With academics, performances, and sports, it can be hard to stay calm and stress-free during the school year. One great way to alleviate anxiety is through meditation. While it may seem difficult to make time to meditate, the numerous benefits of meditation including reduced stress levels, better sleep, and a longer attention span will help improve your success in the long run.

Meditation is a state of absolute awareness without thought. It produces calmness and peace that can help enable us to achieve our full potential. Meditation is recognized as a powerful method of reducing stress.

Mobile applications or apps are easily accessible ways to meditate. Through apps like Headspace, 1GiantMind, Calm, and 10% Happier, meditation has never been more convenient.

Headspace is a one-stop shop for meditation sessions themed to whatever you would like to improve in your life. There are programs for Basics, Mindful Eating (for health), Leaving Home (for high school seniors), and Motivation (for sports). Andy Puddicombe, a Buddhist monk now based in Venice, provides the soothing voice for all the programs.  

1GiantMind starts with a 12-step program to familiarize you with the basics of meditation. Then there are 30 programs to take you through a month of meditation so that it becomes a daily habit.

Calm is a package of stress relief programs of which one is meditation. Like Headspace,  there are themes like the College Collection, Winnie the Pooh, and 7 Days of Self-Esteem.

If you’re impatient, 10% Happier is designed for you. The app builds on news anchor Dan Harris’ best-selling book of the same name about how meditation helped him to overcome panic attacks. There are more than 500 videos and guided meditations.

These apps teach you meditation and provide practical tips for applying mindfulness to student life, athletics, eating, and anxiety. They all come with free trials so you can see which one brings out your best.