Headspace is offering free mindfulness courses to unemployed Americans
The mindfulness app may alleviate some of the stress that comes with losing your job.
There’s no question that losing your job is incredibly stressful, and since the COVID-19 pandemic began, millions of people in the US have been laid off or furloughed. In an attempt to ease some of the stress that causes, the mindfulness app Headspace is offering a free one-year subscription to anyone in the US who is now unemployed.
Anyone who qualifies can register at Headspace.com/unemployed. Headspace asks for the name of your most recent employer and your last date of employment, but it’s unclear if they do any cross checking or if this is an honor system. Once you sign up, you’ll get access to over 1,200 hours of meditation and mindfulness content, including sleep aids, kids content and mindful movement.
According to Headspace, 59 percent of Americans say mental health is “more important” since the pandemic began. The company has already made its meditation and sleep exercises available to anyone in New York, one of the cities hit hardest by the virus, and all US health professionals who work public health settings have access to Headspace Plus for free through 2020.
While the app won’t solve the financial hardship of unemployment, it may help mitigate some of the stress. If you’re looking for additional help, Engadget has put together a guide for accessing therapy from home, with or without insurance coverage.
