Three years ago, the Finger Lakes Area School Health Plan made available to its benefitted employees and their families a digital app called Calm that helps individuals manage and reduce daily stress through mindfulness, meditation and improved sleep.
The timing couldn’t have been any better for such an innovative offering, which is offered free of charge.
“Who knew how much we’d end up needing it in 2020 and beyond,” said Sara Eskildsen, an elementary interventionist at Red Jacket Elementary School.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created plenty of anxiousness and uncertainty for many FLASHP employees, including Eskildsen, but the Calm app has provided a, well, calming influence.
“For me, it has helped immensely with falling asleep when my brain just can’t shut down after a long day,” said Eskildsen. “I’m very grateful for it.”
While Calm can definitely help with sleeplessness, Eskildsen was quick to note the app can be used any time of day to combat stress and mentally unwind or recharge. Users can access guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises and relaxing music via the app.
“Calm is a gift of well-being for mind, body and soul,” she said. “If we don’t take care of those things, we can’t accomplish much.”
Eskildsen is such a proponent of the app that she has even used it with her students.
“It seems to help them settle down in order to do quiet work,” she said.
Her son used the app frequently during his senior year when his high school went from in-person to remote learning during the pandemic.
“He was overwhelmed with online learning, and the app helped fill the void of social life with his classmates and the usual senior year rites of passage,” she said. “He still uses the app as a college junior. It helps him when he’s stressed or anxious or can’t wind down to get the rest he needs to do his best.”
Calm’s digital library is available 24/7 and is updated with new content daily. There are currently more than 120 sleep stories and hours of guided mediations covering sleep, anxiety, stress and gratitude. There are also music tracks available exclusively on the Calm app that focus on sleep and relaxation.
Founded in 2012, the app has been downloaded more than 100 million times since and was named to the Apple “Best of 2018” list and Google Play’s “Editor’s Choice 2018,” according to Calm’s official website. It was also named “The World’s Happiest App” by the Center for Humane Technology.
In addition to those accolades, Calm has been proven to deliver results, with 92 percent of users reporting an improved ability to fall asleep, and 90 percent of users with anxiety disorders reporting an improved ability to manage their symptoms. More than 75 percent of all users said they are experiencing better moods since using the app, and 64 percent of users stated they have been able to better concentrate during the day.
A 12-month premium subscription to Calm is available free to FLASHP employees through Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. To access the free subscription, an individual should log into their Excellus BCBS account and hover over the “Health and Wellness” section. From there, click on the Calm Stress Management page and complete the registration process. The individual will then be instructed to download the Calm app to their electronic devices.
“Anyone who is stressed, tired, anxious or just needs a brain break should use this app,” Eskildsen said. “It is definitely not a substitute for mental health professionals or other forms of therapy, but it’s a piece of the puzzle and a great first step toward mental, emotional and physical wellness.”
