Nursing is a very demanding job and it’s become normal for nurses to feel stressed and fatigued on the job. We’d like a long vacation in a beautiful, exotic beach but while that’s in the realm of the impossible, we can make do for now with simple but feasible things like reading books, exercising, and meditating to de-stress.
There are numerous studies showing the positive effects of meditation on work-related stress. Meditation helps you find your center, your balance, and can reduce negative emotions immensely. And the beautiful thing about meditation is that you can do it anywhere and anytime.
With practice, you can go on meditation mode while taking a walk, riding the bus, while waiting for your patient, or even in the middle of a busy shift. A few calming moments is all you need.
To make it easier for you, here are some of the best free meditation apps you can use.
1. The DigiPill
Platform: iOS and Android
The DigiPill doesn’t only have a very interesting name; it has a unique concept as well. It offers a lot of “pills” which you can use depending on your needs.
The virtual pills in the app contain hypnotic audio files which you can conveniently listen to anytime. The “Sleep Deeply” pill, for example, can help you get to sleep easier. This can come in handy if you’ve just gotten off of a night shift.
For times when you feel depressed and burnt out, the pills “Resilience” and “Sanctuary” can help you overcome them. There’s even a pill to help you kick start a new health routine.
2. Headspace
Platform: iOS and Android
If you’re new to meditation, Headspace is a good place to start. It’s designed with meditation sessions that last for 10 minutes. Because the sessions are short, the app is perfect for nurses who are always on the go.
Upon initial download, you get free 10 sessions which are good for 10 days. In case you want to get more out of the app, you have to subscribe to unlock all of its features. You can choose to get it monthly or yearly. There’s also the option to get unlimited access to the app forever.
Also Read: Top 5 Benefits of Meditation for Nurses
3. Calm
Platform: iOS and Android
Calm is somewhat similar to Headspace. It’s loaded with several programs that will help you relax and sleep better. Aside from that, the app also offers guided meditation sessions that come with relaxing sound clips and scenes.
The free download includes a 7-day course of meditation exercises. In case you decide to go for the paid version, you’ll get a 21-day program that aims to improve your general well-being and even your sleeping habits.
4. The Mindfulness App
Platform: iOS and Android
The Mindfulness App is packed with features. Aside from its four silent meditation series and four guided sessions, you’ll also get a guided body scan, notifications as well as your statistics.
If you’re not satisfied with the initial meditation series, you have to pay extra to access the app’s premium library. You can pay to get an unlimited access to all of its tracks per month or just pick and pay for a specific track you need.
5. Breathe2Relax
Platform: iOS and Android
As nurses, we often tell our patients how important it is to practice deep breathing exercises, particularly during stressful situations. However, with so many tasks to accomplish per shift, we tend to forget to follow our own piece of advice.
Breathing exercises are great in controlling the effects of stress, like minimizing the “fight or flight” response, stabilizing mood as well as controlling anxiety.
Breathe2Relax is one of the helpful free meditation apps you can find for nurses. The app can help you keep track of your progress while letting you be more aware of how stress can affect your body.
It provides instructions and guides on how you can relieve stress through diaphragmatic breathing. You can change the pace of the breathing exercises to ensure your comfort as you perform them.
It isn’t connected to any social media sites which is actually great if you want to remove yourself from stressful situations and events.
6. Code Happy
Platform: iOS and Android
Code Happy is an app where you can reach out for support or just build your circle. Although it’s not entirely a meditation app, it’s still a great download for stressed nurses.
The app’s main screen shows floating bubbles containing the images of the past nurses who have called out for support in the last 24 hours.
The size of the bubbles depends on your relationship with the represented nurses. A small bubble means that the nurse isn’t someone you know. On the other hand, nurses who are already in your circle get represented with larger bubbles.
The great thing about this app is that you can invite your friends and co-workers to download it. There’s also the option to search for nurses through their emails, nicknames or specialties. You can add or remove people from your circle. As for your privacy, you can control who can search for your account or limit the people who can send you messages.
You can use the app to call out for support, whether you’re feeling stressed out at work or you just want to increase your positive vibes. Once notified of your status, nurses within your circle can send you messages of support or Happygrams.
Also Read: 2016 Ten Best Apps for Nursing Students
7. Omvana
Platform: iOS and Android
Omvana is a bit different from the other apps in this list in that it lets you create or mix your own meditation tracks. It contains a huge selection of premade meditation tracks which you can combine with inspirational speeches. If you’re not a fan of music clips, you can just listen to plain vocal narration.
In case you want to create your own meditation clip for personal use or sharing, you can record your own voice and pick a soundtrack from the app to partner it with. You can use binaural beats, meditation music or ambient sound.
Also Read: 15 Stress Relieving Hobbies For Nurses (#13 is Unusual!)
Conclusion
Technology isn’t only helpful in the way we treat and deliver care to our patients; it can also improve our productivity and capability to overcome the demands of our job. If you enjoy working with technology, then you’ll definitely have fun choosing from these free meditation apps and improving your stress levels through mindfulness and meditation.
