It’s no surprise that mindfulness requires repetition and regular attention. It’s as individual and unique as you, since it morphs and changes as your experience with it deepens and expands. While the benefits of a mindfulness practice are broadly recognized — it reduces stress, strengthens executive function, and improves working memory — the beauty of mindfulness is that there is no one way to exercise it. Clinical psychologist, Dr. James Cartreine writes in Harvard Health Publishing that mindfulness “involves focusing completely on what’s going on inside you and outside you.” He explains that you can take your first steps into this rich and satisfying process through the help of apps specifically built to guide you in your journey.
For starters, apps like Headspace offer several free guided meditation packages perfect for beginners, along with subscription packages that deliver personalized meditations for those looking to boost their emotional health and intelligence. Similarly, Aura works to manage stress and reduce anxiety while simultaneously tapping into your introspective side, allowing users to keep a gratitude journal, track moods throughout the day, and listen to the sounds of nature.
In addition to these apps, 71 South Wacker’s KINETIC™ Fitness and Wellness Center has introduced One Mindful Moment (OMM), a digital experience that encourages customers to practice daily mindfulness via email. For 5 weeks, customers receive emails that feature a mindful moment challenge every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Once a customer has completed a challenge, they can mark it off the provided calendar and submit the calendar to receive a mindful gift. This is available to all the customers at 71 South Wacker, even those who are not currently fitness center members.
KINETIC manager Dawn Hanson, explains, “71 South Wacker customers are thrilled with this new program and have been spreading the word to their colleagues. What makes a digital program like this so effective is that it’s accessible to everyone and it encourages users to spread mindful messages while completing challenges on their own.”
Every day we discover new ways that technology touches our lives, and has the power to enhance our human experiences — including ways to recognize the sources of stress and to provide relief. In a world where we are bombarded with stimulus and distraction, having the option to find moments of mental and emotional rest; to reset and regain equilibrium with the help of your smartphone and an app, is a real benefit.
