Whether you're looking to curb negative thinking, manage anxiety, or just get a better night's sleep, meditation is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to retrain your brain and recharge your emotional energy. And thanks to the prevalence of meditation and well-being apps, it's now a skill that anyone can learn from their comfort of their home (and phone).
To spare you all the hard work (and help you reach enlightenment faster), we've rounded up our picks for the best meditation, mindfulness and relaxation apps for your smartphone, including yoga and sleep sounds.
And if you're concerned about your phone bill, we've also included handy information on the difference between free apps, paid apps, and in-app purchases.
Headspace
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Looking for a simple way to de-stress, sleep better and think clearly? Bestselling wellness app Headspace is ideal for people new to meditation and mindfulness, offering a free Basic course to give users the tools and techniques to overcome anxiety, stress and overwhelmed thinking.
Headspace offers hundreds of guided meditations, including specialised programs for better sleep or increased day-to-day focus. There's also emergency SOS sessions designed to alleviate anxiety and panic; short 2-3 minute mini options; animations and sleep sounds; sessions especially for children and young people; and much more. Headspace is a complete mindfulness and meditation option for anyone new to the practice, and is free to download: monthly and yearly subscription options are also available, which will give you full access to all Headspace features.
Pacifica
Available on: Google Play, App Store
If you suffer from anxiety or depression - or just want to get in control of stressful or negative thinking - Pacifica is an easy-to-use, psychologist-designed app full of useful tools for managing mental health.
The app features plenty of self-help exercises, including mediation, mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques, as well as mood and thought tracking and daily challenges. Users are also part of a supportive community of peers, so you'll have plenty of resources for overcoming anxious or stressful thinking. Pacifica is free to download and use, but there are premium paid subscriptions available if you'd like unlimited access to all features.
Calm
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Winner of Apple's 2017 App of the Year, Calm is another bestselling and psychologist-recommended program that promotes relaxation, clarity and improved mental health. Like Headspace, it's a great app for anyone new to meditation, offering guided sessions at varying lengths and covering a variety of specialised subjects.
Programs focus on topics such as relieving anxiety, managing stress, improving sleep, breaking bad habits, practising gratitude, raising self-esteem, and more. There's a range of additional features, including breathing exercises and nature/sleep sounds, plus plenty of progress-tracking tools. Intermediate and advanced meditation practitioners are also catered to, and there's seven and 21-day programs available for a more structured mindfulness approach. Calm is free to download, with monthly and yearly subscription options available.
Daily Yoga
Available on: Google Play, App Store
If you'e looking for a beginner-friendly, low-impact exercise for mind and body, Daily Yoga's convenient workout plans are the gentle way to get into the practice without paying exorbitant studio fees. The app features options for new to advanced practitioners, with workouts focused on toning, weight loss, flexibility, strength, and more.
The app is free to use, although paid subscriptions are available if you're interested in premium features. In addition to detailed instructions on over 500 poses (plus 200 built-in HD yoga classes), Daily Yoga also features guided meditation and relaxation, an online community, and plenty of tools for you to track your progress.
Meditation & Relaxation: Guided Meditation
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Improve your sleep, focus, happiness and health with this guided mediation app, which promises to teach meditation in just 7 days. Offering an aforementioned week-long beginners' program, plus additional 7-day programs targeting common problems such as stress, low self-esteem and poor sleep, Meditation & Relaxation is a simple way to ease into meditation and mindfulness with no long-term commitment.
The app also offers an advanced 14-day meditation course, plus extra meditation sessions of varying lengths to help quiet your mind whenever required. If you're looking for a no-fuss meditation program for calm, better sleep or stress relief, this free app is the perfect starting point (and offers optional paid monthly or yearly subscriptions to unlock all programs).
Relax with Andrew Jackson (Lite)
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Clinical hypnotherapist Andrew Johnson offers a range of issue-specific self-help apps, but Relax Lite is a great starter program for anyone looking to use the practice to improve their day-to-day wellbeing.
Relax, and let Jackson's soothing voice guide you through simple visualisation and de-stressing techniques, designed to help busy users wind down, regain focus, and switch off from the pressures of everyday life. Listeners can customise the length of each session, so it can be easily squeezed in before bed or during your lunch break. Once you've tried the Lite version of Relax, you can upgrade to the full program for $2.99, or try out other specialised Jackson hypnotherapy sessions (including Deep Sleep, Positivity, Move On, and Quit Smoking).
Rain, Rain Sleep Sounds
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Can't stand sleeping in total silence, or looking for a way to drown out city sounds at night? Rain, Rain is the perfect sleep sound app, offering a generous selection of rain, nature and white noise sounds to lull you into a full night's sleep.
Rain options include everything from a gentle shower to a cracking thunderstorm, while nature sounds include streams, ocean waves, winds, fire and kitty purrs. There's also plenty of white noise and appliance options, and the ability to combine your favourite sounds to create your own personalised sleep mix. Rain, Rain is free to download (with premium options available), and can be used any time you need a calming escape - not just before bed.
Stop, Breathe & Think
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Like other apps on our list, Stop, Breathe & Think is an easy learn-to-meditate tool that's suitable for beginners. It's also ideal for a quick mid-day calming session, as effects can be achieved in just 5 minutes of mindful breathing. Open the app, pick your activity based on your mood, and find calm: there's options for stress, general mindful breathing, sleep, anxiety, depression, focus, and more.
The free app is great for keeping track of your emotions day-today, and includes a daily mental and physical health check-in to help find the best exercise for your state of mind. Stop, Breathe & Think includes over forty free meditations and activities, with more available to users who subscribe either on a monthly or annual basis.
Paid apps and in-app purchases
While all the apps we've listed in this article are free upfront, you will find some applications require you to pay an upfront charge to download and use them. If you do tap on a paid app, you'll receive a pop-up asking you to sign in or verify your account before making the purchase, so you're unlikely to buy an app by accident.
Some apps are free to download, but feature in-app purchases - the ability to buy added features or extras from within the app. This mostly applies to games, but again, if you are using an app with this feature, you'll be prompted to confirm your purchase via your Apple ID or Google account before buying.
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