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WE COULD ALL do with less stress in our lives.
Our jobs, family life, responsibilities, all of these things and more can creep up and get a little too much to bear.
Most of the time, it’s the worrying that causes the biggest problem and dealing with day-to-day life while you’re stressed isn’t the easiest.
Thankfully, meditation can help you better cope with this and is a skill anyone can pick up. It and the concept of mindfulness have been growing in popularity in recent years and if you haven’t already tried it out, now is as good a time as any to start.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is living in the moment and being aware of the feelings and thoughts that you experience at any given time. It’s not a way to get rid of negative emotions entirely -such a thing isn’t possible – but it helps you better understand your feelings and accept them for what they are.
The concept is used in psychology to help with a number of conditions such as anxiety, stress, and OCD to name a few. And even if you feel like you’re fine, it’s still a useful skill to pick up and practice as the benefits will seep into other parts of your life.
The apps below will help with this although it should be mentioned that you get what you put into them. Daily meditation should be the aim for most people and putting aside 10-15 minutes of your day to do this should be achievable.
Headspace
For: iOS, Android, Desktop
Cost: Free (subscription based)
There’s a good reason why Headspace is usually mentioned when this topic comes up and as far as relaxation and mindfulness apps go, it’s one of the best. Starting off with the basics first, once you complete them, you can choose lessons based on a particular concern like anxiety, stress, focus or creativity and decide if you want each lesson to be 10, 15 or 20 minutes long.
It is a subscription model – one option is a year’s access which costs €6 a month or €72 a year – but there’s a ten-day trial available for those who want to give it a try.
Calm
For: iOS, Android, Desktop
Cost: Free (€8.99 for year-long access)
Relaxing sounds and music? Check. Guided relaxation that can be adjusted between 2 to 20-minute lengths? Check. Timers and relaxing images? Check and check. An easy way to get away from everything should you need a bit of a breather.
[image alt="Calm gif.gif" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2014/12/calm-gif-gif-630x404.gif" width="630" height="404" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
The Mindfulness App
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €1.59
As the name implies, The Mindfulness App can guide you through meditation or leave you in silence except for the sound of bells. It can also alert you to when you should meditate should you have a preferred time.
Buddhify - mindfulness to go
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €2.69
One of the nicest interfaces and designs of the list here, Buddhify has a collection of meditation guides based around what you’re doing instead of topics. With custom guides designed for when you’re waking up, at work, on the commute home or when you’re surfing online, there’s a guide for every part of your day.
It also has a timer for unguided meditation and provides tips for improving your meditation technique.
Insight Timer
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free (€2.69 for full version)
With a number of teachers to help guide you through meditation, Insight Timer is focused on developing your ability though bell chimes and guided training for both beginners and more experienced meditators.
Worry Watch
For: iOS
Cost: €1.79
A little bit different compared to the other services on this list, Worry Watch asks you to jot down what’s bothering you at that moment. It then prompts you to revisit your notes and say whether it was as bad as you anticipated. The idea is to show you the actual event is rarely as bad as you think it’s going to be.
[image alt="Worry Watch" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2014/12/worry-watch-558x500.jpg" width="558" height="500" title="" class="aligncenter" /end]
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Brilliant. Because it just cost me 14 euro to read this in Spain. …….
What I don’t understand is why it is €1.05 per MB with Three to use in Ireland on their standard rate and only 24.5cent to use with Three while in Spain roaming
“A”
Reducing roaming charges is about the only good thing the EU has done in decades.
Meanwhile today the EU voted to put Net neutrality in peril: http://www.cnet.com/news/europe-votes-against-roadblocks-to-internet-fast-lanes/
Sadly you won’t hear much about this on Irish media!
This is some clusterf*ck spammer, this and TTIP. We are nothing but € signs and as an added bonus this will lead to internet censorship.
Where are the bellends we voted for to protect our interests?
Most of our bell-ends politicians are on the gravy train and they’ll say nothing and suck up that gravy. There are very few who have any sense of morality.
But credit where credit is due Sinn Fein did vote against this and are opposed to TTIP.
Brill. Though they’ll still find a way to rip us off with the data.
The data rates are ridiculous. Was over in Liverpool for a few days, had my data on for about 10 mins a day in total and nearly died when I seen my phone bill. Won’t make that mistake twice!
I get charged rates for data when I drive 10 minutes up the road. I feel your pain
Same here..scandalous
Data charges will also be on a like-home basis from 2017. Which is great!
why have we to wait till then.
They need to go after them now for the excessive charges for using data above their own arbitrary limits.
I got a bill last year from Meteor for about €350. I was on a 20 euro a month plan for 20GB’s of data. My crime? I used 26GB. So thats €330 charge for the extra 6GB. Cheeky B******ds. And i only got a usage warning text to my laptop, no-one ever reads texts that go to a laptop!
