Mindfulness (Apple)
Mindfulness, formerly Breathe, is a watch application developed by Apple Inc., first introduced with the release of WatchOS 3.[1] The app intends to remind users to practice mindfulness through simple guided meditation, in which a number of overlapping blue circles expand and shrink several times within a minute. The app has since expanded to offer different exercises and activities which focus on improving mental health and bringing attention to user's wellbeing.
Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
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Initial release | September 13, 2016 |
Operating system | watchOS |
Type | Guided meditation |
While unrelated to the Mindfulness app, the Apple Watch can also measure other metrics which may impact mental health such as sleep tracking, time spent completing physical exercise, and time spent in daylight.
Overview
After beginning a breathe session, a user is instructed to take deep breaths in while the circles grow, exhaling as they return to their original size. At the end of a session, the user's current heart rate is shown alongside the number of "mindfulness minutes" completed for the day, which can also be seen in the Health and Fitness apps on a linked iPhone device. A breathe watch face is also available in classic, calm, and focus options.[2]
With watchOS 8, a "reflect" mode was introduced, which provides users with a prompt or question to think about over a minute period. While completing a reflect activity, the watch displays a screen which cycles through different colors in motion.[3]
watchOS 10 added mood tracking through the app's "State of Mind" feature, which allows users to log a range of emotions, either at a particular moment in time or their general mood for the day. Additional information can also be provided, allowing users to further describe how they are feeling or list factors which may be having an impact on their emotions at the time an entry is logged.[4] State of mind history can be viewed through the Health app, which can also be compared alongside physical health data. The Health app may also prompt a user suffering from regular unpleasant moods to complete standardised assessments for anxiety or depression, and suggest seeking professional help.[5]
See also
References
- "Inside watchOS 3: New 'Breathe' app for Apple Watch reminds you to relax, focus". AppleInsider. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- "Apple Watch faces and their features". Apple Support. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- Potuck, Michael (2021-06-21). "How the Mindfulness app works on Apple Watch in watchOS 8". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- "State of Mind: How to Log Your Mood in Apple's Health App". PCMag Australia. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- Kamps, Haje Jan (2023-06-05). "Apple adds mental health tracking to Watch and iPhone". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-10-02.