A published study conducted at Google and Roche, in which employees used Headspace for 8 weeks, had similar results: participants reported a 46% reduction in depression and a 31% reduction in anxiety. That's not all: Another study showed that 30 days of Headspace resulted in an 11% increase in mental resilience.

It's about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You're not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You're learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.

All Headspace meditation techniques incorporate elements of both “Samatha” (calming) and “Vipassana” (insight) meditation, though some of the technique names have changed from their original translation to help make them more accessible.

A 2022 review looked at 14 different randomized controlled trials and found that using Headspace improved depression in 75% of studies and at least 40% of studies showed improvement in mindfulness, well-being, stress and anxiety.

The emotional and physical benefits of meditation can include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations.
• Building skills to manage your stress.
• Increasing self-awareness.
• Focusing on the present.
• Reducing negative emotions.
• Increasing imagination and creativity.
• Increasing patience and tolerance.

10 reasons to meditate

• Reduced stress: Meditation may decrease stress.
• Improved memory: Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity.
• Increased attention: Meditation helps with attention span, allowing you to stay focused longer.

headspace can help if you're experiencing significant changes in thoughts, feelings and/or behaviour, if you're being bullied, hurt or harassed or just not feeling yourself. headspace has youth friendly general practitioners (GPs) and health nurses who can help with any physical health issues.

After talking with three experts, researching 21 apps, and testing 18 of them, we think Headspace offers the best experience. Its courses are organized and simple to navigate. And Headspace offers a daily personalized to-do list and group sessions, to create a sense of community and connection.

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming.

After talking with three experts, researching 21 apps, and testing 18 of them, we think Headspace offers the best experience. Its courses are organized and simple to navigate. And Headspace offers a daily personalized to-do list and group sessions, to create a sense of community and connection.

Cons

• The Headspace app doesn't have any free content.
• None of the meditations are longer than 30 minutes, so advanced meditators looking for a deeper practice may not find what they're looking for.
• Headspace's student and family plans are only available through the website (easy to miss out on if you don't know about it)

Headspace is best suited for new meditators who prefer more structure and plan to do short sessions. It is also ideal for people who want to do themed meditations and mindful movement workouts. Calm is designed to be intuitive and soothing, often featuring nature images.