As a trauma therapist I find that apps can be brilliant tools for daily self-care. The only problem is that most people don't feel that they have time for meditation! If you can set aside just five minutes, you can potentially reap the life-changing benefits of meditation. These are my favorite apps that I recommend for busy clients (or myself). 

1. Idillionaire by Idil Ahmed. This is my favorite app right now because it is so impactful and requires little effort. You'll receive alerts throughout the day with amazingly inspirational messages. You can save favorites and reflect on them later. If you need someone to pump you up, this is the app for you.

2. Shine by Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi. Shine specializes in affirmations, guided meditations, and programs to help with self-compassion and self-care. It's a daily life coach (or cheerleader) in the form of an app!

3. Insight Timer created by Brad Fullmer (currently owned by brothers Christopher and Nicholas Plowman). Even if you only have 5 minutes you can get into one of the largest libraries of meditations. This one is great for building the habit of meditation on your terms.

4. Abide by Eric Tse and Neil Ahlsten is the "World's most famous christian meditation app". If you're looking for both prayer and meditation in an app, Abide is perfect for you! I love that there are choices to use it as a daily devotional, sleep tool or journal.

5. Calm by Michael Acton Smith and Alex Tew is "the number 1 app for sleep". Use this app for all of the above, plus sleep stories. If you are in certain career fields, you can get the paid version of the app for free. 

 6. Awakenings by Iyanla Vanzant can be used as an alarm to wake you in the morning. It is very spiritual and contains religious messages as well. I love this app because Iyanla provides three ideas to pray, reflect or journal about in each recorded message, set to soothing music. This one only takes about 5 minutes and is perfect for setting your intention for the day!

Enjoy these apps and thank me later 😉 Meditation can change your life if you make it a consistent habit. If i missed your favorite app, feel free to add it in the comments below 😊