Meditation App Headspace & John Legend Launch ‘Focus Mode’ To Help You De-Stress

Headspace, the meditation and mindfulness app, has just welcomed award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend aboard its team as the brand’s first-ever chief music officer (CMO) and announced the launch of a new Focus Mode as a part of the collaboration. The new feature is designed to help users focus on “what matters most to them”, and will offer users everything from soundscapes to a playlist curated by Legend himself. 

Guided meditation app Headspace has created a new Focus Mode feature on its platform, which is co-created with singer John Legend to provide content that harnesses the “power of music to enhance members’ mindfulness journeys”. Focus Mode will include 12 music stations, each offering different genres from cinematic to jazz and piano, designed to help support users through often stressful situations like work or during tough conversations. 

The mode will also offer 23 different ambient soundscapes, which are ideally suited for background music or noise while users concentrate on a task, as well as meditation and mindfulness exercises that are aimed at enhancing one’s focus. In addition, the All of Me singer will curate a unique “Focus playlist” every month, with each composed by different musicians. 

That’s why we are so proud to launch Headspace Focus with John Legend at a time when so many people around the world need some extra help concentrating on what matters most to them.

Sam Rogoway, Chief Content & Product Officer at Headspace

“Increased stress and anxiety in our day-to-day lives have impaired our ability to focus. It’s challenging to concentrate on work, family, or even a simple task at hand when our reality is in such a period of flux and uncertainty,” said Sam Rogoway, chief content and product officer at Headspace. 

“That’s why we are so proud to launch Headspace Focus with John Legend at a time when so many people around the world need some extra help concentrating on what matters most to them.”

Explaining his motivation behind his new collaboration with Headspace, Legend said: “Songwriting and performing requires an incredible amount of mental focus, concentration, and present moment awareness. When I’m able to cancel out external noise and tune into a state of relaxed concentration, that’s when the creativity flows.”

“That’s why I’m looking forward to helping others learn how to focus on what’s important to them – and I’ll be bringing some of my friends in the music industry along with me for the ride.”

When I’m able to cancel out external noise and tune into a state of relaxed concentration, that’s when the creativity flows. That’s why I’m looking forward to helping others learn how to focus on what’s important to them.

John Legend

Meditation and mindful exercises have become increasingly popular amongst the wellness community, who not only tout the practice as a mood-lifter and one that encourages healthy reflection, but can also boost productivity. According to research undertaken by the app, a 15-minute meditation led to a 22% reduction in mind-wandering. 

This is perhaps especially relevant during the coronavirus pandemic, with millions still working from home and may be finding it difficult to combat at-home distractions. 

Headspace isn’t the only digital platform to begin innovating new features catered towards users’ health and wellness amid the pandemic. 

Facebook-owned photo and video sharing platform Instagram, for instance, launched a new wellness-focused Guides function not long ago. The content on Instagram Guides will provide users with recommendations on looking after one’s well-being, maintaining connection and communication with others while social distancing, and coping with grief and anxiety due to the human and economic impact of the crisis. 

Lead image courtesy of Joe Pugliese / John Legend.