The Best Apps For Mindfulness And Meditation

We understand that life can be chaotic, stressful, and sometimes frustrating. And considering how we have to deal with issues like a pandemic, violence in the world, and inflation, sometimes just getting a good night's sleep or feeling relaxed throughout the day can feel like a challenge. However, there are ways to feel better during tough times, such as going through life with a mindful attitude. According to the Greater Good Magazine, being mindful means having the ability to understand what you think and feel and be aware of what is happening around you with an understanding mindset.

Meditating is an excellent way to become more mindful, peaceful, and calm. When you meditate, you can reflect on your thoughts and feelings or do breathing exercises and other mind-related activities to achieve a calmer, more mindful state (via Merriam-Webster). Participating in meditation can help you relieve stress, sleep better, and live a happier life, and we know all the best meditation and mindfulness apps to help you in your journey.

This app is all about helping you unwind to let go of anxiety or fall asleep peacefully. Centered on Glenn Harrold, an author specializing in self-support, the Relax & Sleep Well app offers free pre-recorded meditation sessions and hypnosis to help you become mindful, release stress, or fall asleep, per the Glenn Harold website. Whether you listen to Harold's soothing instructions or focus on a music-based meditation option, this app is helpful for people who need more calmness in their lives. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase additional features besides the free recordings if you want a plethora of choices.

The Relax & Sleep Well app has a near-perfect rating of 4.8 out of five stars on the Apple App Store and over 1,000 reviews at the time of writing, as people are pleased with the app. One happy reviewer wrote, "Download this now! You won't regret it! I absolutely LOVE this app! I have been greatly helped by this incredible man and his amazing app. His hypnosis sessions will completely relax you and will make you feel so much better." The app has 4.8 stars on Google Play, too, and one satisfied user wrote, "I tried one of the free audios — and only now know the true power of mediation — I've never felt so relaxed in my life!"

The InsightTimer app is a popular meditation option to help you reduce stress or sleep better. When using the app, you'll have many choices to explore and learn from professionals who genuinely know what they're doing. "This app has many of the most experienced mindfulness teachers on it, and allows you the freedom to pick and choose depending on how long you have to practice, what style you'd like... or just set a timer and sit without guidance," Pax Tandon, a mindfulness thought leader/author, told Women's Health. While not everything on the app is free, InsightTimer is super helpful for people who feel ready to commit to becoming more mindful through various mental activities, so the app will do a lot to improve your life. When you start using the app, you'll see that InsightTimer has something for everyone.

InsightTimer has an almost-perfect rating of 4.9 stars on the App Store with more than 385,000 ratings, and one happy reviewer wrote, "I TEACH MEDITATION... I use Insight Timer EVERY DAY... I can't recommend this enough!!" Moreover, the app has 4.8 stars on Google Play with more than 200,000 reviews. One pleased user wrote, "Loads of easy-to-use customizations, a large bank of guided meditations from a variety of teachers, and a neat community feature," so this app is perfect for anyone who doesn't want to stick to only one instructor or meditation style.

Healthline named The Mindfulness App the best choice for a beginner, and the app is ideal for people who want to become more mindful, as the word "mindfulness" is featured in the app's name. You can begin with guided practicing to show you the ropes, which is convenient for anyone who may be nervous or unsure about trying meditation. According to The Mindfulness App, there are many experienced instructors on the app, and it provides a lot of flexibility — there are more than 400 meditation exercises to choose from, so you'll be able to experiment and figure out what you like.

You can download the app for free, but you have to pay if you want to access all the options. On the App Store, The Mindfulness App has 4.8 stars with over 5,000 reviews, and a satisfied user wrote, "I have used this app for about three years now and I have tried others and find this one to be the best. I appreciate that my meditations are available at any time." Meanwhile, it has 4.6 stars on Google Play with over 18,000 reviews. One happy reviewer wrote, "I love it, there are lots of podcasts, plenty of meditation and relaxation techniques easy to use and fit in everyday busy life. I enjoy using this app."

We had to include the Smiling Mind app in our list, as this app was created by people in the psychology and education industries and is suitable for adults and kids — with free options. Thus, this app is an excellent choice for parents who feel stressed, especially if their kids get stressed easily too. So, both you and your children can become more mindful from this app! Also, the recommended time spent on the app per day is 10 minutes, so you'll only need to spare 10 minutes of your time every day to experience the benefits.

Smiling Mind has 4.5 stars on the App Store, and one pleased reviewer wrote, "Love!! I think that overall it does a great job of making mental health tools accessible to all ages and creates a simple and adjustable format for those who have never engaged in meditation or those who regularly meditate." Furthermore, the app has 4.2 stars on Google Play, where an impressed reviewer wrote, "Love this app, no ads and it's FREE... this is an awesome app and very underrated, recommend!"

Anyone who's ever done any research regarding meditation apps has probably heard of the popular Headspace app, and the app is worth the hype. "There are hundreds of guided meditations, mini-meditations, sleep sounds, SOS meditations for emergencies, meditations for kids and animations to help you better understand meditation," Lindsey Elmore, a wellness expert with a background as a pharmacist, told Women's Health. It's not a free app, as you'll need to pick between a yearly plan that costs around $70 per year with 14 free days or a monthly plan with a price tag of about $13 each month with one free week (via Headspace). However, everything you'll be able to access makes it worthwhile for people serious about their meditation journeys.

The Headspace app has 4.8 stars on the App Store, and a happy user described the app as "A Bright Spot in a Dark World," writing, "You won't regret buying a Headspace subscription. I often joke with people that Headspace is the one thing I would want to take with me to a desert island. If I were to cancel all my subscriptions today, Headspace is the one exception I would make." Plus, the app has 4.4 stars on Google Play, and a satisfied reviewer wrote, "It gives meditation a structure which I appreciate. I really like the themes and voices."

Last but not least is the Unplug app, which, believe it or not, started as in-person classes. "There's so many different instructors who are on the app, so you can get a feel for other styles, and find what suits you," Josephine Atluri, a certified medication instructor, told Prevention. According to Unplug, the app is ultra-convenient for busy people, as Unplug focuses on providing brief yet effective meditating sessions. You can try the app for free, and in the app, you choose three categories to center on, such as work productivity, mindfulness, and sound healing.

With over 5,000 reviews, Unplug has an impressive 4.9 stars on the App Store, where a devoted app user wrote, "Stop reading & DOWNLOAD! Best gift you could ever give yourself" and went on to write, "I have struggled with depressive episodes & anxiety throughout my life and meditation, rather than medication, has literally saved my life 10 times over." The app also has 4.7 stars on Google Play, and a happy reviewer wrote, "Hands down one of the BEST meditation apps out there!! Worth every penny and more!"