“Self-care is not selfish.”

“You are worthy of good things.”

“Breathe.”


If you’ve seen notifications like the above on your smartphone, then you may be one of the increasing¹ number of Americans who are using an app to practice mindfulness.

If you think the above notifications sound silly, or the notion of “mindfulness” sounds frivolous, think again.

Research suggests that mindfulness (i.e., living in the now or paying attention to what’s happening in the moment) may do more than make you sound “on trend” — it may improve your physical health.

Mindfulness is meaningful to your health.

Here are five science-backed ways meditation is good for your health²:

• Decreases risk of heart disease
• Decreases cognitive decline from aging
• Strengthens immune system
• Reduces rate cell aging
• Lessens pain
  
  

Can an app help you be mindful?

Given the growing field of research, it’s no surprise that “meditation” was listed as the hottest app trend in 2018.¹

If you go to the App Store or Google Play and type in “mindful” or “meditation,” you’ll be overloaded with results. Where do you start?

• Headspace gets top honors from Wirecutter³ as the best app to learn how to meditate, or improve your meditation skills. It also gets high marks from Healthline⁴. Here’s how it works:
• Calm gets second place honors from Wirecutter and also high marks from Healthline.
• Want more options? Explore highly-rated apps from Healthline.

When mindfulness isn't enough...

In case your best efforts to keep yourself healthy fail, FSH doctors are always here.

Namaste.

Talk to a doctor 24/7

If your employer provides you with First Stop Health, you can talk to a doctor 24/7 for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of health issues.

Call 888-691-7867 or log in:

¹ https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-was-the-hottest-app-trend-of-the-year-2018-12-07
² https://www.mindful.org/five-ways-mindfulness-meditation-is-good-for-your-health/
³ https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-meditation-apps/
⁴ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/top-meditation-iphone-android-apps#the-mindfulness-app