Keep Calm This Fall

As the temperature drops and the daylight gets shorter, we know the fall season is quickly creeping up on us, complete with its usual fun, yet stressful, array of holidays, family outings, youth sports, and back to school activities.  This year, head into fall with some calming apps to help soothe your over-taxed nerves and tired mind.  Many of the apps below are free, especially to start, but some may require a subscription if you want to try the advanced courses or features.

InsightTimer - This is perhaps the most robust free mediation app available, with a large library, tools, and unlimited use of the mediation timer.  Yes, they do offer premium subscriptions to unlock a larger library, but most users will find what they need in the thousands of free meditations.

Smiling Mind – An Australian app that is totally free and offers meditation with a twist – most of their guides are geared toward a specific topic, like being calm at work or school.  The company’s goal is to reach younger users, so this one is ideal for kids as well as adults.  The associated blog also offers offline tips, like how to be mindful while eating or out for a walk.  Just keep in mind that Australia is on the flip side and their seasons are reversed from ours - a recent post on the site was about winter nature hikes, so you might need to go back a bit if you are looking for outdoor activities.


DownDog – A free Yoga app that offers thousands of configurations for beginners to advanced users, the app also lets you download lessons for offline practice.  Some advanced features require a subscription.

Colorfy – The adult coloring book craze has been fueled by the simple fact that for most people, coloring can be a mindless diversion from everyday stress.  This app takes the concept on the road with no need to pack any crayons or color pencils, just take out your phone and work on your masterpiece at any time, from sitting in a waiting room to your kitchen table while your turkey roasts.

Headspace – You can either use the app or the website with a free account to take the basic courses in mindfulness and meditation.  In addition to the recorded techniques on how to deal with stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and more, the website includes how-to guides and other information on meditation and mindfulness.  Advanced courses and full courses on different topics do require a paid subscription.

SleepCycle Alarm – An app all about sleep, which uses the accelerometer in your phone to measure how restless you are at night and then uses that data to estimate the quality of your sleep as well as the duration of your sleep cycle.  Everyone has a sleep cycle, a pattern of restlessness and deep sleep that repeats at a set interval each time you sleep.  The key to a restful night of sleep is to not wake up in the middle of a cycle, but at the end of one.  The app claims it can use the sleep data it collects to pinpoint when to turn on your wake alarm.



Flipster – offered by the library, this magazine source features a full catalog of issues for 20 different magazine titles going back to 2014.  All are in full color, searchable, and you can even print from them if you find that must-have Thanksgiving side dish.  While it isn’t an app that will play calming sounds or guide you to a more relaxed state, you can save some time and stress by finding a whole lot of decorating ideas, money-saving tips, and de-stressing techniques by browsing titles such as Real Simple, O, and Food Network.  Plus you get to relax while flipping through the virtual pages.

- Laura N., Information Technology

Comments