Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY 12:29 p.m. MT May 9, 2017

Simple Habit is an on-demand meditation platform with simple five-minute lessons featuring more than 1,000 meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world.(Photo: Provided photo)

Between calendar notifications, pushed emails and intrusive messaging platforms, you might believe smartphones contribute to your daily stress levels.

But that same device could also help nudge you to take much-needed breaks throughout the day, thanks to a handful of meditation and mindfulness apps.

I often say that mindfulness isnt hard whats hard is remembering to be mindful, says Sharon Salzberg, a renowned meditation expert and bestselling author. Ones device is the perfect implement to offer those reminders, not only for a time-out of five to 10 minutes, but for what we call short moments, many times taking a few breaths to return to ourselves and return to the moment.

Salzberg believes theres an increased interest in meditation in the West, perhaps because of the incredible busyness and sheer unrelenting pressure of potentially always being on. Salzberg says several apps could help with reminders and bite-sized lessons at home or the go.

May is Mental Health Month. The following is a brief look at five picks available at both the App Store (for iOS) and Google Play (for Android), unless otherwise specified.

Simple Habit

One of the newest players is also one of the most impressive. Simple Habit is an on-demand meditation platform built for busy people. With simple five-minute lessons, the app features more than 1,000 meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world. For a more tailored lesson you can choose the time, place and cause of your stress. For example, tap Tough Day or Big Event, or Morning Meditation or At Work.

You can also pick a lesson by Series (Drift to Sleep, Sharpen Focus, Meditate in Nature), and by teacher of your choice.

More than 50 sessions are free, with the option to upgrade to a premium version for $11.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Its also available through a desktop website, and Simple Habit will remember where you left off.

Calm: Meditation to Relax, Focus & Sleep Better

Calm is a meditation and mindfulness app with guided sessions in varying lengths, ranging from three to 25 minutes, and with content designed for beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced users.

Similar to some other apps of this kind, you can choose a topic that matters most to you: Calming Anxiety, Deep Sleep, Self-Esteem, Forgiveness, Happiness, Managing Stress, Focus and Concentration, and so on. Track your progress with gamelike elements, such as daily streaks, as well as seeing a tally of time spent meditating.

While theres some free content to get you started, subscriptions are $12.99 a month, or the heavily discounted $59.99 a year. Subscribers get full access to all the instructions, along with a new 10-minute program added daily, more than 20 Sleep Stories, seven- and 21-day programs, breathing exercises, relaxing nature sounds, and more.

Headspace

Your gym membership for the mind, Headspace wants to teach you how to meditate in just a few minutes a day.

Endorsed by Emma Watson, this UK app features a clean and easy-to-use interface, and offers a free beginner series called Take10 10 sessions, each 10 minutes over 10 days using proven meditation and mindfulness techniques that could help clear your head, reduce stress, sleep better and enjoy greater overall happiness.

Available for iOS, Android, Amazon, and the web, the lessons include stat tracking, rewards and an optional buddy system for friends to motivate each other.

If you want more than the introductory Take10, Headspace offers a subscription service ($12.99 a month or $94.99 a year) for access to many other meditation lessons, guided and unguided, as short as two minutes and as long as an hour. Some deal with applying mindfulness to everyday activities, while others cater to managing stress (S.O.S. sessions) and life-altering situations.

As part of Headspaces Get Some, Give Some program, for every subscription someone signs up for the app will donate a subscription to someone in need, the company says.

10% Happier

Designed for fidgety skeptics, 10% Happier offers clear and simple meditation lessons.

Led by New York Times bestselling author and ABC news anchor Dan Harris, who suffered an on-air panic attack in 2004, which prompted him to write the book 10% Happier the app (iOS, web) features quick meditations by many respected teachers, include Salzberg, which you can do whenever you have a spare moment.

The free version of the app offers access to a seven-session introductory course, with daily meditation videos (with offline access), guided audio lessons (for when you cant look at a screen), advice and tips to applying mindfulness to your personal and professional lives, and new content added monthly to keep things fresh.

Members get a lot more content for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year.

Breathe

Reminders to take a time-out arent just on your smartphone, theyre prompted by your smartwatch, too.

Built into the latest Apple Watch operating system is Breathe, Apples own app that encourages you to relax, focus and breathe.

Youll feel a slight tap on your wrist every four hours, and when you glance down at the screen the app will ask you to start a session, if youre able to. The app will guide you through some deep breaths over a one-minute session of seven breaths, but you can tweak these session lengths. Follow the animated circles on the screen to inhale and exhale, plus you can feel a tap on your wrist to inhale, if you want to do this with your eyes closed.

A summary screen, with heart rate info, is shown at the end.

Follow Marc Saltzman on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Email him at askmarcsaltzman@gmail.com.

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Take a breather with these meditation apps - St. George Daily Spectrum