HEADSPACE: MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION OR DIGITAL INTERFERENCE?

Welcome back to TSCS everybody! 

This week we are going to be discussing how the rise of digital technology has inspired the creation of mental health intervention Apps such as Headspace- which have shown results in improving stress levels, sleep and reducing day to day anxieties. Results which I am in great support of and would encourage any of my readers to prioritise these in aid of living a healthier and happier lifestyle. 

Having delved deep into ‘Headspace’ research, I couldn’t help but ignore the feeling that our global reliance on technology is becoming problematic. This entry will explore the gradual decline of human interaction and aims to encourage you all to pursue more offline activities.

WHAT IS HEADSPACE?

• It aims to make meditation accessible for all, achievable in the first 10 days through practice.
• ‘In many ways, Headspace feels like Buddhism-lite. It’s got all the flavor of spiritual meditation with none of the religious underpinnings. That’s not a huge surprise, as one of the app’s founders is an ordained Buddhist monk. His goal with the app is to bring meditation to people who might not have tried it otherwise.’

WHY SHOULD WE USE IT?

• ‘Modern secular mindfulness meditation aims to translate a traditionally spiritual practice into a secular one through explanation.’

WHEN WOULD WE USE IT?

• When ‘tackling problems related to anxiety, sleeplessness, and relationships. As such, Headspace comes across as something like a self-help app.’

  

We can clearly see the benefits of this app, and how it has provided us with the guidance needed to calm our thoughts, to be in control of the way we react or perceive certain situations, and have a more open and rational mindset.

IS IT WORTH THE FEE?

For £9.99 a month, I can see why people would sign-up; this is a great way to introduce an alien concept to those trying to kick-start their experience with meditation. However, I feel mislead by their plea to make meditation accessible to everyone- especially at £49.99 a year. It would seem more reasonable to suggest that once you have a basic understanding of the skills required, you no longer need to rely on the app.

For example, at as little as £3.99, I bought my positive psychology book which assisted myself (and hopefully you guys!) with mindfulness meditation, which basically explains that: ‘it is our lives and how we lead them that really needs to change if we are to improve our mental well-being’.

Not only this, but once a book is purchased, you own a copy of it. A physical copy is there for you to return to whenever you need- no wifi or computer access necessary.

SEEKING OUR OWN ORGANIC COPING MECHANISMS: TO ACHIEVE A TRULY PEACEFUL FRAME OF MIND, ‘HEADSPACE’ MUST COME FROM WITHIN…

If you agree that there is something unsettling about commodifying self-help, then there are  plenty of guided mediation and self-help resources offline, to get you started, for free. Think about it, the ‘headspace’ you are creating whilst paying for the app subscription fee, can be taken away from you at any moment. Once you can no longer afford it- you don’t have access to a mental necessity. Books will allow you to enter a calm space anytime or anywhere.

I believe by gradually minimising our reliance on technology is the best place to start establishing mindfulness.

This technology is essentially advertising itself as an app that will help us seek space away from the digital chaos we are constantly embedded in. Yet there is some kind of irony in the fact that in order to do this, we must turn to our phones, the very things that In my opinion, reinforce our lack of self-awareness.

CONSIDER PURSUING NATURAL, FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND ASSOCIATES IN OUR LOCAL, IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT 

Although apps like Headspace can assist in forming large, digital communities which support a basic level of understanding and equip us with skills or tools needed to carry out mindful activities: aren’t we are missing the the richness that comes with listening to other human being’s experiences and connecting with their feelings?

I believe that using our voice in the ‘real-world’ to express ourselves or creating change in a local setting, is when true self-empowerment begins.

Maybe we should consider consciously retreating from the digital world in times we desire REAL headspace?

TIPS OF THE WEEK!

I’m not proposing I have an answer to this weeks question, but I am encouraging you guys to think from an alternative perspective- to consider a less digitally controlled lifestyle. We will be looking into this in more detail next week!

• Turn on ‘Night Shift’ on your Iphone or ‘Night Light’ on android to ensure a better sleep.
• Set boundaries for replying to messages. People only have an expectation you’ll reply immediately because that’s what we often do. Give yourself a 1-2 day leeway, prioritise messages of importance.
• Unsubscribe to spam emails! Do this once a day, one spam email at a time. Expose yourselves to less useless information and filter out the junk. For many of you, this won’t happen overnight!

That’s all from me everyone, I hope you’ve found this week insightful. Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts on social media!

All The Love,

Your Self-Care Sister

x

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