On a whim earlier this year, I downloaded a meditation app called Headspace.

A meditation app might seem like an oxymoron (I'm particularly anxious in part because I always have screens in front of my face). However, this app is my favorite and I ended up purchasing a subscription. I never pay for apps because I am notoriously cheap about things like this. So you know it’s good.

The main reason I started Headspace meditation is for sleep. Normally, my head hits the pillow and that's the exact moment when my brain decides to spiral into a tornado of to-do lists and ideas and anxiety about big things (i.e. politics) and tiny things (i.e. am I out of cumin? and/or clean underwear?).

Sometimes it takes me over an hour just to shush my mind before I even feel sleepy.

Andy is the meditation guide on Headspace, and he and his cheeky, animated friends help me sleep better and stay calmer. Almost every night I put on one of the same two wind down meditations in the sleep section, turn off the screen of my phone and set it on my nightstand. It's not always magic zzZzzzZzzz's every time, but they really do (as Andy says) point me in the direction of sleep. In fact, I sometimes fall asleep before the 10 minutes are even up.

That’s big for me.

What other sorts of tech solutions have you guys found actually work in the mind/body wellness space?

P.S. This isn't a sponsored post. I just like the app.

ladybug photo by Ryan McGuire