Aware is a popular meditation and mindfulness app used by more than 300,000 people from across the globe.

I was approached by Aware HQ to spread the word about their new programme Meditation For All dedicated to people diagnosed with mental health problems.

I have used meditation apps and online guided meditations before and have always found them beneficial.

About Aware Meditation App

Aware is available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

The reviews are overall very positive: people start experiencing feeling calmer after only a few sessions, and definitely after five sessions. From complete meditation beginners to people who have been meditating for a while, the verdict is that the app is easy to use and the instructions are clear.

Putting the Aware App To the Test

The timing of the invitation to try Aware was perfect: I was in the middle of organising a house move and I was super stressed out. I have been having troubles sleeping for a long while, too. I felt so grateful that this wonderful opportunity to explore meditation further was presented to me.

I listened to the first meditation, which was only 10 minutes long, and I felt much calmer immediately. I noticed that my interactions with other people were different because I didn’t feel on edge. I was more tolerant and my tone of voice was lower. When I get anxious and/or stressed, my voice has a higher pitch and my breathing becomes shallow.

After three days of using the app, I noticed that, each time I worried about something, I would quickly come up with a solution, instead of going into panic mode. I must say, that was a relief because I was going through a stressful time.

I learned that trying to control our thoughts is pointless – to quieten the mind, it’s better to focus on our breathing. Once you stop antagonising your thoughts, it’s much easier to let go and calm down.

I think I am becoming less irritable after a few days of meditating, which is very useful.

Here is a quick run through the challenges I faced during the first week of using the Aware app:

• planning my next steps including moving house and dealing with uncertainty

• staying with friends and their feisty children (high noise levels)

• snow storm

• train delays

I felt that each challenge was just passing, it did not define me and it did not disrupt my sense of calm. Of course, there were moments when I did not feel calm and started worrying about the future.

Aware Meditation App: The Verdict

While you can’t expect to completely change your life in a week or in a month, I must say that I noticed a moderate improvement in my quality of life after using the Aware app for a week.

Would you say that taking ten minutes a day to de-stress is indulgent? I would say it’s about self-care, and more specifically, self-preservation. The invitation to try the app landed in my inbox at exactly the right moment, and I needed to gain a sense of perspective to allow my mind to de-clutter and avoid being taken over by worry.

I believe that taking some time out during the day to re-assess what is going on and focus on what’s important, instead of a myriad of “what if” scenarios, can make a huge difference to your wellbeing.