There is an increasing amount of interest in using the internet to help people become more mindful. Mindfulness is the quality of being fully engaged in whatever we are doing, free from distraction or judgement; aware of our thoughts and feelings but not troubled by them. Achieving this state of mind can assist with managing stress and anxiety.
Some psychologists have actually developed methods for measuring the different levels of a person’s mindfulness. I imagine it comes down to the art of not being continually distracted by the myriad shiny-but-pointless things we see flickering about us.
An interesting response to the growing incidence of youth mental health issues is ‘Smiling Minds’. Smiling Mind is a Mindfulness App produced by a not-for-profit company of the same name, founded in Australia in 2012 by Jane Martino Newton and James Tutton. They describe themselves as ‘operating in the pre-emptive mental health space.’ I suppose that means addressing mental health issues before they affect you!
The Smiling Mind app is available FREE - https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
If you feel the need to pay something, non-profit merchandise is available, such as various journals designed to record your mindfulness experiences! There are journals for kids, adults, teachers, everyone.
Indeed, mindfullness apps are not only for children. Another free option is Insight Timer - https://insighttimer.com
We spoke to Mahalia, a health industry worker who works with children and is therefore under a bit of stress these days. Times have changed and in response, Mahalia has sought out a new way of de-stressing.
She says that she uses Insight Timer effectively to ‘wind down’ at the end of the day and assist with falling asleep. She does warn that their web page contains a scary picture of Russell Brand who offers one of many celebrity endorsements for the app.
Insight Timer boasts 60,000 free, guided meditations, so you are bound to find something that works for you. The site also has Mindfulness Music and Insightful Talks about letting go of all of the things that wind you up.
By Warren Heggarty, Panorama magazine
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