Best Mindfulness Apps

Mobile devices don't have to be a distraction -- they can actually help keep you centered. We've rounded up mobile apps to help you be mindful and meditate.

Visit the app store, and you’re greeted with hundreds of mindfulness apps that can guide people through practicing mindfulness each day. When considering the right mindfulness app, you need to look at three things: Get clear on its purpose, show me the research and music doesn't help.

Here is the list of the best mindfulness apps for anyone to pick up the skills to help relax, and even deal with issues like anxiety and depression.

1. Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a lovely Australian mindfulness meditation smartphone app to experience, for both adults and kids. Smiling Mind offers hundreds of different meditation options that are organized into different programs to help you pick what you're looking for. There are programs for mindfulness, relationships, work, and sleep, so you can really find exactly what you need.

It was created as a non-profit initiative to improve the lives through increasing clarity, calm and contentment and reducing stress via mindfulness instruction and encouragement. The app can be downloaded for free, and then getting started is as simple as registering and choosing your age preference. Each age group is given a set of guided meditations designed to bring users from a beginning level to a ‘mindful master’ level over time.

Most of the meditations range from about 5 minutes to 15 minutes, but there are longer ones for up to 45 minutes. Badges, reminders and a recorded history help to encourage daily use and make practicing mindfulness a purely positive, rewarding experience.

Devices: iOS, Android

2. Headspace

A very useful app that helps you to learn the life- changing skills of meditation in just a few minutes a day.  This mindfulness app consists of hundreds of sessions on physical health, stress management, anxiety relief and personal growth. All these are designed to help you stress less, focus more and feel better.

This app focuses on training the brain through a selection of special series meditations in areas such as health, relationships and performance, as well as through dozens of one-off and bite-size guided meditations for a quick centring, calming mindfulness fix. Tracking statistics, the ability to connect with friends and rewards help to make Headspace one of the most engaging smartphone mindfulness apps.

Devices: iOS, Android

3. Calm

Calm is a simple smartphone app that teaches mindfulness and makes it easy to follow a daily meditation practice. The app can be downloaded for free with plenty of content, including more than 20 soothing audio/visual nature backgrounds, trackable timed sessions and free guided meditations, such as the 7 Days of Calm series and a meditation for easing tension and a body scan. Calm continually adds more unique content, but users have to subscribe for access.

This app can help you to tackle any darkest phase of life and stay calm. The backgrounds of these meditation apps are designed specifically for people who are finding it hard to go forward at the moment as it relaxes their mind and help to be at ease. The meditation option ranges from 20 minutes to 1 hour sessions.

Devices: iOS, Android

4. Stop, Breathe & Think

Mindfulness is all about being present and aware in each moment. What better way to instil this concept than to Stop, Breathe & Think? This wonderful mindfulness app makes it easy to take a daily pause in your day to check in with yourself, and through regular practice, you can broaden perspective and ‘create your own personal force field of calm and peace.’

Each time you open the app, it asks, "How are you?" Then, you rate your mind and body on a scale of rough to great and add up to five emotions you're feeling. The app then analyzes your self-assessment and recommends exercises accordingly.

Devices: iOS, Android

5. Simple Habit

Simple Habit is a 5-minute meditation app designed to help busy people stress less, achieve more, and live better. Their sleep & wellness therapy sessions offer meditations, coaching, motivational guides, and bedtime stories by world renowned experts, personalized for the way you live your life. Simple Habit will help you feel less stressed, get a better sleep and be your best self whether you only have 5 minutes or 30 minutes. 

Devices: iOS, Android

6. UCLA Mindful

Don't expect to find lots of cute graphics and aesthetically pleasing interfaces on the UCLA Mindful app. This is strictly about meditation. Developed by the Mindful Awareness Research Center at the University of California, it was created by people who know what they're doing.

There are about a dozen different free exercises to choose from in English and Spanish, and they range from about three minutes to 19 minutes long. There are also longer podcast meditations about a half hour long offered weekly.

Devices: iOS, Android

7. Insight Timer

Insight Timer offers significantly more free options than most other apps: there are over 30,000 meditation tracks and videos. This app stands out because it makes you feel like you're not alone. After each meditation, it tells you how many people were meditating with you at that same time.

There are also over 2,000 free talks and podcasts that feature motivational life advice when you need even more of a pick-me-up. It's a solid option for anyone, whether you're starting out or have already honed your meditating skills. There is a paid option as well that gives you even more access if needed.

Devices: iOS, Android

8. Waking Up

Waking Up by Sam Harris is a different kind of meditation app. It’s actually more like a meditation course. It’s based on Sam’s book of the same name, in which he talks about awakening your spirituality even if you are not religious.

Waking Up takes the elements of Buddhism, Stoicism, and mindfulness meditation to create a 28-day long course. All you have to do is spend 10 or so minutes on the practice every day. The $US99 ($135)/year membership is certainly not cheaper than Headspace, but if you’re trying to explore the mindfulness meditation space, try out the 28-day beginner’s course — you can use the program for one month for $US14.99 ($20).

9. Buddhify - Mindfulness

This mindfulness app is used worldwide and loved by people of all ages. A refreshing means for students to keep away stress from their study life. The instructive and soothing meditation app enables you to bring mindfulness in your daily activities and stay positive and happy. It helps you to calm down and ground yourself in stressful situations.

Devices: Android

10. Positive Penguins

This is an exclusive app that is designed for kids to improve their positivity. A five minute guided meditation is the key feature of this app. It teaches kids on how to sit, relax and let go of the negative thoughts. There is also a game mode to entertain kids and help them to relax in stressful situations.

Devices: iOS

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