Feeling Overwhelmed? Best 5 Meditation Apps to Destress During the Day

Author: Tessa Koller / Source: Lifehack

Feeling overwhelmed all the time is mentally and emotionally exhausting. You might think you’re managing perfectly—career, personal, social, and family without realizing how that overwhelmed feeling is overpowering you.

Triggers such as forgetfulness, constant rushing, not preparing for deadlines, missing deadlines, or canceling plans last minute to compensate making up for unfinished work.

We’ve all been there, I think, at one time or another or this is how life has been lately.

In this article, we’ll look into the best 5 meditation apps to help you destress. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at the bad effects stress has on your body.

How stress affects your body

If you think stress is invisible, think again. Stress actually affects your body and mind more than you ever imagined:

1. Hot flashes and the feeling like you’re broken out in a cold sweat.

Have you ever sat down to work and noticed your skin on your cheeks, back of your neck, legs and hands feeling clammy?

When I’m overwhelmed, I’ll notice light sweating which I believed was just from running around. It comes even when I’m not running around, and when it does, I step away from whatever I am doing and go for a walk.

If you can’t step away, focus on diaphragmatic breathing. The symptom is a result of over-taxing. Your body is viewing stress as a toxin and is trying to eliminate it.

2. Heart palpitations and out of control breathing.

The heart is one of the first organs in your body to notice when you’re overwhelmed. Whether you have heart disease or not, stress induces rapid heartbeats.

An increased heart-rate when you’re not working out is not normal.

You might notice heavy or incredibly shallow breathing.

By this point, your brain and heart aren’t getting enough oxygen rich blood. Deep breathing and normal breathing are important for keeping your brain and body’s systems moving.

3. Cramping or pains in your joints (wrists, knees, and ankles).

If you’ve gone out to run those errands and notice cramping in your legs or knees, your body is sending you a signal that shouldn’t be ignored.

My hips and knees cramp up if I’ve been on the move for too long. Our bodies have a way of warning or sending us signals to nurture it more. Balance is a key ingredient to sustaining optimal health and if your body is aching, it’s telling you to stop.

4. Hair thinning or hair loss.

Stress, especially chronic, can lead to hair thinning and hair loss. When you run your hands through your hair or push it behind your ears, you might have noticed loose strands in your fingers.

Hair loss indicates overexertion as well. Only ten minutes or less of meditation in the mornings or the evenings can radically improve your stress levels.