Getting some Headspace
I’ve been using the Headspace app for the last week or so, and thought it deserved a bit of a write up as I’m really loving it. Have you seen it? – it’s a charming and simple app to get you into the practice of daily mindfulness meditation. As a freelancer and working for myself, I’m usually juggling a few clients and projects at once so often find my thoughts getting jumbled and overwhelming. I especially find myself prone to over-analysing about what might or might not happen in the future, which is a sure-fire recipe for needless anxiety.
The ‘Take Ten’ program, which the Headspace app offers for free, is a simple introduction to mindful meditation which takes just ten minutes out of your day. From the beginning I found the app warm and encouraging, with sweet interface design and animations to introduce the techniques you’ll be using in the program.
I’ve been doing my ten minutes right after waking up – a much healthier start to the day than immediately checking in on emails or twitter. From the first day I could feel it working wonders on my brain and body. Taking a few minutes just to sit still, breathe, and do a quick once-over of your body and mind feels incredibly valuable and I always look forward to the next session.
My favourite part of the exercise is where you go from concentrating on counting your breaths to just letting your mind loose to wander free and settle on whatever it wants to. On a good day I completely zone out at this point and think about absolutely nothing, which feels pretty blissful. The app encourages you to not worry if you do feel thoughts and anxieties creeping in: the point is to notice when that happens and try to draw your attention back to your breathing. You’re encouraged to notice noises, sensations and even smells around you to heighten awareness of your physical presence in the here and now.
The only minor issue I’ve encountered so far is that I’ve started feeling so relaxed and focused on single thoughts that I’ve been letting semi-important stuff get neglected as it’s no longer a source of anxiety for me! I think when you work for yourself you do need to maintain a slight level of tension so that you actually get stuff done and don’t let people down. It’s no good being so laid-back that you can’t be bothered to work or deal with people. I’m interested to see if this is addressed later on in the Headspace program. As my ten day trial draws to a close I think I will pay to subscribe to the ongoing program, which costs the equivalent of £3.75 a month.
Just one week of Headspace-ing has already had quite a profound effect on me. I haven’t had nearly so much work-related anxious baggage rattling round my head, and I’ve even become more focused on doing some personal projects that are working towards how I might want my career to go some day. I really recommend giving the app a go if you suffer similarly with low-level anxious thoughts and lack of focus.
(Do you like my suitably calming photo selection? Not sponsored by the way, I just really liked the app.)
