Calm.com

Calm.com is a website and app that helps you practise mindfulness. There are now lots of apps that help you practice mindfulness; what makes Calm stand out is its visual presentation (especially when viewed via the website).

There are now lots of apps that help you practice mindfulness; what makes Calm stand out is its visual presentation (especially when viewed via the website). Calm provides an immersive experience – it displays a variety of restful, nature-themed scenes on a computer screen or on your phone (waves lapping, fields of grass blowing gently in the breeze, etc). These combine with ambient sounds to block out the daily hubbub. Calm also offers a series of guided meditations designed to help you cultivate a present-centred focus.

Create a free account to access:

• A seven day introduction to the principles of mindfulness
  A body scan meditation
• A variety of ambient visual / audio scenes to help you unplug from the daily grind (or to take 5 minutes out from that difficult essay!)
• Tools for tracking your meditation habits and support regular practice

As with many mindfulness apps (including the popular headspace app) paid subscription gives you access to extra meditation programs as well as theme specific sessions (including tailored sessions for managing anxiety, disrupted sleep, or even commuting!). However, as you can see from the list above, the free version of Calm has lots to offer.

Top tip: set up your web browser to open Calm at the start, so you always have a Calm tab to go to for a mindful break!