Relax & Recharge ⚡

It’s a short Christmas holiday week making it the perfect time to slow down from the busy year. We take the time to revisit the increasing number of companies that are helping us relax and be mindful. Some of us may still see meditation and mindfulness training as a “too good to be true” gimmick but research shows time and time again that mindfulness is not just good for health but can also offer real business ROI. So why not take a minute or two and look through some of these companies who have been making headway to address mental health as the issue has become mainstream. If research doesn’t convince you, perhaps the high growth of many of the companies is evidence that the world is shifting to believers. 

Source: 10% Happier

• 10% Happier is a company derived from a book of the same name by Dan Harris and is for the fidgeting medication skeptics who are new to meditation. The company was founded in 2013 and offers a $99 annual membership after a 7 day free trial for its professionally guided meditation app. 
• Simple Habit is for the busy bee who can only dedicate small chunks of time to meditation. In fact, Simple Habit sells on the fact that they believe it only takes 5 minutes to meditate and dedicates most of its content to short bite-sized meditation. The company is founded in 2016 and offers its service for $90 annually, $12 per month, or a one time $ 300-lifetime access. 
• Aura Health is the even shorter version of Simple Habit. They say it only takes 3 minutes a day to become happier and its app monitors your daily mood to give you a targeted meditation. Its premium version is $12 per month, $60 annual, or $400 for lifetime use. 
• Insight Timer offers a meditation app that gives users the freedom of different meditation lengths and styles, even ones without guidance. Unlike its competitors, this app is free to use. 
• Happify is a New York-based company that uses activities and games to promote mindfulness and positivity. The app is free to download and use but its premium content is $15 per month or $140 for a year.
• Sanvello offers an app for stress and anxiety and was founded in 2014 in San Francisco, California. The app is said to have over 3.2 million users and helps users through on-demand mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy-based self-care strategies. Its premium version costs $8.99 per month or $54 for a year. 
• Calm is the most well known of mindfulness apps and a 1BN+ valued company already in 2019 before the pandemic drove a higher interest in self-help for mental health. It has doubled its valuation with another $75MM funding this month. It’s already reportedly profiting from its business and with new funding, could be looking to acquire smaller competition. The service is $70 annually after a 7-day free trial or there is a buy now forever model for $400. 
• Headspace continues to be listed as one of Calm’s top competitors, even despite its earlier founding. Although it doesn’t have as high of a valuation as Calm, it is a promising company that has raised multiple rounds of funding in 2020, building on the momentum of mental health awareness this year. The service is either $70 annually with a 2 weeks free trial or $13 per month with a one-week free trial.