Top Apps We Recommend for Relaxation

Sometimes it seems all technology does is complicate our lives. It keeps giving us more gadgets to deal with, more instructions to learn, and more influences on our kids to worry about. But technology doesn't have to be just a source of frustration. There are smartphone and Web apps that can help you in ways you never thought of. As a busy parent, some of the most useful are the ones that help you relax. Here are some of our favorites.

1: Calm

This mindfulness and meditation app for stress reduction is accessible on the Web through your browser, as well as through iOS and Android app downloads. It guides you through meditation programs ranging from 7 to 21 days, on a subscription basis but also with a free 7-day trial. The programs include voice instructions, soothing sounds, and peaceful pictures.

2: Headspace

Headspace calls itself a “gym membership for the mind.” It teaches meditation techniques and offers guides showing how to apply meditation to different areas of life, including sleeping, physical training, eating, and relationships. It works on a free trial plus subscription basis and is available for iOS and Android devices as well as through Web browsers.

3: Stop, Breathe & Think

This app is provided by Tools for Peace, which describes itself as an organization aiming to provide ways to develop compassion, peace, and well-being. The free app (with in-app purchases), available for iOS and Android devices and on the Web, offers guided meditation programs for purposes such as falling asleep, feeling gratitude and dealing with change. It aims particularly to help young people cope with the stresses of school and everyday life.

4: Pacifica Tools for Stress and Anxiety

This free app with in-app purchases for iOS, Android, and the Web uses cognitive therapy and other techniques to help people deal with stress and anxiety. It helps you track your mood and health, and provides guided relaxation programs to calm your mind.

5: Mindfulness Daily

Available for iOS devices for $1.99, this app by Inward Inc. provides guided daily sessions aimed at getting your ready for your day in the morning, giving you a restful pause during the day, and helping you unwind at night.

Relaxing your mind and calming your soul can bring significant benefits to your emotional life. But the best way to extend the same kind of benefits to your body is to schedule a massage.  Also look into therapeutic massage.