Brian Jeffrey
Just a casual scroll in the Google Play or Apple App Store proves that there’s no shortage of meditation apps, but among all the options, Headspace has long been the favorite. The company boasts more than 2,000 meditations rooted in science, using clinically-backed research to help users manage anxiety, stress, and feel happier and more calm overall.
A Headspace subscription is $13 per month, which may not seem like a lot, but if you’re unemployed it’s certainly a cost that could lead to feeling stressed (which kind of defeats the point of the subscription). With 22 million unemployed people in the U.S., it’s something the whole Headspace team realizes and understands, which is why they announced this morning that they will now be giving anyone in the U.S. who is currently unemployed a special free year-long subscription, called Headspace Plus. According to Headspace’s chief scientific officer Megan Jones Bell, PsyD, it’s a big but necessary commitment.
“Alongside the rest of the country, each of us here at Headspace have also been closely watching the skyrocketing unemployment numbers. And we know that losing your job can leave you feeling sad, angry, fearful, disappointed or any combination of emotions,” Dr. Bell says. “It can also affect your sense of self-efficacy and sense of control, which are two really important aspects of mental health. As a company dedicated to improving the health and happiness of the world, we take our responsibility to help support people’s mental health very seriously. So we decided to make subscriptions to Headspace Plus free for all unemployed Americans for one year. It’s our small gesture of support in providing mental health support for those who need it most.”
With their free Headspace Plus subscriptions, users will have access to over 1,200 hours of meditations. The app is also launching six meditations aimed to help directly with emotions it’s common to grapple with when experiencing job loss or financial stress. A sample of what’s included: adapting to sudden change, sadness and loss, recovering confidence, and finding purpose. Like all the other meditations in the app, Dr. Bell says the new meditations also use clinically-backed science to help build resilience and lessen feelings of fear, anxiety, and sadness.
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While meditating won’t change someone’s unemployment status, being able to use Headspace for free can help with the stress and anxiety that is often coupled with job loss. And it’s a tool that still applies even after becoming employed, too.
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Written by: WellGood
