BetterMe and my pursuit of an ideal meditation app

Photo by Elijah Hiett on Unsplash

Meditationand mindfulness are the “it” words of today. But they are not just words you throw in to seem more sophisticated, and the practices are not just a current fad. Both meditation and mindfulness practises are scientifically-approved approaches to conquering one’s anxiety, improving sleep quality, and sharpening one’s ability to focus. So, naturally, there are apps offering to experienceand learn meditation practices. And today, we’ll look at the BetterMe Meditation app. Let’s see if this app can be The One for you!

Ever heard of BetterMe fitness? Prepare for BetterMe Meditation app!

About three months ago, I asked my friends to recommend their favourite fitness apps, and some of them mentioned the BetterMebrand. I got curious to try it – and have been using their app for over two months now (I’m on my second 28-day challenge). And recently, I’ve been thinking about dipping my toes into the meditation pond. So when I came across the BetterMe meditation app, I downloaded it to see what it offers, because, you see, regular exercising goes hand in hand with proper nutrition… and daily guided meditation. The three make a good combo of healthy living and psychological well-being.

Mindfulness and guided meditation practices help you declutter your thoughts, become hyper-aware of your surroundings, and boost your ability to focus. And, of course, they are a go-to way of relaxation for millions of people around the world.

How does BetterMe Meditation appwork?

Currently, the BetterMe Meditation app is only available for iOS mobile devices users, though the developers are planning to release an Android version sometime in the future.

Once you download it, you have at your disposal a set of basic meditation“exercises,” and several daily guided audio meditations.

All you need is to clear a few minutes during the day and launch the BetterMe Meditation app. Choose any program you like, based on your current state of mind. Either do a quick breathing exercise to overcome anxiety or deal with stress, or one of the freshly introduced Journeys, a set of audio programs designed by experts to help you deal with life challenges.

Each Journey helps you overcome a psychological barrier in your mind, or boost one of your natural abilities by guiding your breathing and mind’s wanderings. Listen to a calm steady voice and follow the breathing instructions to put your anxiety and stress under control, or enhance your focus, balance and creativity.

Here is why I think a meditation app is a must-have today:

• We tend to carry our phones virtually everywhere, that is why the BetterMe Meditation app will travel with you to your work, business and friendly meetings, holiday destinations, etc. Unfortunately, in a similar manner, we carry our struggles with us as well. But now you’ll have a way to deal with them very quickly.
• All you need is your phone and a relatively quiet place. No special equipment needed, just your breathing.
• You can practice meditation almost anywhere and only need a couple of minutes of your time.
• No previous experience in or special knowledge of meditation is required. Simply follow the instructions.
• BetterMe offers guided meditation free trial which then extends to a 6-month subscription in exchange for a fee of around $7/month.
• A meditation app is a great way to start your day, get into the right state of mind before an important meeting or task, or relax after a stressful day. Yes, all of this by controlling your breathing in a certain way.
• By practicing meditation and mindfulness regularly, your brain will learn to automatically snap back to reality/present moment, which will make focusing on a single task for longer periods of time much, much easier.
• You’ll learn to just acknowledge your thoughts and emotional state without mentally beating yourself up for something/regretting/over-analyzing/over thinking. This will get your thoughts flowing smoothly and without interruption, which, again, helps to focus on your daily tasks.
• Improved sleep. Add a meditation session to your pre-going-to-bed routine. Like me, you’ll soon notice that sleep comes more easily and naturally.

And here is what I think are the most appealing features of the BetterMe Meditation:

• Involvement of experts. In the app description, they state that the exercises were developed in tandem with meditation and mindfulness experts/coaches. This way, we know that the exercises are based on research, experience, and are effective.
• The app is relatively “young,” but I’ve witnessed a lot of development and improvement. They keep introducing new features, like Journeys, and I bet the guys have a lot of ideas and plans.

Is there space for improvement? Absolutely.

• Like I’ve mentioned above, this meditation app is only currently available for Apple device owners.
• Also, the only available language is English, though, certainly, more options are soon to come.
• The app already offers several meditation experiences, such as quick breathing exercises to calm your nerves or improve the quality of your sleep, and the step-by step Journey series. I can’t help but want more, like small daily bursts of calming the mind through meditation before another daily task. Hopefully, other options will be introduced soon.

Mental well-being is just as important as your physical health. The concept of meditation is thousands of years old, and doctors all around the world have found proof that it works.

Note, however, that mindfulness apps are not substitutes for professional help; they are not designed to help you deal with mental health issues. That is why BetterMe Meditation  should be seen as as a complementary component of your treatment if you’re undergoing one, but not a replacement for it.

It’s great to see more and more mindfulness and meditation-focused apps because it gets easier to choose the ones that work, and from those, the ones that work for you. The BetterMe Meditation app does work for me, and I’m eager to follow its further development and updates.

Which meditation apps are your favourites, and why? Would you try something new? Tell me in the comment section below!