TV for insomniacs: Netflix s Headspace Guide To Sleep
Nodding off in front of the telly is a time-honoured ritual which has over time evolved from waking up to the crackle of end of hours broadcast, to Netflix beadily asking, “Are you still watching?” (an irritating feature that is mercifully in the trial stages of being switched off).
Given the soporific nature of TV it was perhaps inevitable that streaming platforms would branch out into programmes intentionally designed to help the viewer sleep – and, more importantly, to get their slice of the growing meditation pie. Netflix has three series this year in collaboration with the popular Headspace app – the second, Headspace Guide to Sleep, landed this week.
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“When was the last time that you stopped?” Andy Puddicombe asks in the first episode of “Headspace Guide to Meditation.” “That you were still? That you put down your phone and you got rid of all of the distractions around you? When was the last time you did nothing? And by nothing, I really mean nothing.”
For most people staggering through the modern world’s ongoing information blitz, it’s a pointed, even shameful, question and it’s one that Puddicombe is used to asking. He’s the co-founder of mindfulness and meditation company Headspace, known predominantly for its app, which has 65 million downloads and counting. But although Puddicombe has made it his life’s mission to ask questions like these, usually in a guided session through your phone, this time he’s delivering it on a platform you might not expect: Netflix.
Netflix wants to help you sleep. Why wellness is the next front in the streaming wars yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
April 06, 2021
Major entertainment platforms such as Netflix and popular mobile apps like Headspace are launching collaborative content to help audiences achieve mindfulness through “calmtainment”.
Netflix
The pandemic has seen a rise in mental health issues around the world. In Hong Kong, a 2020 study revealed that stress levels in the city rose by 28 per cent and anxiety symptoms by 42 per cent compared to data from 2016 and 2017.
The media has become saturated with advice on how to keep anxiety and depression at bay. A new well-being activity has surfaced as a result: “calmtainment”, the combination of calm and entertainment, where major entertainment platforms launch content to help their audiences achieve mindfulness and self-care.
Easy five-minute 'circuit breaker' you need at work qt.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from qt.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.