Wellness and fitness are a big component of my life. If you’ve read the About Me section of the site you know that for the last decade I’ve lead a vegan lifestyle and do what I can to keep my body in the best shape possible. With all of that in mind, I do my best to keep the mental aspect in a constant state of homeostasis as well. I can overwork myself to a point where panic sets in and sometimes I just like other people in the industry experience burn out in which I need to relax and reset. So at a point where I was very anxious, I downloaded Calm. I did a 10 minute guided breathing exercise and it took my worry down a few notches to a point where I felt like I could handle the situation again.

I could go on about its great UI or how it’s super intuitive to use, however, I think this app is as successful as it is because they knew the service they were providing so well. There are probably many reasons for why it’s as good as it is but, I think it’s mostly because the app’s creator had a deeper and authentic want to help people in this day and age of this hectic existence. At the app’s opening, it tells you to Take a Deep Breath. From there you can simply breathe, meditate or sleep. I usually choose to meditate and a laundry list of meditation practices come up. I usually choose a timed meditation and breathe the day’s problems away. It sounds so overly simple but I kind of can’t explain how it helps it just does. It might be one of those things where we’ve over complicated so much of our lives that we forgot how some very simple exercises repeated over time actually help, tremendously. If you’re interested there’s a paid component that unlocks a tremendous amount of guided meditations that are absolutely worth it

The UI is super simple to navigate. Take a look at the above examples or just do what I did and just dive in. Probably my favorite part is the nature sounds (ok now I sound like a hippy vegan, my apologies) which have the wind, water, etc… my favorite, however, is a fireplace fire. The crackling wood and its earthy vibe definitely are relaxing tones to me. If I’m being honest, I have no problems falling asleep so if you do try that out and leave a comment below. Tell me your thoughts on how well it works or doesn’t work at all. I’d be interested to know. All in all, a solid app I use every day and if you’re anxious or having issues that have no resolve I’d give it a try. Click the picture below and download it today.

-Aa