Caro from our student health team has tested various free mindfulness apps that work on both Android and iOS and shares her impressions with you here. She has also listened to three mindfulness podcasts and gives her assessment here so that you can find the podcast that suits your interests and expectations.
Apps
Mindfulness
The first app we would like to introduce to you is called "Mindfulness". We only tested the free version, while the full version has more applications on the topic of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a good introduction to the topic of mindfulness. It is structured chronologically, which means that the free offers are displayed first in the app and the paid subscriptions are displayed further down. The system language is German. As a mindfulness beginner, you can start with the 5-day program, where you get to know the app and are introduced to mindfulness. The voice that guides you through the mindfulness exercises is pleasant and you can set different background noises such as forest, waves or beach. One irritating aspect of the introductory exercises is the reference to the full version of the app during meditation. Mindfulness is generally free of external advertising. The conclusion of the app is that the introductory exercises are very good for getting into the topic, some of the more advanced exercises are free of charge, but they are limited and always the same. The full version offers more mindfulness exercises.
Meditation of the day
The second app that we tested for you over a week is called "Meditation of the day". Every day, a different mindfulness exercise is presented that you can incorporate into your everyday life. The concept of mindfulness is also explained in the app. However, this is the only positive thing about the app. You are not guided through the meditation by a voice, but have to read it on the app. Not only is the text very small (unfortunately you can't zoom in), but it is also counterproductive for mindful relaxation. Mindfulness is characterized by letting go of thoughts and feelings, which is not possible by reading the text. If you are already a mindfulness professional, you can get ideas for exercises here, but less beginners are likely to use them.
Headspace
"Headspace" is the name of the next app we tested for you. It is intuitive to use and remembers where you last left off. You can easily integrate the exercises into your everyday life as you can choose the duration of the application yourself. A pleasant voice guides you through the mindfulness exercises, which you can also listen to offline. The basic version of the app, which is free of charge, has introductory courses designed to bring you closer to the topic of mindfulness. However, the full version is useful if you want to delve deeper into mindful living. Headspace Plus offers the full breadth of the app.
7Mind
Last but not least: the "7Mind" app. In contrast to the Meditation of the Day app, 7Mind uses a pleasant voice to guide you through the entire app. This makes it easier to get started with mindfulness and just using the app has a relaxing effect. You have the feeling that you no longer have to worry about anything! The exercises are available offline and invite you to integrate mindfulness into your everyday life. During our test, we came to the conclusion that the app's good instructions make it possible to practice mindfulness sustainably even without guided exercises if you meditate regularly. Despite our praise for 7Mind, we do have one point of criticism: the flood of emails. As you have to log in to the app with your own email address, emails from 7Mind arrive in your inbox almost every day. This is sometimes annoying, as the full version of the app is also advertised here. However, there is no external advertising.
Podcasts
Science, mindfulness and meditation
If you find the combination of these three concepts exciting, then be sure to listen to the podcast "Understand, feel, be happy - the mindfulness podcast", which, like the other podcasts, can also be heard on Spotify. The length of a podcast episode is around 30 minutes. So it's perfect for a slightly longer bus journey or a whole load of dishes to wash. You can choose from around 60 episodes, ranging from mindfulness in poetry to mindfulness in biology. New episodes are published from time to time. The scientific reference in particular is very interesting and varied. You learn a lot, but you can also switch off with episodes that only contain meditation. We were also impressed by the fact that the podcast is hosted by a psychologist/neuroscientist and a chief editor in dialog. This makes the podcast not only informative on many levels, but also professional. For us, this is the best podcast for all those who like to learn scientifically sound things, but still want to switch off in between. Here is the link to the podcast.
Chilling, digressing and meditating
The second podcast we would like to introduce to you is called "The Mindful Sessions - For more mindfulness & soul power". New episodes are uploaded at least once a week and are between 10 and 35 minutes long. So you are flexible in choosing the length of the podcast. Thematically, this podcast differs from the first one in that the focus here is on lifestyle and the emotional world. The speaker always makes sure that you have space to reflect on yourself during the podcast. The subject matter is not very profound, but very relaxing. You can switch off a little in everyday life and reflect on everyday things and feelings. The bottom line is that this podcast is great for taking a break and having a little uncomplicated "soul power" in a sometimes very complex everyday life. We also noticed positively that the pleasant voice and low-threshold topics help us to relax. Various meditation sessions can also be found among the numerous podcast episodes. You can find the podcast here.
Esotericism, feelings and society
The third podcast is for all esoteric fans who like to ponder complex social contexts. You can find out whether money makes you happy or not in the podcast "Achtsamkeit leben - Dein Podcast mit Peter Beer". The length of the episode varies flexibly between 10-40 minutes. So you can adapt the podcast perfectly to your time management. The speaker who hosts the podcast has a very deep and bassy voice - you have to like that, especially if you prefer softer voices when relaxing. The subject matter ranges between meditation, society and feelings. The last two points are often linked together. This allows you to adapt your own inner state to the social level. While listening, we noticed that some episodes convey a sense of finality, such as "Why you're unhappy!". Make sure that you take space here to include your own experiences. After all, only you can determine why you are unhappy ;)
All in all, the podcast is for people who like to deal with socially and emotionally complex contexts and are looking for inspiration to form an opinion about them. A little esotericism always plays a role in this podcast. Just listen in and see if this podcast is something for you. You can listen here.