Turning to Your Phone for Respite May Not be as Crazy as it Sounds

Recently I found myself falling apart at the seems. You know how it goes, working around the clock, planning a wedding and burning the candle at both ends.  I looked at my to do list and inbox one Monday morning and was paralysed with that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start. My heart started racing, task upon task, no idea where to begin, the words appearing to blur, both on screen and paper.  My lack of sleep and the world in general, was catching up on me. (Perhaps staying out till 3am at after works drinks on Friday after such a massive week was not such a good idea after all..eeeek!). 

Headspace is an App Designed to Guide You Through Meditation

It was during this mini melt-down, that a colleague suggested I download Headspace, an app that he had been using for some time.  He suggested I do the 10 minute free intro. Now, if you’re anything like me, turning to your smartphone for respite from the clutter may feel as ridiculous as holding an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in a pub.  I looked at him blankly, “What the…? 10 minutes?  I don’t have 10 minutes..”!  He returned with “If you don’t have 10 minutes to meditate, you probably actually need 3 hours”. Hmmmmm, I definitely didn’t have 3 hours, so I settled for the 10 minutes and downloaded the app. With my headphones plugged into my phone,  I sat in anticipation of what I thought would be the longest 10 minutes of my life.

Yet, I was nicely surprised!  Firstly, the 10 minutes seem to pass by so quickly and the guided meditation tour was easy to follow. I felt like my breathing became deeper and I made a conscious effort to calm myself down.   I returned to my desk with a sense of contentment and went back to my list feeling less ‘fuzzy’.  I also felt an instant sense of self approval, like it was ok to own my mood and actually be kind to myself today.  As cliched as it might sound – I broke things down into bite size chunks and got on with things.  I only accomplished 3 things on my list that day, but did so accepting that it was ok and I chose not to be too hard on myself.   I also went for a run at lunch, ate well and had a good nights rest.  #winning.  The next morning I started my day with a second 10 minute guided mediation and so the pattern towards self-care began.

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Create a morning routine that sets you up for success

I’ve been using Headspace for about 5 months now.  If anything, it’s helped me realise that some days I’m going to amaze myself and other days I’ll put the washing in the oven.  Juggling, work, motherhood, relationships, the house and a social life can become a minefield at times, with little time left just to ‘be’.  I’ve also learnt that my day is pretty much formed by how I spend my first waking hour.  With this in mind,  I’ve developed a morning routine that sets me up for success.  Nowadays, I wake at 5:45 am and like a one eyed monster fumble my way downstairs while the rest of the house sleeps.  In my comfy chair, I browse through the meditation collections on Headspace, picking a 10 to 20 minute session that suits my mood.  I then back this up by taking the dogs for a walk.  Again – plugged into my phone – this time using Spotify to tune into anything from 90s RnB to house music. My walk often turns into a run… depending on what I am listening to and Voilà! … the happy hormones flow –  setting me up for a great day.   It’s pretty simple really, but my powerful morning routine injects a feeling of mastery into an otherwise out of control schedule.

I highly recommend an app such as Headspace for anyone who needs exactly that…some head space.  For me it reflects time out, where no one needs or wants anything from me.  10-20 uninterrupted minutes where I focus on nothing but my breathing and Andy’s voice.  This combined with my daily morning routine, allows me to take on the day like a supercharged awakened kickass warrior.

“Andy Puddicombe is doing for meditation what Jamie Oliver has done for food” The New York Times

The Benefits of Meditation

• Increased self-awareness and greater sense of perspective
• Reduce stress and worry
• Smile more
• Enjoy better relationships with your family/partner/spouse
• Love, eat, sleep and train better
• Be more present and become a better listener
• Experience peace of mind and a greater mind-body connection
• Improved focus at work or while studying

Some Other Meditation Apps Worth a Shout Out

Calm The on screen visuals are pretty awesome

Smiling Mind Perfect for kids and completely free Buddhify Small upfront payment –  11 hours of mediation tracks

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Anastasia Lambadaridis – Heggie
Marketing Communications Manager

Author Bio:

Anastasia Lambadaridis-Heggie is the Marketing Communications Manager at Melbourne based digital marketing agency BizWisdom. Anastasia is passionate about creating unique brand experiences and gold standard campaigns that drive behavioral change and ROI. In this fast paced digital age, Anastasia aims to add back the ‘human touch’ in our interactions and connections.  Anastasia holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Applied Science, and innately understands social norms and emotional triggers that drive and impact consumer behavior.  Anastasia also runs Melbourne’s ecofriendly beauty brand, save our skin and uses these natural products as a vehicle to promote social change and healthy living.