This week’s challenge: meditate three times this week.

What perhaps used to be viewed as a fringe activity reserved for monks in solitude, meditation has gone mainstream. It’s got tons of proven health benefits, like reducing the stress hormone cortisol, improving focus, and helping reduce blood pressure. I’ve personally talked about how it can be just as effective as coffee at waking me up.

I’d encourage you to do the three days back to back. The benefits of meditation become more clear with consistency.

There’s some great, free programs to help you get started with meditation.

Calm

Start with 7 Days of Calm. With a paid subscription you’ll get access to a lot of other meditation courses and a daily guided meditation. This is what I personally use.

Headspace

The other extremely popular meditation app. It has similar guided courses to Calm. I feel like it just comes down to personal preference of whose voice you like more. Try them both out – they both have free options.

Oak

Oak is a totally free app developed my Kevin Rose. It has a couple of guided options to get you going, but its ultimate goal is to take the training wheels off and let you have your own unguided sessions.

There you go – three options to get started. Or just sit outside quietly for 10 minutes. Share your thoughts on how things go.