Health and wellness apps are offering free services
SANTA MONICA: As uncertainty continues to grow around the coronavirus pandemic and life in seclusion mounts, so has the level of stress and anxiety for many consumers.
Popular health and wellness apps are now offering free services to help people cope in the midst of unprecedented times.
Meditation app Headspace announced Monday that it is offering free premium services to all U.S. health care professionals working in public health through 2020. The app’s premium membership, used in nearly 190 countries, usually runs for $12.99 a month. Headspace says it hopes to address the rising levels of stress and burnout faced by healthcare workers.
“Healthcare providers are on the front lines of this public health crisis, making sure our communities receive necessary and critical care,” said Dr. Megan Jones Bell, chief science officer for Headspace, in a news release. “That’s why it’s crucial for us to find ways to support their mental health and provide them with tools for managing the very real personal toll this crisis takes on them in particular.”
Headspace also ushered in a new collection of content to help manage stress and anxiety, called “Weathering The Storm.” The service is free for everyone.
“It includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises,” Headspace shared on its website.
Simple Habit, a mindfulness app with nearly 4.5 million members, shared Wednesday that it is offering free premium memberships to “all people who are financially impacted by this difficult time and can no longer afford to pay.”
“We recognize that many people are now being required to stay home, resulting in loss of income and financial uncertainty,” said Yunha Kim, CEO and founder in a news release.
Eligible users can email [email protected] noting extenuating financial circumstances due to the pandemic to receive free access until April 20.
More than 2,500 meditation mobile apps have launched since 2015, according to AppInventiv, a global app development firm.
