I'm Getting #Headspace

Last time I made a list of my favorite apps, some already were deleted from my phone though (step-counting app, because after 2 weeks it has started killing my battery with light speed, and also because I've got Fitbit Flex at last, and I don't need it, woot woot).

With the New Year, I made new resolutions this year, and the key resolution was to keep my resolutions this time :-). I am glad to report that so far, it's going well. I keep track of them with my spreadsheet on Google Drive, and update it at the end of each week with comments why the results as they are, and I added monthly evaluations too. This approach seems to work... I mean, it's March and I'm still remembering the resolutions at all!

One of things I have started in 2014 is meditation, though I prefer to call it "practicing mindfulness", because meditation has so many weird stereotypes, and often is connected to some religious views. I am not doing it with spiritual mindset, but rather with self-improvement one. I have started my mindfulness journey with googling "best meditation apps for iPhone" (duh!), and downloaded Headspace, because the "Emma Watson is using it" is a really good marketing trick to get nerdy people like me. I must say Headpsace is doing it so well in so many aspects... I fell in love with it, and I'm at the stage, when I want to scream to everyone and force them to use it, because it's so awesome. So yes, their marketing, and content marketing especially, are brilliant! As a marketing enthusiast, I can appreciate a job well done. I don't mind it too, because they do not over-promise, and the communication is so honest and straightforward, it was exactly what I wanted from my meditation. No religious talking, no spiritual talking, but rather facts, techniques, and encouragement. With Headspace I'm getting it. The only thing that I'm not happy with is the price, because for a person that is not in the UK or US, it's quite a price.

The founder - Andy Puddicombe

Back to beginning though, I downloaded it and went through the free Take10, 10 days 10 minutes meditations program. Andy's (the founder and the person of the Headspace) voice is soothing and doesn't distract me like voice of people in some other meditations. He doesn't talk too much, or too little for beginners who are not yet ready to be left in silence. He has great talent to explain it all in such simple ways. After a month+ of using I now have bought his book, because I am so hungry to hear more about what he has to say. To my surprise, the 10 minutes was actually passing pleasantly and I wasn't bored. What's more, I have now developed a hunger for more than just 10 min! When I have finished my 10 days free program, and found out how much the year of Headspace cost I was quite depressed. I refused to spend that much, and instead downloaded 3 more apps, that were paid, but much cheaper. These apps are Buddhify, Calm, and Mindfulness. Actually, all of them are quite good. Buddhify has cool design, and I love the sessions for so many situations, and also how I can track my stats with it. Calm add the white noise music, which helps me to quiet down, and I love the gong sound in Mindfulness. But after 2 weeks of using the other apps, I couldn't forget Headspace, I missed it so bad... that at last I gave up. That's what I usually do with things I want to buy, but that are on the expensive side. I wait and see, if after 3 days I will still be thinking of them. If yes, then well, we were meant to be. So I did purchase the year of Headspace, and I am still loving it, being on my Take20 now (20 min for 20 days).

I am not maybe a septical person, but I only give as much of my effort to this kind of natural/healthy/hippy trends, to see if they really work. After almost 2 months, I am still hungry for my meditations, and I am growing daily meditation time... I can see how I feel more under control over negative thoughts. I still get them, but now I can realize that much quicker and that helps me let them go. So far I feel happier, and I really think everyone should give it a try. I do think Headspace Take10 would give you great basics, and maybe you will be stronger than me and able to move to other cheaper/free app to continue. But please, give it a try. It's like exercise for the mind.