Away from the doom scrolling, our devices can be a place of calm. During a pandemic, calming apps are finding huge popularity as many turn to mindfulness activities they can do in their own home.
This week in Vision Australia Radio’s Talking Tech, hosts Stephen Jolley and David Woodbridge talk relaxation apps from a blindness and low vision perspective.
Take some time for yourself and have a look at David’s favourite calming apps:
(review begins at 3:45):
-
Calm
Price: Free seven day trial, $79 yearly subscription
Why it’s good: guided meditations, celebrity voices, music and soundscapes to get you off to sleep.
David says: “It’s extremely well done.” - Nature Spaces
Price: Free
Why it’s good: Soundcapes recorded live with surround sound. Perfect for headphone users and is fully VoiceOver compatible.
David says: “The one that I love is called ‘infinite shoreline’. If you can imagine standing on a beach with the sun coming up, and the surf rolling in from your left and fading out to your right.”
- Travelear: Listen to the World
Price: Free
Why it’s good: Immerse yourself in foreign lands. Go on a bike ride in Central Park, hear ocean waves in Hawaii, listen to the cicadas in Greece, or listen to the orchestra in St Mark’s Square in Venice.
David says: “my favourite is the San Francisco one with planes taking off. That really relaxes me.”
- Spotify playlists
Price: Free (or premium without ads for $11.99 per month)
Why it’s good: Huge collection of chillout playlists, from classical, jazz and musak so you can feel like you’re in an elevator. Bossa Nova anyone?
David says: “My favourite playlist is called ‘Brain food’. Coffee Lounge Jazz Chill, and just straight Chillout are also great.”
Hear more tech tips from a blind and low vision perspective every week on Talking Tech, Tuesday 4.30pm AEST or catch up with the podcast via Spotify, Omny, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts.