The Apps You Need To Chill Out This Year

If you were to describe the current state of the world right now in one word, it'd probably be something like, "yikes." The news cycle has been less-than-relaxing to say the least, and many of us are looking for ways to de-stress. Perhaps you're considering picking up a few healthy habits to help you along the way, like meditation.

It's okay to be somewhat skeptical about meditation if you've never tried it, because there's so much hype around the practice. Research has shown that meditation can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, help people with insomnia, and much more.

So, if meditation is so great, how do you do it? Well, just shutting your eyes, breathing, and waiting for your problems to dissolve might not be the best route. But listening to guided meditations on a smartphone app can certainly help.

There are tons of apps that offer expert recordings and simple plans to follow that might get you into meditation, and ahead we found the best ones for you to try. They won't make all your problems go away, but they may help you approach each day with a fresher, calmer mind.