Mindfulness is now something we are encouraged to embrace, be aware of and practice on a daily basis to keep our mental health in check. Still, it’s easier said than done with the stress of a global pandemic still ruling the roost week in and week out. Technology plays a huge part in both hindering and helping your mental health – all that social media scrolling makes it difficult to cull screen time but Apple have made things easier with the new Apple Watch. We have five ways with the Apple Watch that can help promote mindfulness, being active and support sleep to keep you on track in 2022.
1. Take A Moment
Breathe and Reflect are two features where the Apple Watch reminds and encourages you to participate in taking a moment. Reflect gives you something to focus on to keep you in a positive frame of mind, even for as little as one minute, with prompts like “Recall a time recently when you felt a sense of calm. Bring that feeling into this moment.” Breathe is your guided meditation, which isn’t new, but does encourage you to take short time out from your day to enjoy being in the moment. You can also then see your heart rate, which should have come down a little.
2. Focus On What Matters
The distraction potential from social media and other apps is high and takes some willpower to not look at notifications. Focus allows you to set notifications to show from specific people, work colleagues or specific apps that support what you need that day. Fitness Focus can also help you stay in the zone without any distractions from those trying to reach you. There’s a time and a place for cat videos.
3. Be Active & Stay Active
Yep your Apple Watch is your fitness friend challenging you to close the activity rings each and every day, as well as letting you know about personal records and winning streaks when you move, exercise and stand. You can increase the level of movement across these activity awards if you want to ramp things up and the activity sharing does bring a little healthy competition into the mix.
4. Workout With Fitness+
This new function, the first fitness service powered by Apple Watch, means you can train your body with eleven types of studio-style workouts, including HIIT, pilates, strength and yoga. You can see your metrics in real-time too to keep you motivated. Fitness+ also features guided meditations so you can work on your mental wellbeing as well as getting a sweat on.
5. Get A Good Night’s Sleep
A good sleep routine is important for your overall health and you can create a bedtime routine using the Sleep app on Apple Watch. With a prompt to wind down as you near your usual bedtime, you can set up a specific scene in the Home app, listen to a soothing soundscape on Apple Music, or use a meditation app before you drift off. Apple Watch tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen and time asleep so you can view your sleep history and track your progress.
The latest Apple Watch Series 7 offers its biggest screen yet and is packed with features. Prices start from £369