Having trouble falling asleep, but meditation isn't your thing? The good people of Reddit have some recommendations for chatty podcasts and tracks where the sounds of voices can lull you into dreamland.

Google has given us the best email service, the best Maps app, one of the best AI assistants and the best search engine. And now, they're getting into the mindfulness game, as well.

Take a deep breath... hold it... breathe out... now wait a sec before breathing in again. Bookmark QuietKit's box breathing for a follow-along animation to help you do this any time you need it.

When you just want to turn your brain off and sleep, meditation apps are perfect. A guiding voice, or the sounds of something peaceful such as rain, helps to fill the silence so your thoughts can’t creep in. The best ones strategically bore you into drowsiness. (You can look for sleep-focused meditation tracks, but I’m guilty of misusing the Headspace intro lessons for this purpose.)

Meditation (and specifically mindfulness meditation) has become increasingly popular, thanks to apps such as Headspace and studies touting the lasting effects of mindfulness on the mind and body. But are these apps really as effective as serious meditation training? And do these studies’ findings have any basis in reality?

Even before you download an app to help you meditate, or to manage your depression, it's speaking to you. Apps' marketing often implies that everyday stresses should be seen as mental health issues, and that you're on your own (with the help of the app, of course) to fix whatever is wrong with you.

Achieving that zen state of mind is crucial for maximum productivity at work and at home.

Mindfulness meditation apps are all the rage, but repetitive sessions, irrelevant meditation themes and lack of customisation can leave you feeling disconnected.

Mindbliss’s customised meditations keep your needs in mind for more peace of mind in less time.

No one enjoys the sneezing, fever and aches that come with colds and flu, but unfortunately, once you’re sick all you can do is wait it out. Between getting a ton of fluids and even more rest, you might try some mindfulness meditation to help you find some mental and emotional relief.

Sometimes, the best and only way to unwind is to pop open a bottle (or can) of your favourite beverage, dim the lights a little bit (or light up a candle or two or 20), and fire up some Bob Ross videos.

The hardest task on most to-do lists is the invisible one: Getting motivated to do anything at all. And the more important your tasks are, the more you can scare yourself out of even starting. One trick to fight this, according to the producers of the YouTube channel How to ADHD, is a simple meditation-like technique.

While you clean up your space, your finances and your digital life, don't forget that your brain can end up cluttered as well. Here's how to sort things out so you end up happier and (mentally) healthier.

When we last rounded up our staff's Weekly Upgrades, our editors were email batching, meal prepping, cleaning, and scheduling in extra downtime.

When we last rounded up our staff's Weekly Upgrades, our editors were installing our own bidets, cutting back on caffeine, and protecting ourselves from exercise-induced injury.

I have a bad habit of trying to meditate, getting distracted, and immediately giving up, just to try it again six months later. So this observation from redditor Subduction really got me.

In this episode we talked with author and psychiatrist Mark Epstein, whose books include Thoughts Without a Thinker, and Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart. His latest book, Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself, uses Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path as a roadmap for spiritual and psychological growth. According to Mark, Buddhism and psychotherapy arrive at the same conclusion: When we give the ego free rein, we suffer, but when the ego learns to let go, we are free.

iOS/Android: When I run, my inner monologue sounds like an argument between a good coach and a bad coach. One voice tells me to take it easy, find my best pace, not to look at my watch, just find the right level of effort. Then the other voice butts in to say something like "Oh, look at you, running so slow, and you're already tired! You suck!"

Relaxation? Productivity? These don't go together... normally. If you just want to put butt to couch and think of nothing, that's fine. On the other hand, if you have a few drops of energy in reserve and wouldn't mind spending them while you chill, that's possible too.

Between hygge, the Danish concept of cosiness, and Sweden's lagom, which encourages living a balanced life, there are plenty of buzzy Nordic lifestyle methods that proponents claim will make you a better person. But if your problem is less about finding happiness and more about tuning out the nagging voices in your head, you may want to head slightly south and check out the Dutch concept of niksen.

Mindfulness can be as powerful for children as it is for adults - it can help them regulate their emotions and respond more calmly when life gets stressful. But simply telling your kids to "clear your thoughts!" or "be present!" will probably just make them more confused (and therefore more stressed).