joy to our days and is something to look into.
Pros:
- You can tune in on iOS and Android devices: Headspace doesn’t give preferential treatment to specific phone brands. Its mission is still the same — to give accessible meditation and wellness programs on the spot, whenever and wherever you need it.
- You can select courses to follow or individual meditations: Headspace’s rich library of relevant, relatable topics — like navigating injustice, dealing with anger, and achieving mindfulness at work — encourages you to want to open the app at least once a day
- You can track your progress: Headspace’s stats section, you can see your average meditation length, total meditation time and how many sessions you’ve completed since your first time using the app. Plus, you can track your stress over time with monthly check-ins (think: your virtual wellness log).
- Your daily walks just got better: Headspace’s ‘Walk’ library features up to 40-minute-long courses that are aptly labeled — everything from Walking in Nature and Walking in the City to Mindful Coffee Walk and Intention Walks.
- Your daily movement just got better: Headspace’s ‘Move’ library features impressive yoga, cardio, quick workouts, and more to get moving, boost your confidence, and mindfully breathe for any activity level.
- Your sleep just got better: Headspace’s sleep-casts (“ever-changing storytelling in a range of soothing voices”), wind-downs to prepare your mind for sleep and calming sleep-music tracks are great to browse if you’re struggling to fall asleep. Plus, everything is in dark mode when you click on its ‘Sleep’ library, so it’s easier for your eyes to transition into your slumber.
- You can learn, as well as meditate: On one morning, I watched a 7-minute video about how to diminish the negative effects of jet lag when traveling. Headpsace offered practical tips, like synching your sleep cycle with your new time zone, and effectively sleeping on a plane.
- You can calm your mind in the morning: If you have stressful conversations with loved ones or see something upsetting on your phone, Headspace helps unclog your brain from worry and stress. Its effects are quite tangible, especially when you use the platform consistently.
Cons:
- The cost: Though $70 for its annual subscription isn’t the worst, it’s still a hefty price to pay, considering there are some free meditation apps and hundreds of guided YouTube videos to add to your queue. However, given its wealth of benefits, it’s worth it — even if you just want to get started for one month.
- The overwhelming offerings: Ironically, for a meditation app, its vast catalog of courses is a bit daunting to sort through. But, if you’re like me and want to try everything it has to offer, you can pre-plan your meditations ahead of time to combat its full suite of options.
- The repetitive courses: If Headspace is used every day to maximize your membership (or, every few days), some of its offerings can be a bit repetitive, say, if you are looking to gear your wellness goals to a particular topic (like mindful budgeting). If you’ve never struggled in the financial realm — or, currently are in a good place — you won’t gravitate toward those meditations. So, if you’re only focused on one particular topic (for example, letting go of stress in general), you may find some of the offerings to seem like a broken record. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the variety, though this can be a miss for some.
- The lack of video components, at times: If you love the idea of podcasts, Headspace is 100% for you. If you’d rather watch a video of someone meditating or explaining meditation to you, Headspace’s video lessons lack a bit. But, this is offset by its less-than-10-minute videos to brighten your mood (I once watched a video of a hairdresser who helped the homeless population look and feel their best). Though uplifting to watch, it wasn’t the actual meditation.
How much does Headspace cost?
Headspace costs $12.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
Conveniently, the app offers a 14-day free trial when you select the annual subscription and a seven-day free trial when you select the monthly option, so you can see how you like it (and if you stay on track with it for up to two weeks — that’s dedication!)
Is Calm better than Headspace?
Calm, another app with the mission to “improve your health and happiness,” per its site, is typically compared side-by-side with Headspace. Why? Because it’s free, though it doesn’t have the full-fledged features that Headspace is known for.
After trying Calm, too, I felt like it was more akin to typing in “quick meditation” on YouTube and reaching fast satisfaction to check it off my agenda for the day. However, I found Headspace’s approach more rewarding, as I can (1) follow a specific program, (2) track my progress and (3) customize my meditations exactly how I want them.
While any form of meditation is beneficial and (at times) life-giving, I recommend Headspace’s free trial over Calm’s free experience. Headspace offers a slew of beginner-friendly courses if you haven’t once embraced your namaste power to its full potential (or, at all), so you’ll be well-equipped with everything the orange-embossed app has to offer.
Is Headspace good for anxiety?
While I don’t go to a therapist or have anxiety, I can attest that Headspace has quieted my mind of anxious-leaning thoughts. If you’re an over-thinker and the little things get to you at times, Headspace is a nice getaway from your brain that just needs to rest.
However, if you’re experiencing anxiety, depression or another mental-health-related condition, please seek out psychological assistance or call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hotline at 1-800-950-NAMI.
However, Headspace is wonderful as a precursor to any stress-related feelings (for example, before anxious feelings arise). I found this especially true as I was revamping my budget and following its ‘Managing Financial Stress’ course. I appreciated how it still led me through deep breaths and informed me about emotionally healthy money management at the same time.
Additionally, Headspace’s sleep library was like my favorite white noise podcasts — but better. The app truly does take wellness from head to toe, from morning to night, so you can be the best version of yourself — and, in turn, encourage others to be the best versions of themselves.
It’s like the happy-domino effect — the effect we stand by and recommend 100%.
