Headspace and Calm are bringing “mindfulness content” to streaming.

Headspace and Calm are bringing “mindfulness content” to streaming. Gen Z and Millennials have always been open about their mental health, and YPulse’s State of Mind trend research shows the pandemic has made mental health more of a priority for young people, with 74% saying they want to learn more about mindfulness and meditation. Meditation apps Headspace and Calm surged in downloads in March 2020, and Headspace’s download rates more than doubled when the U.S. went on lockdown in March 2020. Headspace’s head of programming and development notes that by the end of 2020 the meditation app had a 500% increase in subscription purchases from companies. While the meditation app has dabbled in TV programming prior to the pandemic with its Monster Meditation on Sesame Street and Mindful Earth on BBC, the demand for mindfulness content on TV is growing and mental wellness has only grown as an entertainment trend. Headspace has already launched the first two of three of its Netflix shows with Headspace Guide to Meditation along with Headspace Guide to Sleep, and now rival app Calm is headed to HBO Max for a 10-episode series called A World of Calm. Both shows are expanding from their in-app meditation experiences to provide longer segments of mindfulness content that will help people relax, learn how to meditate, and develop better sleeping habits. (IndieWire)