Assistive technology specialists understand that productivity and focus are important for academic well-being but that managing your mental health is equally, if not more, important. Insight Timer is a free app available for Android and iOS that contains a plethora of meditations, music, sleep stories and courses.
Meditation can be a tool for reacting better in stressful situations, improving sleep and showing up more fully for those around you. I’d love to tell you about an Insight Timer app that I use to easily access meditations from my phone. The meditation app Insight Timer can help you stay grounded and manage stress.
Here are some favourite features about Insight Timer:
Meditation types and playlists
Meditation is an excellent tool that can help you increase self-awareness, manage stress and help stay grounded. With Insight Timer, you have access to thousands of different types of meditations in the palm of your hand. You can choose from several types of meditations depending on your preferences, skill level or time constraints, and Insight Timer provides categorized playlists that make it easier to find what suits you at the moment. Some of the playlists include:
- meditation for beginners
- improve your sleep
- coping with anxiety
- alleviate anger
- practicing compassion
Music
Insight Timer also offers thousands of music tracks to help you relax throughout the day. The music tracks are conveniently organized into categories such as:
- nature sounds
- instrumental music
- classical music
- drumming sounds
Sleep tracks
For me, quality and length of sleep are the single most important thing for your mental health. Insight Timer has a whole category that caters to helping you improve sleep hygiene. Some things you’ll find in this category are:
- meditations
- music
- stories
Personal library
A favourite feature of the Insight Timer is access to a personal library. This is a place where you can create customized playlists, store bookmarked meditations and easily access and view your most recently played tracks. Insight Timer also provides you with stats that keep track of your time spent meditating and can serve as a way to keep you motivated.
Even if you practice for five to 10 minutes daily, meditation can help you stay grounded and make a huge difference when responding to stressful situations. Insight Timer offers many different types of meditations, so you can easily find something that suits your needs.
To learn about more apps for relaxation and mental health management, check out these accessibility resources. Please email as@tru.ca or make an appointment with the assistive technology specialist by phone at 250-828-5023.
