Headspace App

Headspace made meditation feel like something I could actually try without committing to a philosophy or buying incense. Guided sessions start at 3 minutes, which is short enough that the only barrier is picking up your phone, and the voice narration is calm without being performative. Animations are simple and warm, little illustrated characters that make the whole thing feel approachable rather than clinical. I wanted something to help with sleep and the wind-down exercises have worked more consistently than anything else I've tried, melatonin included. Headspace doesn't ask you to change who you are, it just gives you a timer and a voice and 5 minutes of quiet.