Snapchat releases new meditation features with Headspace Mini

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, Headspace and Snapchat team up to launch new Headspace Mini content to support snapchatters’ rising stress levels.

Headspace Mini is touted to be a safe space for friends on Snapchat to practice meditation and mindfulness exercises. The two new meditations, roughly 6 minutes in length, will be guided by Headspace’s Director of Meditation, Eve Lewis, and will be available starting on World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2020.

The two new meditations will include:

●“Choose Kindness” - a mini-meditation focused on practicing kindness which can change how we show up in the world and how we treat others. In the midst of chaos, confusion, and conflict, this meditation is designed to shift our mindset and move to a place of compassion.

●“Take on the School Year” - a mini-meditation focused on navigating uncertainty at school. Whether students are back in the classroom or still at home, there might be feelings of worry, anxiety, or even disconnection from friends. This meditation is designed to help you connect with your breath and find a resting place to ease uncertainty.

The Headspace Mini meditations were designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of Snapchatters globally. In a new survey conducted by independent research company, GroupSolver for Snap, over 73% of Snapchatters in the US reported feeling stressed over the last week, and over half are more stressed than they were last year. The survey also found that approximately one-third of Snapchatters in the US and one-fifth of Snapchatters in the UK and France, use meditation to cope with stress.

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“World Mental Health Day is recognized annually, and if this year has taught us anything, it's that mental health is just as important as our physical health,” said Headspace’s Eve Lewis. “At Headspace, we believe that taking a small amount of time each day to take care of your mind can have a huge impact on your overall mental wellbeing. Even though we are separated from friends and family, meditation reminds us that we are all a part of a shared human experience. This is why we are so happy to deepen our partnership with Snap, so we can continue to bring the benefits of meditation and mindfulness to a younger generation.”

The Headspace Mini within Snapchat was launched to provide a safe space for friends to practice meditation and mindfulness exercises while using Headspace animations to send encouraging messages to check-in and positively boost friends in need. In its first month of being life, over 5 million Snapchatters engaged with the Headspace Mini, indicating that mental health tools and resources are much needed and welcomed by this young audience. Existing meditations on the Headspace Mini include, “Just Breathe,” “Get out of a funk,” “Kick the panic,” and “Me time.”

The second wave of Headspace Mini content on Snapchat is part of a larger initiative from Headspace encouraging people and businesses all over the world to Be Kind to Your Mind in honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10 and beyond. Headspace is inviting leaders and companies to sign their World Mental Health Day pledge and learn more about how to ease the mental health burdens of employees at headspace.com/wmhd. Participating organizations are standing together and committing to the shared responsibility at this moment to demand greater investment in mental health for all.