TEK Tip: Six meditation apps to help you better cope with COVID-19 forced confinement

In the midst of this "chaos" that was installed due to the new Coronavirus, the truth is that most Portuguese people are not used to a calm life, without hours lost in traffic or public transport. Social isolation has been the advice of the Directorate-General for Health, with many Portuguese people voluntarily deciding to stay at home, which can also have a major impact on the health of the Portuguese. So, in this article we have put together some meditation applications that can be a good bet for these days.

One way to deal with anxiety may be through muscle relaxation and breathing control techniques. Who explains it Andreia Ribeiro, research assistant at the William James Center for Research of the Higher Institute of Applied Psychology, ensuring that meditation, in some cases, is a good option, since "it can help in the regulation of emotions and allows people to manage the anxiety and dealing with stress ". "In that sense, and given that the mobile phone is now almost part of us, we have to take advantage of that fact and meditation apps can help in this management", he says.

The specialist in Psychology guarantees in an interview with SAPO TeK that a pandemic has an impact in physical terms, but also in a psychological level, with people being able to react in different ways. Andreia Ribeiro guarantees that anxiety is something natural, as well as feelings of sadness, solitude, worry.

One of the ways to have some control over the situation is to seek to be updated on the COVID-19 pandemic through reliable entities and sources, with the website developed by the Ministry of Health on the new Coronavirus a good option, for example. "However, when this information brings even more anxiety, it is necessary to reduce these periods of access to information", he warns.

But, even if the new reality is to spend at home almost every day, the specialist reinforces the need to maintain a routine. Taking breaks to rest, eat and sleep, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and doing physical exercise at home are some of the advice.

"Establishing a routine even when you are at home is very important, especially for people who are working from home"

On the other hand, you should try to occupy your time with "pleasurable activities and doing things you like at home", taking the opportunity to take care of yourself, pamper yourself, and keep in touch with friends and family through a message , email or call.

These are some suggestions of apps that can help you meditate.

Start investing in your perfect rest

Mindwell is not free, but in return promises its users meditation, relaxation and measured energy, with the help of Artificial Intelligence and ASMR.

According to its creators, Mindwell combines "isochronic tones, solfeggio frequencies and spoken guidance" to create 350 meditation tracks.

It was developed to introduce the benefits of meditation to daily life, improving users' mental health and allowing them to recover more quickly from stressful or disturbing moments.

The application has an extensive library of guides that can be applied to different emotional states, namely to deal with difficult situations, relationships and personal growth.

With the MoodShift functionality, it is able to map an individual's mood over time, allowing anyone to select their mood and assess their progress.

Mindwell is available for Android and iOS. free to download and can be used that way for a week, but then follow subscription plans.


Less anxiety and stress? Learn to meditate with Lojong and record your progress

It works like a school for the mind, where you can learn to be a more relaxed person and free from the anxiety and stress that can be part of the routine.

For this, the Lojong application provides videos, reminders and content about meditation methods and traditions, offering you a ten-step path.

Offering guided meditations, which can significantly reduce levels of depression, anxiety and stress in five weeks, the app integrates the most diverse practices based on mindfulness programs.

Once you start using the application you can monitor your progress and check if you are complying with what you set out to do. And the application helps you to remember that important task with reminders that you can trigger.

Another option of Lojong is the activation of the "do-not-disturb mode", so that, while you are meditating, make sure that nothing or anyone will distract you.

To start this experience you can register via Facebook or email, also having the possibility to create an account. The app is available for free download on the PlayStore and the AppStore.


Are you always on the run? Calm down with this app

This is another application in which the name does not deceive: Calm wants to calm him down. It is like? With proposals ranging from music to relax to bedtime stories.

Calm has been around for some time and has even added some distinctions, both in the iOS version and in the Android version. Its purpose is immediately evident in the name: to calm its users. And for that he has a handful of proposals.

The application proposes from music to relax or concentrate, to stories to fall asleep, passing by the sounds of nature, breathing programs and meditation masterclasses. Meditation lessons are available for different duration periods, starting in the three minutes and going up to a maximum of 25 minutes.

Calm's creators promise to captivate experienced users from beginners to calm anxieties, manage stress, sleep better or train focus and concentration.

As mentioned at the beginning, aCalm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax is available for Android devices and iOS devices. It has a free version, but access to certain options is paid.


Oak an app that wants to help users meditate

First you need to learn the techniques and movements until you reach the level where you can meditate alone, but this app has the necessary exercises to do this path.

Meditation techniques are gaining more and more popularity, helping to relax and reduce stress, but also to increase brain performance and capacity. There are several applications that were designed to help users in meditation exercises and Oak is one of them, with a support for the most inexperienced and allowing a gradual evolution.

There are guided exercises lasting between 5 and 30 minutes and non-guided exercises that can be applied for a duration of 24 hours. In breathing there are yoga techniques and lively instructions, but Oak can also interfere with sleep, with relaxation exercises to fall asleep and sounds suitable for sleeping and waking up gently.

The app recommends a daily practice, with breathing and meditation exercises, and progress is being recorded in a growing tree, with constant monitoring and encouragement. It is ideal that meditation becomes a habit, but the whole process can be adapted in terms of duration and accompanying music.

The app is only available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store and is free. It is linked to AppleHealthKit to record mindfull minutes.

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Pigment a digital coloring book for adults

said that painting images reduces stress and anxiety. The application intends to replace the pens and paper in the activity.

Experts say it takes just five or ten minutes to paint images to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety on people. Activity is compared to meditation to help empty the mind and increase concentration. it is in this context that Pigment, a digital coloring book, appears.

The application offers different forms of interaction, be it the choice and application of color in the marked space, or coloring with the same movements that you would with paper and pens. The pallet offers 21 types of brushes, markers and pens. And an offer with more than 4,000 thematic images, among animals, flowers, landscapes, mandalas, among others, which after being colored can be shared with family and friends.

The application offers an unlimited number of colors, using pallets cured by professionals, and features a shadow control system.

You can download the application in the Android or iOS version.


Exchange your alarm clock for a meditation app …

Nor is it worth talking about the benefits of a restful sleep for health and well being. And a gentle wake up?

The alarm clock is one of the most unnatural ways to wake up, and one of the devices most hated by many people. But it is efficient, and there are several systems that try to combine the best of its features with softer systems to wake up, such as music or light that is increasing in intensity.

How about trying a meditation-based system? That is the goal of Beditation, an app that wants to help improve the way we fall asleep but also how we wake up, replacing the alarm clock with a morning meditation.

Just choose the soundtrack you want to fall asleep at night and the type of goal you want to wake up to in the morning, between free and paid options. A voice will guide you in meditation for a more natural wake up.

It's worth a try, but it's probably best to put a second wake-up system on if you really have to do a schedule.

The app is available free of charge for iOS and Android platforms.