Holistic Living RN

Mindfulness is all the rage right now in the holistic community…and for good reason! Research confirms that your mind is so powerful that what you think affects your physical being.

I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were discussing a study where athletes were divided into 4 different groups. One did 100% physical training. One did 75% physical training and 25% mental visualization of the exercises and optimal outcomes in their sport. One did 50/50, and the last did 25% physical and 75% mental. Guess which one had better performances on eval day? The 75% mental and 25% physical. What?!?!

Maybe it is all in our minds like my Mom used to say. A super easy way to integrate mindfulness into your day is by using one of the available apps on your smartphone. There are tons!

To make it easy to start, I’ve compiled a list of my favorites. Some are free with optional add ins inside the app, and others are a couple bucks. I have a Mindset section on my phone where they all live. I also have my podcast app in there because many of the podcasts I listen to are about integrating mindfulness with business and manifesting. Yes, I’m straight nerd material, with a little bit of woo-woo mixed in. {I charge my crystals by the full moon light}

These are my top 5.

• 1. Headspace- This is a great intro app for meditation. There are tracks about stress, anxiety, personal growth, sleep, physical health, and even ones specific for students and kids! Meditation has been shown in studies to rewire the way your brain works for the better. Having a more positive outlook is right in line with being more mindful about what you are telling yourself.
• 2. Think Up- This is a great app where you record yourself saying positive affirmations of your choice. By hearing your own voice say them, it works on your subconscious mind to change your thought patterns that keep you stuck in limiting beliefs. There are example ones or you can record your own. I use this app every day on my drive to and from work for 5-10 minutes, and I credit it with getting me into a more positive space emotionally and mentally over the past 6 months.
• 3. Happify- This app helps retrain your brain for happiness by working on your thoughts. It gives you options such as “Conquer My Negative Thoughts” {that was my initial track}. It will then present you with activities on that track to help you change your thought pattern. Telling negative things to ourselves over and over everyday tells our subconscious brain to carry out and attract the negative things we repeat over and over. When we change those thoughts to positive things, our brains begin to see the opportunities we couldn’t see before and attract positive things into our lives. There is a subscription option with this app.
• 4. 10% Happier- This is a meditation app that will send you reminders at a set time you choose daily. It lets you choose what way will help you be 10% happier, from stress reduction to better interpersonal relationships, to better sleep. Its free for 7 days, and then is $8.50 a month.
• 5. Stop, Breathe & Think- This mindfulness app has writing prompts to help you get in touch with what you’re grateful for and the blessings you have. It also has tracks for yoga, meditation, accupressure and breathing techniques for anxiety and stress, and daily inspirational texts. Its free with in app purchases.