Why would you sign up to a deal that costs so much after you use you allocated allowance?
switch to 3 pre pay” 20 euro a month ‘ unlimited data’s fast network’ can’t remember amount of free talk and texts’ it’s good though’ never looked back
@ Free comment – well, you genius, they didnt exactly stipulate that it would cost 50 euro per GB over the limit. That wasnt written down anywhere….
lol Cal. I was only asking. you are the genius for signing into it.
Justin. Yes i did indeed switch to that very plan after getting that bill. The point stands though that they should not get away with charging an arbitrary amount over their own arbitrary limit. Whats to stop them charging 1,000 euros per GB over the limit? or 10,000 euros? The amount is not known to the customer when they sign up.
We’ve all learned the hard way. Got a whopping €250 bill from Vodafone after a trip to France where I had roaming switched off airplane mode and wifi on. Took me 6 months to sort out but now if I’m a day late with paying bill they threaten to cut me off and charge €25 reconnect fee you can’t win with them.
Rotarua,
You can win. Leave the pr|cks. Vodafone are a disgraceful company
Their not the only ones my partner is with meteor on a €14 monthly contract just got bill for first month €150 so while I will leave Vodafone when contract up which of them is without problems.
I didn’t pay the Vodafone charges and haven’t been disconnected but because I refuse to pay by direct debit they have devised the 24hr rule or you’ll be cut off as I call it.
Vodafone are an absolute nightmare, but meteor are no better.. they tried threating me with a solicitors letter for €80 after I’d contacted them 4 times to cancel the Internet stick, it had no usage on it for months an they tried to say I owed for wen it wasn’t used even thou there was no contract an I’d tried cancelling it the 4 times. Vodafone haven’t been any better, they refused to replace a faulty phone they sold me, they said their repair shops word was final and would not entertain me, even though Samsung themselves replaced the phone soon as I sent it off within 5 days admitting the phone was indeed faulty. I pay vodafone €75 (minus the vat) pm, got onto Comreg, sent a formal letter to Vodafone it was ignored, all comreg cud advise was to get onto a solicitor.. Vodafone are an awful shower to deal with, ya don’t have a leg to stand on with them… they give no leway and refuse to co – operate with you!
I had a problem with an iPhone when I was with meteor they said I’d obviously got it wet and refused to do anything about it. Got on to iPhone got a new phone and an iPod from them as there was a fault with the phone and they’d advised the serial numbers of phones that had to be recalled; meteor told me I needed to buy a new phone!!
no it not the scraped it a few weeks ago .I always had unlimited data in the UK no more my friend
Litreally the same thing.. and the funny thing was, Comreg told me tat if the phone was faulty the responsibility was with Vodafone the seller, but I was told that I’d obviously dropped the phone even though there wasn’t even a mark on it… Soon as it went to samsung I’d a call within 48hrs to say the phone was in face faulty and a new one was on the way. That with another issue regarding problems with me bill I followed the whole official complaint procedure but because they ignored me all I cud do was contact a solicitor.. It shud be dealt with at company complain level but I suppose I’m as much a fool for letting it slide.. I just honestly didn’t want to be going down the solicitor route esp money wise!
I totally welcome this move.
Unfortunately the EU roaming legislation was bundled in with legislation allowing for Internet fast lanes and slow lanes which was also approved today. Very little mention about this in the Irish media. Not a good day for Internet freedom or Net Neutrality in Europe – http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2015/10/net-neutrality-eu-votes-in-favour-of-internet-fast-lanes-and-slow-lanes/
Those calling Gambia from Europe will still be hammered after 15 June 2017
Pity none of us will have the money to travel and make use of it.
Why not? What is happening everyone in 2017?
A serving of doom, sprinkled with gloom
@Darren, the great poor-mouth plague is coming in 2017 or haven’t you heard?!
The EU collapses in 2017 when the Brits vote to leave the Union.
Just buy a uk 3pay sim up the North or on Amazon and you can buy 20gb data to use anywhere in Europe for £15
Cardiff was like St Patrick’s Day in Dublin the day of the France game……no money you say?
Anyone else hate the 2010s and the culture, fashion, attitudes etc. that are part of it .. at least those ultra vain haircuts are dying out … Soon anyone who gets their haircut contoured to their skull to be more aesthetic will be called out as self-indulgent
how come it takes over a year to get rid but any price hike tends to be immediate
I’m with 3 unlimited data and texts and can use the phone in the UK for calls and Internet use,And it doesn’t cost me anything extra except when you drop coverage and it switches to 02.
When are beanies going to get scrapped
Why not Immediately…? If rates were to go up the consumer would be hit with the bill straight away. Joke
hooray.
was charged 2.99 a day when I was in Spain for ten days. had my data turned off the entire time. apparently its to pay for privilege of having your phone turned on when abroad whether you use it or not. I only used it with hotel Wi-Fi
It was supposed to be scrapped last year, so until it is done i wont mention it.
They’ve been telling us this for years. They’ll find some other way to fleece us.
0871245078
Good
Good.
…
You would be lucky to get a signal,let alone roaming charges!!..
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