What to know about Headspace as you start your New Year’s resolution
Surprisingly, 9% of Americans complete their New Year’s resolutions, and 43% of Americans don’t honor their resolutions past January, according to Headspace. Whether it’s because people are setting unrealistic goals, or only doing it because their peers are, the lack of success speaks volumes about the antiquated tradition.
“One tip can be to embrace micro goals over big overhauls,” Kamau tipped off. “Smaller, achievable goals are more effective for mental well-being than sweeping lifestyle changes. That’s why Headspace is hosting a 10-day challenge in January to help users untap better mental health benefits.”
Research shows that just 10 days of meditating with Headspace increases happiness and positivity, increases satisfaction with life and wellbeing and decreases stress, making it an approachable way to make a difference without setting an overwhelming and lofty goal.
Additionally, Headspace looks at and approaches mental health holistically and works with data science teams and clinical psychologists to ensure the best member experience. Some of the app’s key differentiators that stem from this approach include:
- Accessible Content: People often make the excuse that they can’t invest in their mental health because they don’t know where to start or don’t have the time. Headspace offers accessible content that makes it easy and not intimidating to begin a mindfulness and meditation journey, as well as all meditations being offered and various lengths, so members can choose what works best for their busy schedules.
- Guided Programs: As part of a Headspace membership, members can access guided programs for sleep, anxiety and overall mood. These programs are informed by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) practices to address different challenges and reflect on progress.
- Sleep Tools: Considering that sleep is such an important part of mental health, Headspace offers a library of comprehensive sleep tools including sleep casts, meditations, white noise options, and binaural beats to help members achieve their best sleep.
- Multi-Modal Options: No one’s path to better mental health looks the same, so Headspace provides multi-modal options, including tools that address immediate stress alongside other wellness needs (i.e. quick breathing exercises, guided relaxations, short meditations).
Does Headspace offer personalized meditations?
Headspace offers a wide range of meditations designed for many of life’s moments and stressors. “While we don’t currently provide personalized meditations in the app, our meditation teachers, including myself, regularly host live meditations on our social channels,” Kamau said. “These sessions are centered around themes that resonate with what we’re personally and collectively experiencing as a society, providing another way to connect and support our community.”
How can Headspace help people with busy schedules?
Headspace is an app that truly meets people where they are. Whether that’s on your way to a meeting or trying to get a good night’s rest, the platform has content that caters to various schedules.
“From 1-minute breathing exercises to 3-minute SOS meditations, commute-friendly podcast shows, soothing sleep stories and even 30-day courses, our content can support you no matter what your schedule looks like and the journey that you’re on,” Kamau noted. “I often hear people say that they don’t have enough time to meditate in their day, but even a 5-minute meditation can have a huge impact on your overall sense of well-being.”
How can Headspace help people learn to prioritize rest?
Sleep and mental health continue to be inextricably linked and are crucial for how we show up in the world. Headspace looks at and approaches mental health holistically and understands that sleep is one of the core components of mental health resilience which is woven throughout our app.
In fact, building on our robust library of sleep tools to help our members get a good night’s sleep, Headspace recently launched a 3-week “Finding Your Best Sleep” program, a premium offering that guides you through exercises and meditations to help you build better sleep habits in just 10 minutes a day.
“It can be tough to work toward our goals when life gets in the way,” Kamau shared. “Sometimes, a little structure and guidance can be helpful. Designed to provide benefit and support for any member who self-identifies as having sleep-related needs, such as sleep problems that are frequent and persistent, and cause distress and interference in their lives.”
With the guidance of a sleep expert and science-backed content, the program helps members observe their relationship with sleep, discover strategies to improve their rest and provide them with the skills to maintain healthy sleep habits for a lifetime.
“In the Sleep Program, members will learn clinically validated tools, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and other evidence-based wellness practices and skills you can put into action right away, as well as help with building a plan to support long-term behavior changes,” Kamau noted.
How can Headspace help people learn to worry less about money, grief and work?
“While we can’t control most stressors, through the practice of mindfulness we can train our brains to respond to stress in a way that is protective of our health and well-being which includes specific issues like grief, finances and work,” Kamau said. “Think of meditation like strength training for the brain. In fact, meditation has been found to decrease the size of the amygdala, which decreases our response to stress and fear.”
Through the practices of mindfulness and meditation, we start to build our stress resilience, which means that although we may experience stressful moments, our ability to adapt, recover and cope with stress increases. “In the Headspace app, you can find a variety of specific meditation and mindfulness exercises to support you with issues like navigating grief, understanding the roots of financial stress and dealing with work burnout and stress,” Kamau explained.
How we tested
After using Headspace for three years, here’s the testing criteria I kept in mind while using the platform:
- Diversity of options: As humans, different emotions, thoughts and feelings enter our minds each day. Because one day we may be worrying about work and another we may be worrying about a relationship in our life, it’s important for Headspace to cater to the consumer. I took note of the rich variety of options and made sure to test each one.
- Immediate impact of feeling calmer: While Headspace may not replace routinely speaking with a counselor (if you desire), even 5 minutes on the platform should make you breathe a little better and make you feel calmer. I took note of the impact.
- Weekly impact of using Headspace each day: Consistency is key, so I made sure to use the Headspace app each day. I made note of my results in the review above.
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