Health is more than just what you eat or how often you hit the gym. Research shows that meditation may help reduce stress and improve overall happiness, and Headspace gives you a simple and fun way of doing just that. The app allows you to choose mini guided meditation sessions specific to your mood and lifestyle. The library is curated with a wide variety of programs aimed to help you sleep, relieve anxiety, and manage stress. Session lengths can vary, but users can de-stress for even just a few minutes at a time.
What is meditation?
Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.
Mental health benefits of meditation
Most people are likely familiar with the positive side effects of meditation associated with mental health: increased awareness, clarity, compassion, and a sense of calm. Improved focus is another benefit commonly associated with meditation. In fact, one study showed that 4 weeks of using the Headspace app can increase focus by 14%, while another showed that just a single session cuts mind-wandering by 22%
Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, causing a surge of natural stress hormones (think: epinephrine and cortisol) in the bloodstream, which can negatively affect the body. For example, too much epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline) can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes; too much cortisol can increase blood sugar levels, suppress the immune system, and constrict blood vessels.
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