Matthew Desmond
Staff Writer
Count to eight. That is the average human attention span. Now, think of all the things you have to prioritize throughout the day: homework, jobs, family. While your professor is telling you exactly what is going to be on the test, your mind wanders off to what’s for dinner. Your attention is divided, so you don’t remember what’s going to be on the test, and you forget what you’re going to pick up at the store.
All of this distraction leads to frustration.
As we pursue happiness in 2022, let’s explore how we can eliminate some of our more frustrating moments. Thankfully, there is a free and convenient way to improve our focus through meditation.
Meditation is the process of relaxing the brain. It has many benefits. According to the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, meditation can “increase focus and learning concentration” and “improve memory and attention span.” A 2011 Harvard Medical School Study revealed that meditation can change “the gray matter in the brain, improving, emotion regulation, a sense of self and memory.”
Meditation can be done sitting, lying down, or even while standing. People can do this on their own or in a group. There are even apps that people can use to support meditation. The three most popular are Calm, Headspace and Insight-Timer.
Calm has features that can help people relax and give their busy minds a break. The app will remind you to take a 30-second breathing break. If you have trouble sleeping, there are sleep stories, often read by a celebrity. There are timed meditations ranging from one minute up to eight hours and guided meditations where an instructor walks the user through the exercise. Specialized meditations focus on different areas such as sleep, health, and emotions. Calm offers a seven-day free trial with annual membership for around $70.
Another option is Headspace, which offers meditations focused on grief, creativity, confidence, and focus. Like Calm, it also has features that concentrate on sleep such as breathing exercises for nighttime and a sleep radio with music and nature sounds. Headspace is a free app with limited features. However, users can choose to get Headspace Plus for $12.99 a month with a free 7-day trial, or $69.99 annually with a free 14-day trial. Headspace Plus includes the entire library of meditations and exercises that will help you incorporate mindfulness into your day. This is a great app if you are a meditation beginner.
Another option is Insight-Timer. It has 100,000 free guided meditations with topics such as “Spirituality, Relationships, Sleep, and Health & Happiness.” Insight-Timer costs $59.99 a year, or $9.99 a month. Insight-Timer has a very large library, with meditations that focus on almost any issue you want to improve. Because the selections are so varied, this app is more suitable for an experienced meditator, who knows where they want to focus.
Meditation is a helpful way to calm the brain after a busy day, set your intentions for any day or to just take control of your everyday stress. Using apps is one of many ways to practice. Calm, Headspace, and Insight-Timer are three apps that help the user feel more at peace with themselves. If you have always wanted to try meditation, give the apps a chance. If you are skeptical, still give the apps a chance, you have nothing to lose, except your stress.
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